Effective February 19, 2023, The Joint Commission is eliminating 56 acute care hospital accreditations and revising four others. The explanation for these changes is set forth in quote provided below. Included among the categories of "retired" standards, which focus exclusively on Elements of Performance (EPs) are:

- Environment of Care

- Human Resources

- Leadership

- Provision of Care, Treatment, and Services

- Performance Improvement

- Waived Testing

The eliminated standards, which were approved by CMS, will not likely result in any reduction of overall hospital accreditation obligations and compliance expectations. That said, hospitals should review the changes because it may result in modifying and streamlining existing policies and procedures so as to avoid redundant and sometimes confusing requirements.

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