Is a private nonprofit organization that encourages high standards of medical care and also accredits institutions who meet strict guidelines?

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is the body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices primarily among the diverse institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Latin America and certain other international sites approved by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees. The Commission also accepts applications for membership from domestic institutions in the other 39 states, as well as international institutions of higher education around the world.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is to assure the educational quality and improve the effectiveness of its member institutions.

To gain or maintain accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), an institution must comply with the standards contained in the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement and with the policies and procedures of the Commission. SACSCOC applies the requirements of its Principles to all applicant, candidate, and member institutions, regardless of type of institution (public, private for-profit, or private not-for-profit).

For more information about Accreditation, please follow the links below:

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Health

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, or JCAHO, is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that accredits over 20,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the country. The JCAHO commonly is referred to as the Joint Commission in the healthcare industry and among governmental industry regulators on the federal and state levels. The Joint Commission is the successor of an organization established in 1951. Since then, it has grown to be the largest accreditation commission in the United States. The Joint Commission consists of a 21-member Board of Commissioners that include health care providers, educators and advocates. The commission employs over 1000 surveyors dedicated to improving the quality of patient care.

Goals and Objectives of the JCAHO

The JCAHO has an explicitly stated mission:

“To continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value.”

A major objective of the Joint Commission is to continually improve and enhance the quality and safety of healthcare delivery in the United States. Towards this end, the Joint Commission makes a concerted, consistent effort to engage patients in issues associated with improving the quality and safety of healthcare delivery across the country. For example, JCAHO has focused intensely on the matter of infections that arise in healthcare settings, including surgical site infections and multidrug-resistant or MRSA infections.

The Joint Commission has grown to include accreditation and safety protocols to improve patient safety in a wide range of healthcare settings. Hospitals, of course, are the original focus but over the years the Joint Commission has expanded their focus to include surgical centers, pharmacies, nursing home and long-term care facilities, ambulatory health care centers, assisted living communities, behavioral health and human resource facilities, laboratories and many more. They have work continuously to improve safety protocols and have developed many specific practice area certifications. Education is also an important function of the commission. Standards are constantly evolving with input by the Board of Commissioners and feedback from healthcare providers, the latest scientific literature, government agencies and consumers all with the goal of improving health care quality. These standards are designed to help organizations assess, measure, and improve performance. Standards provide a method for surveying an organization and set expectations for organizations to achieve performance goals.The Joint Commission also provides a certification process for programs and services within the organization. These certifications are program or treatment area specific. The benefits of certification include reduction in clinical process variations to improves patient care and a structural and management framework for the program.