The first step for participating health centers seeking accreditation or PCMH recognition is to select an ambulatory health care accreditation and/or PCMH recognition organization. When selecting an organization, health centers should carefully review the costs to participate in different accreditation or PCMH recognition options, as well as the accreditation resources and PCMH recognition resources comparison charts.
Accreditation and PCMH Recognition Organization Comparison Charts
HRSA contracts with the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) 
and The Joint Commission (TJC) to award accreditation and/or PCMH recognition status to health centers. HRSA contracts with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for PCMH recognition. These organizations provide health centers with technical assistance in the accreditation and PCMH process. Visit the specific recognition and accreditation organizations’ websites for more information, and review the following comparison charts to decide which option is best for your health center.
Patient-Centered Medical Home Resources: Comparison Chart
Cost to Participate
HRSA covers different fees based on whether a health center pursues ambulatory health care accreditation, PCMH recognition, or both.
PCMH Recognition
HRSA covers the NCQA survey tool and review fees for initial, renewal, and add-on recognition surveys of health centers.
Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation
HRSA covers AAAHC or TJC fees for on-site initial, re-accreditation, and add-on surveys of health centers.
HRSA will cover TJC annual fees for health centers concerning:
- Ambulatory health care services
- Behavioral health services (except for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) supported Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs))
- Laboratory services of moderate or high complexity and required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)
- Patient-Centered Medical Home or Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH) Option; for more information see Preparing for Accreditation Site Visit and PCMH Recognition Surveys
- Adjunct surveys to expand clinical services requiring an extension survey; these surveys are for health centers that are already accredited and seeking to add behavioral health and/or laboratory surveys or the PCMH option.
Health centers are responsible for:
- All other applicable annual and on-site survey fees (e.g., home care, conditional follow-up surveys, clarification validation surveys, evidence of standards compliance surveys)
- Surveys of SAMHSA supported OTPs and extension surveys not related to clinical services expansion, or for the convenience of the health center.
Application Next Steps
Once you have selected which accreditation and/or PCMH recognition option is right for your health center, learn how to submit a Notice of Intent (NOI), prepare for your health center survey or site visit or Change Accreditation/Recognition Organizations.
Related Resources
Accreditation and Patient-Centered Medical Home Initiative, PAL 2015-02
PCMH Resource Center (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
Accreditation & PCMH Contacts
Please submit your Accreditation and/or Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) requests to the health center APCMH team . To make sure you receive our reply email, add 'BPHCAnswers@hrsa.gov' to your address book.
Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care
Email: HRSA@aaahc.org
The Joint Commission
TJC HRSA Accreditation and Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition Initiative
Email: hrsaaccreditation@jointcommission.org | Phone Number: (630) 792-5900
The National Committee for Quality Assurance
NCQA Government Recognition Initiative Program
Phone: (888) 275-7585
