The Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) is a national, independent,

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

not-for-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

accrediting body for community-based health care organizations. CHAP is the oldest national, community-based accrediting body with more than 9,000 agencies currently accredited nationwide.

History

In 1965, CHAP was the first to recognize the need and value for accreditation in community-based care. The organization was created as a joint venture between the American Public Health Association and the

National League for Nursing The National League for Nursing (NLN) is a national organization for faculty nurses and leaders in nurse education. It offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives ...

(NLN). CHAP became a separately incorporated, non-profit subsidiary of the NLN in 1988, under the CHAP name. In 1992, CHAP was granted deeming authority for

home care Homecare (also spelled as home care) is health care or supportive care provided by a professional caregiver in the individual home where the patient or client is living, as opposed to care provided in group accommodations like clinics or nursing ho ...

by the

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer M ...

. In 1999 it received deeming authority for

hospice Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by ...

s. CHAP has the regulatory authority to survey agencies providing home health, hospice, and home medical equipment services, to determine if they meet the Medicare Conditions of Participation and CMS Quality Standards. Through "deeming authority" granted by the

(CMS), in 1992, CHAP has the regulatory authority to survey agencies providing home health, hospice, and

home medical equipment This article discusses the definitions and types of home medical equipment (HME), also known as durable medical equipment (DME), and durable medical equipment prosthetics and orthotics (DMEPOS). HME / DMEPOS Home medical equipment is a categor ...

services to determine if they meet the Medicare Conditions of Participation and CMS Quality Standards. For context about CHAP's role, one could turn to how its accreditation function is considered quasi-voluntary. Here, although the accreditation appears to be voluntary, there is often a linked governmental regulation that encourages organizations and their programs to comply in the process. This is part of the move towards promoting common standards among health departments both on the state and national levels. Today, the CHAP accreditation is recognized as the standard when determining the level of excellence in home care. Meeting CHAP's requirements is the same as satisfying the CMS standards.

References

External links

Official website

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20080719145749/http://www.accreditation.localhealth.net/History.htm Developing and Implementing the Accreditation Program: The Pilot Process {{Authority control Healthcare accreditation organizations in the United States Hospitals in the United States Medicare and Medicaid (United States)

History

See also

References

External links