Accreditations are a seminal part of the healthcare industry. Potential clients almost always prefer businesses with accreditations over those without, for it is proven that businesses with accreditations possess improved quality of care. This is why behavioral health experts like Strategique Partners place great emphasis on accreditations. This blog will analyze the benefits of accreditations for healthcare businesses.
Do you also believe in the power of accreditations to propel your behavioral health business? If so, you can explore our accreditation services here.
What Is Accreditation in Healthcare?
According to The International Society for Quality in Health Care, accreditation in healthcare involves getting your healthcare organization examined by a recognized accrediting body to get a certificate of approval, which means you meet some of the high standards in your business sector. They are not mandatory, as licensing would be, but they are often seen as a benchmark customers frequently look for in a business.Â
The accrediting bodies aren’t often governmental organizations. Accreditation in healthcare, however, is often mentioned with mandatory licensure. This speaks for the primacy it has gained in the healthcare sector. Part of the reason for its general acceptance is the following features it possesses:
- Uniform System of Standards for All Healthcare Businesses
- Empirical Evaluation and Assessment
- Recommendations for Continuous Improvement
Major Accreditation Bodies in the Behavioral Health Sector
As mentioned above, accreditation bodies are the bodies that conduct evaluations by which they validate a healthcare organization for its treatments, processes, services, and care programs. Major accrediting bodies are recognized internationally and seem familiar because most healthcare organizations use their certifications to testify to their quality of care. Furthermore, they get endorsed through the general trust of businesses. We have jotted down the most valued accrediting agencies in the healthcare sector of the United States here:
1. The Joint Commission (JCAHO)
The Joint Commission is one of the most widely recognized accreditation organizations in the United States. It accredits and certifies over 22,000 healthcare organizations and programs, focusing on improving healthcare quality and patient safety. Through its international branch, it is the main body that accredits medical services globally. The Joint Commission was founded in 1951 and is headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.
2. Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)
CARF is an international foundation started by Mary E. Switzer, the then-U.S. Social and Rehabilitation Services commissioner. It provides accreditation services for health and human services organizations, focusing on rehabilitation, behavioral health, and aging services. Further, CARF is the only body approved by the American Society of Addiction Medicine that can certify residential substance use disorder in America.
3. Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC)
AAAHC envisions developing and adopting nationally recognized standards in healthcare. It focuses on accrediting ambulatory healthcare organizations, including surgery centers, office-based surgery practices, and primary care practices. Like The Joint Commission, it is also headquartered in Illinois.Â
4. National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
NCQA also works to improve healthcare standards through its accreditations. Headquartered in Washington, it accredits various healthcare organizations, including health plans, medical groups, and practices. It emphasizes performance measurement, patient-centered care, and quality improvement.
5. Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP)
HFAP is another not-for-profit organization with the sole target of raising healthcare quality. Founded in 1943, it offers accreditation to hospitals, laboratories, and other healthcare facilities to meet the Medicare certification requirements.
9 Benefits of Accreditations in Healthcare
As a behavioral healthcare business looking to get your organization accredited by the mentioned agencies, you will be interested in knowing what to expect from your accreditations and how they can benefit you. Based on the results they have been able to affect over the years, we have collected a comprehensive guide for you. They are enlisted in the following lines:
1. Develops Trust and Lends Professional Credibility
We have continuously mentioned that accreditations are not mandatory; however, getting accredited is crucial in attracting clients and winning their trust. Clients look for the list of accreditations acquired by a business before seeking their services. Therefore, getting certified for your services and quality is only wise to ensure clients trust you.
2. Improves the Quality of Your Services
You can improve the quality of your services by being involved in continuous quality improvement initiatives. This will help you adopt the best practices and adapt to the varying market challenges. When assisting you in developing services and programs with our program development, we try to suit them to the eligibility criteria of accreditations.Â
3. Identifies Gaps in Your Programs and Processes
The assessments carried out by accrediting bodies often check the healthcare processes. This helps you get valuable insights about inefficiencies in your programs. You can easily overcome inefficiencies once you identify gaps in your workflow. Another way of identifying gaps is by signing up for our data tracking and outcome management services.Â
4. Accreditation Standards Align With Regulatory Requirements
In many ways, licensing and regulatory requirements align with the requirements for accreditations. Various aspects that governmental regulators want in your business are the same as those wanted by accrediting agencies. Therefore, Strategique Partners provides its licensing support through licensing and regulatory services, keeping accreditations in view.Â
5. Increases Financing Prospects
Accreditations often prove very helpful in opening up financing prospects for your business. It helps potential financiers know that your business adheres to high standards. Thus, financing becomes easier, for your business is accredited by a reputable accrediting source. Our financing services help you find funding options using your reputation through accreditations.Â
6. Aids in Employee Satisfaction by Empowering Them
Accredited businesses are also the choice of the best behavioral health professionals. One of its core benefits is that it attracts talent and inspires professionalism. It fosters a positive work culture that results in employee satisfaction and retention. We leverage this fact to attract your best staff through our staffing services.Â
7. Gives You a Competitive Edge Over Other Competitors
In a competitive behavioral health market in the US, you can stand out based on your accreditations. They serve as key market differentiators. Accredited facilities have a competitive edge over nonaccredited facilities. It is because your operations, workflow, and services get streamlined by fulfilling the accrediting requirements.
8. Enhances Operational EfficiencyÂ
The standards set by regulatory and accrediting bodies are designed to benefit your business ultimately. The criteria you must meet are, in one way or another, helping you improve your operations and make them efficient. Our operational assistance for behavioral health businesses prepares you for accreditations and licensing.Â
9. Decreases Risk and Liability Costs
You reduce the chances of adverse eventualities by attaining the highest standards in your processes and management. It is an unignorable fact that accreditations help you save more money in the form of liability costs than accreditations themselves cost. We use strategic insights and much more to help manage your finances through our financial services.Â
How Strategique Partners Help You Get Accreditations?
Strategique Partners is an expert in behavioral health businesses. It is specifically focused on helping businesses become efficient. We offer services primarily in mergers and acquisitions, company developments, operations, and digital marketing & SEO. For accreditations, we help you out in the following aspects:
- Accreditation Readiness Assistance
- Documentation Preparation
- Site Visit Preparation
- Communication with Accreditation Bodies
- Continuous Quality Improvement Plans
We make your choice easier by offering expert documentation support, tailored accreditation support, and transparent communication.Â
FAQs About Benefits of Accreditations
We will address a few of the frequently asked queries regarding accreditations in the following lines:
What is Healthcare Accreditation?
Healthcare accreditations are the standards an external body sets against which it examines your workflow and processes. These standards encourage healthcare organizations to add effective quality improvement and patient safety initiatives into their daily operations.Â
Why Do I Need Accreditations as a Behavioral Health Business?
Accreditations will provide empirical proof that you comply with best practices. It is an international system of standards that enables you to achieve the highest level of performance. You need them to be identified as a business that ensures high-quality care.
Is there Any Benefit to Applying for Accreditation?
Yes, being accredited by a reputable source almost always benefits your behavioral health business. It elevates your credibility, gives you a competitive advantage over competitors, offers you an opportunity for marketing value and trust, and strengthens your operational capabilities.Â
What Is the Point of Joint Commission?
Everyone associated with the healthcare market knows the importance of the Joint Commission. Although they do not provide a license, they provide accreditations that are paramount to any healthcare business. Getting accredited will help you develop your programs in a better way. It allows you to brand yourself better.
Related Resources:
- HIPAA and Behavioral Health: Meeting Legal and Ethical Standards
- Insider Tips on How to Get a Behavioral Health License Successfully?
- Healthcare Business Consulting: All You Need to Know
- Importance of Healthcare Business Valuation in M&A: A Guide for Company Owners
- Understanding Behavioral Health Mergers and Acquisitions
- Why Should You Hire Drug Rehab Consultants to Open Your Rehab Center?
- 7 Expert Guided Solutions to Improve Your Behavioral Health Revenue Cycle
From Author
A business plan for a private practice in substance abuse and mental health treatment will require much more than industry knowledge; it demands an understanding of the special challenges involved with meeting the demands for therapeutic excellence while achieving a client-centered experience. For a clinical facility established in this field, one will be required to create an environment that is safe yet professional; one will have to strive for rigorous clinical standards amidst the warmth of a supportive environment. My professional experience in starting and growing numerous private practices can help guide you through these complexities, ensuring that your practice will not only meet regulatory requirements but also provide outstanding care to your clients. Let’s build a practice together that will truly make a difference.
