to main content Pathway to JCI Accreditation | Joint Commission International

The Accreditation Journey

Each year hundreds of health care organizations around the world undergo Joint Commission International (JCI)’s comprehensive accreditation survey and evaluation process to determine if they meet our quality and patient safety standards. Only those that do meet the standards are awarded the The Gold Seal of Approval®.
A consultant in professional wear speaks to a conference room full of doctors
A doctor clasps the hand of a patient
A doctor speaks with a business professional in a clinic lobby
A consultant in professional wear speaks to a conference room full of doctors

Hospital and health care organizations spend a considerable amount of time preparing for accreditation, which requires your entire organization’s commitment. During this time, your staff works together to develop and implement the new high-quality and patient-safe policies, practices and procedures that are required to meet our standards.

A doctor clasps the hand of a patient

While this process requires leadership, coordination and dedication, JCI accreditation is viewed as the gold standard in the global health care community, and organizations that meet our standards in quality and safety proudly display The Gold Seal of Approval as a sign of this distinctive accomplishment.

A doctor speaks with a business professional in a clinic lobby

In this section, we have outlined steps to help you understand what achieving JCI accreditation entails, where to begin, and tips from JCI experts and accredited organizations that have achieved The Gold Seal of Approval. The content is broken down into stages, each including links to resources and additional information about the process.

Steps to JCI Accreditation

The pathway to accreditation outlines steps to help organizations like yours understand what JCI accreditation entails and how to begin the process. Each of the five stages is full of tips, resources, and best practices from JCI experts and accredited organizations.

Learn

Learning is the first stage of the accreditation process and enables organizations to familiarize themselves with JCI, the evidence-based standards and why over 1,000 organizations have chosen JCI as their accreditation provider.
Learn

Prepare

Your preparation for JCI accreditation is largely about preparing for your initial JCI survey by making improvements. This typically takes 12-36 months and requires a commitment from your entire organization.
Prepare

Act

Once you’ve put in all the work to prepare, then it’s time to schedule your survey. During our evaluation, a team of JCI experts visit your organization and evaluate more than a thousand measurable elements.
Act

Sustain

To make the best of your accreditation, continuously improving the health of your organization is critical. To do so, you should continue refining processes and implementing improvements.
Sustain

Excel

The JCI journey does not end with an accreditation award. JCI provides numerous valuable resources to help you sustain your continued compliance with quality and patient safety standards.
Excel