JCAHO mental health care network accreditation as a performance improvement project

In June 1995 the Southeastern Area of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health became the third health care network, and first mental health care network, to be accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) under its new network standards. This paper provides a brief overview of how the Southeastern Area network prepared for and went through the JCAHO survey. The author shows how the effort undergoing the accreditation procedure helped improve the performance of the network. To help other organizations considering JCAHO network accreditation, specific aspects of the survey process are presented, including preparing documents, understanding key concepts emphasized by JCAHO, and preparing staff for participation in the survey interviews.