Two organizations get joint accreditation as continuing education providers for healthcare teams

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) have jointly awarded accreditation to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and VHA Inc. They are the first 2 organizations to receive this joint accreditation as providers of continuing education for healthcare professionals.

ACCME, ACPE, and ANCC have collaborated to reward organizations for offering team-focused education that improves patient care. This joint process decreases the administrative burdens for continuing education providers, as they can take advantage of one unified, streamlined process rather than obtaining 3 different accreditations.

To be eligible for joint accreditation, an organization must already be accredited by at least 2 of the 3 accreditors, its mission statement must highlight healthcare team education, and 25% or more of its educational activities must be designed by and for healthcare teams.

Joint accreditation offers an additional option - not a restriction - for continuing education providers. Organizations that are accredited separately can also produce education for healthcare teams, and organizations that are awarded joint accreditation can also produce non-team-related education.

“We believe accredited continuing education for the healthcare team is a strategic asset to national quality and safety initiatives and contributes to improving healthcare professionals’ performance and patient care,” said Murray Kopelow, MD, CEO of ACCME.