New accreditation programs address changing healthcare landscape

URAC, a Washington-DC based independent accreditation organization, announced the launch of two accreditation programs for clinical integration and accountable care to address the changing healthcare landscape.

The organization’s two programs for clinical integration and accountable care aim to build upon its patient-centered medical home program and ultimately assist organizations as they move into clinically integrated networks.

Specifically, the clinical integration accreditation helps providers achieve interdependent operations, care coordination, clinical management and improved performance measures—with a focus on developing the organizational structure needed for clinical integration and applying evidence-based guidelines and best practices. The accountable care accreditation supports an advanced level of operations with a focus on total population health and improving health outcomes through care coordination of population groups, according to URAC.

In total, 12 organizations participated as beta sites for the standards development of these accreditation programs.

“URAC’s new accreditation programs are a roadmap for providers to successfully navigate the complex structural and cultural changes required under the Affordable Care Act to succeed in a new environment focused on quality and accountability,” said Kylanne Green, president and CEO of URAC, in the announcement.