AAAHC Earns Deemed Status Renewal from CMS

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) announces today that it has been awarded Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approval as a national accreditation organization for ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) that request participation in the Medicare Deemed Status Accreditation program. This renewal underscores AAAHC’s long-standing commitment to high-quality patient care and regulatory compliance in the ambulatory surgery field.

AAAHC has held Medicare Deemed Status for ASCs since 1996, demonstrating leadership in promoting safety and quality within the ambulatory healthcare community. This renewal confirms that AAAHC’s Medicare Deemed Status Accreditation Standards continue to meet or exceed CMS’s rigorous requirements for Accreditation Organizations (AO), ensuring ASCs uphold federal Standards, patient safety, and quality care.

“We are honored to receive this renewal from CMS, which reaffirms AAAHC’s role as a trusted leader in ASC accreditation,” said Noel Adachi, MBA, president and CEO of AAAHC, in a release. “This recognition reflects our commitment to helping ASCs meet and exceed the highest Standards of quality care and safety.”

The AAAHC Medicare Deemed Status Accreditation program is supported by a team of surveyors with ambulatory care experience, providing a peer-driven review process tailored to the unique needs of ASCs. As part of its mission to promote continuous improvement, AAAHC offers accredited facilities a range of educational resources and tools that provide actionable guidance to support operational success.

“This renewal from CMS is a powerful validation of the strength and rigor of the AAAHC accreditation program. It reaffirms our ability to meet and exceed Medicare’s Conditions for Coverage, ensuring that our program remains a trusted benchmark for quality in ambulatory care,” said Joy Himmel, Psy.D, LCPC, NCC, RN, FACHA, AAAHC Board Chair. “Our standards not only drive compliance but also foster continuous improvement across ASCs, ultimately leading to better processes and enhanced patient outcomes.”

Through this deeming authority granted by CMS, AAAHC continues to demonstrate its leadership in accreditation services with an exclusive focus on ambulatory health care. For more information about AAAHC and its Medicare Deemed Status Accreditation program, visit www.aaahc.org/medicare-deemed.

Founded in 1979, AAAHC is the leader in ambulatory healthcare accreditation, with more than 6,700 organizations accredited. We accredit a wide range of outpatient settings, including ambulatory surgery centers, office-based surgery facilities, endoscopy centers, student health centers, medical and dental group practices, community health centers, employer-based health clinics, retail clinics, and Indian/Tribal health centers, among others.