Today, patients are seeking care outside of hospitals more than ever. As patients consider which outpatient facility to trust, safety and high-quality care are important determining factors. Accreditation with QUAD A can provide important peace of mind.
Accreditation helps patients identify facilities that are dedicated to trustworthy, high-quality care. When choosing a facility, here’s what you need to know about accreditation, and how to find an accredited facility for your next appointment.
What is Accreditation?
Accreditation is an indication that a healthcare facility has gone above and beyond to provide high-quality care and patient safety.
When a facility decides to become accredited, they must prove that they’re operating safely and efficiently at every level: from the cleanliness of their building to the equipment and other procedures. They have to demonstrate that they have put in place safety protocols like infection control measures, management systems for the safe use of medications, and plans in case of emergency.
In short, accreditation gives patients peace of mind that a healthcare facility has taken extra steps to provide safe, high-quality care.
Certification vs. Accreditation: What’s the Difference?
As you shop around for a healthcare provider, you might run into facilities claiming that they’re accredited, and others claiming that they’re certified. Accreditation and certification are not the same thing; there are key differences between accreditation and certification that may have an impact on care they provide
Certification
State Survey Agencies administer certification on behalf of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. They are government agencies that can often be delayed by bureaucratic procedures.
Certification usually uses a universal approach. Whether it’s a dentist or a physical therapist, all healthcare facilities undergo the same process to achieve certification.
State Agencies do their best to provide consistent regulatory oversight after a facility achieves certification, however administrative overload and government budget cuts make it tricky. Some resurveys can be up to 10 years overdue, which may lead to safety issues for patients.1
Accreditation
Third-party accreditation organizations like QUAD A administer accreditation programs for various medical specialties.
Individual accreditation programs are often developed for a particular specialty. For example, QUAD A’s Ambulatory Surgical Center Accreditation program is tailored specifically to ambulatory surgery centers and the challenges they see on a daily basis. That specificity gives facilities the precise support they need to elevate their standard of care.
Accreditation organizations like QUAD A are diligent about providing consistent regulatory oversight after a facility achieves accreditation. They conduct regular resurveys, demonstrating that patient safety always comes first.
Surveys: Verifying Compliance Through the On-Site Survey Process
Before a facility receives accreditation, it must pass a comprehensive survey inspection. QUAD A’s surveyors are certified healthcare professionals with deep experience in various types of care facilities. Their expertise means that no stone goes unturned during the survey.
QUAD A is unique because we are the only accrediting body that requires healthcare facilities to achieve 100% compliance with globally recognized safety and operational standards at the time of accreditation. Our surveyors perform a thorough inspection to verify that the facility is fully compliant, including:
- The facility itself
- The facility’s staff, their credentials, and their training
- The facility’s care practices and procedures
- The facility’s equipment
- The facility’s plan in case of an emergency
Once the survey is completed, the facility will receive a formal report that identifies any areas where they did not meet QUAD A’s standards. They then develop a correction plan to address these deficiencies and make improvements.
If the facility does not fix these issues, they do not receive accreditation. They will only become accredited once they demonstrate 100% compliance with the identified standards.
Resurveys: Consistent Regulatory Oversight
Accreditation reflects an ongoing commitment, which QUAD A reinforces through triennial resurveys. Facilities accredited by QUAD A have committed to excellence for years to come. We support facilities in maintaining that commitment through regular resurveys every few years, along with annual self-surveys in which facilities report their ongoing compliance with applicable standards.
Just like the initial survey, QUAD A sends surveyors to make sure that accredited facilities are still 100% compliant with the highest standards of care and patient safety. This shows that every facility adheres to best practices at all times.
Resurveys give patients peace of mind that a healthcare facility is truly dedicated to the safety and well-being of every patient.
Patient Safety Data Reporting: Moving American Healthcare Forward
Accreditation shows that a healthcare facility is committed to excellent care. Facilities that have been accredited by QUAD A take their commitment to the next level. QUAD A-accredited facilities actively help improve patient outcomes by contributing to our proprietary Patient Safety Data Reporting (PSDR) database.
With PSDR, QUAD A has successfully collected data from hundreds of thousands of individual cases, creating an expansive repository of healthcare data. Every three months, QUAD A-accredited surgical facilities report data on cases and their outcomes. This data reveals health trends affecting patients across the country, enabling constant improvement of care standards to enhance patient outcomes.
Insight pays off. Studies based on PSDR data show that accredited facilities see fewer adverse patient events compared to unaccredited facilities.2,3
How to Find a QUAD A-accredited Facility
Facilities accredited by QUAD A proudly display their certificate of accreditation. If there is no certificate on display, inquire with the facility representative if they are accredited. This knowledge is crucial to assist in choosing where to place your trust for your healthcare needs.
Our directory of accredited facilities can help you find a provider that has taken a voluntary step toward high standards of care and patient safety. Find a QUAD A-accredited facility near you and choose your care with confidence.
Sources
- Data compiled from CMS’ CASPER system
- Bucknor, A., Egeler, S. A., Chen, A. D., Chattha, A., Kamali, P., Brownstein, G., Reed, L., Watts, D., & Lin, S. J. (2018). National Mortality Rates after Outpatient Cosmetic Surgery and Low Rates of Perioperative Deep Vein Thrombosis Screening and Prophylaxis. Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery (1963), 142(1), 90–98. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0000000000004499 - Foppiani, J. A., Hernandez Alvarez, A., Escobar-Domingo, M. J., Thomas, C., Lee, D., Taritsa, I. C., Fanning, J. E., Schuster, K. A., Rosenblatt, W., Choudry, U. H., Lee, B. T., & Lin, S. J. (2025). Assessment of Mortality Rates Associated With Perioperative Deep Vein Thrombosis Screening and Prophylaxis in Cosmetic Outpatient Procedures: An Updated National Evaluation Using QUAD A Patient Safety Data. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Open forum, 7, ojaf105. https://doi.org/10.1093/asjof/ojaf105
