The decision to begin the process of Joint Commission Certification for a healthcare staffing agency has faced all firms since the organization began certification for staffing firms a little over 7 years ago. The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies more than 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. The certification has both hard and soft costs associated with the process.  These costs will vary depending on the size of the organization, but long-term benefits can easily outweigh the costs.

Although risk management and quality assurance programs are essential in the healthcare industry, moving into Joint Commission Certification can provide a good cross-reference for industry best practices.

In Today's Economy

In today’s risk-averse climate, most RFPs (Request for Proposals), or RFIs (Requests for Information) will typically contain questions regarding status of Joint Commission Certification.  Although it may not be the deciding factor for a specific opportunity, it stands to reason that any potential client would want assurance of quality standards within an organization.

The benefit to the certification process is the vetting of on-boarding procedures for all candidate specialties.  Once a sentinel event occurs, (“... unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk thereof.”) it's too late to examine the procedures and accountability in the hiring process. Incidents will occur, but it is in the best interest of the staffing firm to complete their due diligence prior to placement of any healthcare professional.

Another benefit of Joint Commission Certification is the attraction of the best healthcare professionals. Having been exposed to the rigors of Joint Commission audits in healthcare facilities over the years, most seasoned professionals will appreciate the work and quality controls in place for a company who has completed the certification process.

Best Practices

Finally, certification can be a great measuring stick against your current best practices. Practitioners from the Joint Commission have extensive experience across the staffing industry and have a good understanding of best practices. The Joint Commission can help you start the process at www.jointcommission.org/hcsstartupkit.

Do you feel like the value for Joint Commission Certification is there for you?