2025 ANNUAL REPORT
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER
workplace violence Building a “culture of safety” is a laudable goal, but it’s not easy to achieve when statistics offer clear evidence that workplace violence is escalating in healthcare settings. Growing numbers of healthcare workers have faced threats, aggressive behavior, and actual harm. And the psychological and emotional stress, especially for those who have experienced actual violence, serves to worsen staffing shortages (see above). One challenge exacerbates another. How did ACHC support organizations to address this challenge in 2025? ACHC Hospital Accreditation includes a standard addressing workplace violence and this year the expected risk assessment and corresponding mitigation measures were further addressed through focused education. ACHCU offered “Insights on Workplace Violence” – a three-session Master Class series (now available on-demand) presenting
Physicians and metal health workers are also facing critical shortages. How did ACHC support organizations to address this challenge in 2025? Standards across all programs provide clear guidance for staff onboarding and ongoing training to ensure that competencies are maintained without sacrificing continuity of services. ACHC Healthcare Staffing Services
INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT
Sitting at the junction of regulatory mandates and individual implementation gives ACHC a unique perspective that has driven our progress for 40 years. We monitor the pulse of the industry to predict where those recurring, “hot topic” conversations will lead. — José Domingos, President and CEO
Certification continues to offer validation that staffing agencies
understand and achieve compliance which, in turn, supports confidence for organizations seeking to maintain quality amid turnover with interim staffing solutions. Individual certifications like Compliance and Quality Certification for home health and hospice offered by ACHCU are designed to build skills and deepen engagement for nursing staff. Several ACHC experts (Rommie Johnson, Program Director, ASC and Office-Based Surgery Accreditation, for example) regularly post articles focused on accomplishing tasks with low-tech, simple processes that support quality in organizations where staff perform multiple roles. Free webinars led by internal and external experts, and other educational opportunities specific to ACHC program areas support knowledge sharing among nursing and administrative professionals with practical tips for managing common challenges.
cost pressure The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed in 2025 is the largest rollback of federal support for health care in American history, according to the Center for Medicare Advocacy. Provisions of the Act impact health care for patients and for provider/supplier organizations. Narrowed eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, and ACA Marketplace subsidies will limit access to coverage, driving up costs for consumers. Diminished federal funding and increases in unreimbursed care will reduce revenue for hospitals. Caps on federal loans for medical students and reclassification of nursing disincentivize these career paths. How did ACHC support organizations
Building organizational efficiency is another way to address financial pressure. Throughout 2025, ACHC experts applied their experience and problem-solving mindset to imagine and develop resources that allow organizations to do less with less when that is the reality they face. Richard Parker, Associate Program Director, Life Safety and Physical Environment, is a frequent advocate for the use of risk assessments before adding equipment. His ACHC blog post Risk Assessments Drive Emergency Showers, Eyewash Stations , serves as an example of the process he espouses: Assess risk, verify performance over presence, and use annual risk assessment reviews as a strategic tool. The concept is to create operational efficiencies that keep your staff working “at the top of their license” rather than spending time on tasks that don’t add value for the organization. staffing shortages An aging U.S. population is creating demand for long-term and home-based care at the same time that nurses are reaching retirement age in significant numbers. Burnout in the post- pandemic environment is an additional factor contributing to nursing shortages and the pipeline of new professionals is at risk as the Department of Education proposes federal loan limits on nursing education.
strategies to evaluate a hospital’s organizational and environmental risks, develop proactive mitigation approaches, and address education and training needs for staff and volunteers.
to address this challenge in 2025? Budget management is perhaps the most obvious means of addressing financial pressure. But cost cutting does not represent true
Some organizations are initially attracted to ACHC because our deemed programs stick close to federal regulations without adding a lot of additional requirements. Often, these same organizations end up our strongest advocates because of the scope of knowledge we bring using those standards as our framework. When your staff really understands compliance, it represents measurable value, especially when margins are thin. — Patrick Horine, Vice President, Acute Care Services
savings, if it increases risk. ACHC believes that accreditation builds better, safer, more reliable, more sustainable healthcare organizations. We also believe that cost should not be the barrier to an organization seeking that goal. For organizations that may be financially stressed, we have developed a range of payment plans and opportunities to bundle services while you manage risk by maintaining the quality that is supported by ACHC Accreditation.
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