The accreditation status of student health services at academic medical centers

Student health services (SHSs) on campuses with academic medical centers (AMCs; schools affiliated with teaching hospitals) often provide clinical services (including occupational health services) for students and staff. There are few aggregate data about the accreditation status of these health services.

A cross-sectional survey of SHSs at the 124 medical schools in the United States was conducted in spring 1999. SHSs were questioned about their accreditation status.

One-hundred three SHSs were included in the survey. Forty-seven (46%) of the SHSs were accredited, 30 (64%) through the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and the remainder through the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). The Joint Commission predominated among private SHSs (13/15 [87%]), but public institutions were more evenly divided. Most of the SHSs accredited as freestanding ambulatory care centers were AAAHC accredited (16/27 [59%]). Nearly all the SHSs accredited as satellites of the AMCs were Joint Commission accredited.

Although fewer than one-half of SHSs at AMCs are accredited either through the Joint Commission or AAAHC, this is a far higher percentage than of accredited SHSs in general (134/1,500 [9%]). The Joint Commission dominates as the accrediting body for SHSs at AMCs largely because of the high-proportion of services accredited as satellites of the AMCs. Although the accreditation process is costly and time-consuming and may appear daunting, SHSs at AMCs should pursue accreditation to ensure quality in health care processes.