Three-Year Provider Reappointment Cycle

The Joint Commission has recently announced a significant change in its reappointment process for provider credentialing. The organization has extended the reappointment period for providers from two years to three years (unless laws and regulations require a shorter period). This decision was made after careful consideration of various factors, including feedback from providers and industry stakeholders.

The Joint Commission is an independent, non-profit organization that evaluates and accredits healthcare organizations and programs in the United States. It sets the standards for the credentialing and privileging of healthcare providers, including physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. The purpose of the Joint Commission is to ensure that healthcare providers meet specific qualifications, education, training, and experience before granting them privileges to practice within an accredited healthcare organization.

The reappointment process is a critical component of the Joint Commission’s credentialing program. It is designed to ensure that healthcare providers continue to meet the organization’s standards and provide safe and effective patient care. Previously, providers were required to undergo the reappointment process every two years. However, the Joint Commission has determined that extending the reappointment period to three years will streamline the process, reduce administrative burden and allow providers to focus on delivering patient care.

Streamlining Workload

For healthcare organizations, extending the reappointment cycle means less administrative work and fewer costs associated with the reappointment process. Providers will also benefit from this change as it will reduce the burden of completing the reappointment process every two years, giving them more time to focus on providing quality patient care.

Extending the reappointment process to three years will support MSP (Medical Service Professionals) to focus on Ongoing Provider Performance Evaluations (OPPE) between reappointments. A carefully developed OPPE procedure encourages the early discovery and resolution of performance problems that might adversely affect patient outcomes. An effective OPPE method for ongoing performance evaluation is now more crucial than ever. This is an essential component of the reappoint cycle, and it’s an excellent chance to assess ongoing monitoring and peer review procedures.

Increased Patient Safety

The extension of the reappointment cycle from two years to three years will not compromise the Joint Commission’s rigorous standards for healthcare providers. The organization will continue to monitor providers’ performance and conduct, and healthcare organizations will still be required to maintain documentation of providers’ credentials and performance.

The Joint Commission accredits more than 22,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States, including hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, nursing homes, and home health agencies. The organization’s standards are considered the gold standard in healthcare quality and safety.

Overall, the Joint Commission’s decision to extend the reappointment cycle for healthcare providers is a positive development for the healthcare industry. It will reduce administrative burdens for healthcare organizations and providers, while ensuring that patients continue to receive high-quality care from qualified and competent providers.

Get Automated with Aiva Cycles

Released back in 2018, Aiva has been helping medical services offices structure the credentialing process to establish organized and effective workflows. With Aiva, you can group your providers together, configure your desired workflow and settings for verification, pronto (surveys), merging, faxing, and e-mailing. Once configured, Aiva will automatically move providers through the credentialing process!

To learn more about streamline provider reappointments with Aiva Cycles, contact us today!