SURVEYOR
SURVEYOR
community care
Distinction Programs Distinctions recognize organizations that build beyond the foundation of accreditation. They offer a way to validate focused expertise, strengthen specialized services, and demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement in areas where patients often need additional support.
Nerd Development: Step-by-Step
age-friendly care
Catherine Sierra joined ACHC in 2012 and has advanced through key positions within our Community Care division. In her current role as Associate Director, Customer Experience , Catherine’s team is skilled at supporting customers with personalized guidance. Here’s how they do it.
The ACHC Distinction in Age-Friendly Care focuses on aligning care decisions with patient goals while reducing risk, confusion, and unnecessary interventions. Built around the “4Ms” framework—What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility—this distinction recognizes organizations delivering coordinated, evidence-based care tailored to aging
populations. eligibility: » ACHC Home Health Accreditation » ACHC Hospice Accreditation
After over a decade of speaking with organizations seeking accreditation, I have a good sense of what our customers really want. They’re looking for a team to support and advise them. They want to work with people who know what they’re doing, and who care about what they’re doing. The last thing they want is a generic answer with no actual knowledge behind it. Because now they’ve made a major business decision, or missed a regulatory deadline, based on an answer from a person who wasn’t invested in their success. That’s why I prioritize training and professional development for my team. The more equipped ACHC Account Advisors (AAs) are, the more they can answer questions with intention. The more they become subject matter experts on the accreditation process, the better they will serve our customers. For me, it’s not process improvement. It’s process empowerment . For our team, the best method for learning is hands-on experience. Learning by doing is far more successful than just listening or reading. Every new team member gets one-on-one time with a trainer, so they can observe and participate in situations as they’re happening. Our Newbie AAs start by learning the baseline accreditation process. If they know the baseline, they’ll also begin to notice when a step doesn’t look right. Gradually, they experience the nuances
of what each organization needs. Nuance is important, because ACHC Standards are built to serve a wide range of business models. Variations are inevitable. But once an AA handles a new scenario, they know what to do next time. For AAs, the Apprentice level is akin to becoming a “team lead.” They’ve mastered the steps of the accreditation process and understand the why behind it. They’re ready to apply what they’ve learned and focus on communication. Team leads are the first point of contact for customer concerns, so they build skills in active listening and critical thinking. They relay important information to the rest of the team and are responsible for training Newbies. Team leads also learn how to identify opportunities for improvement with customer-facing documents and staff education. ACHC Customer Experience Managers are our Trailblazers . They start as Newbies, move through the levels, become experts, and then—when the timing is right—they develop into managers, mentors, and educators. They know accreditation and they know their teams. The new challenge is learning how to lead. As leaders, it’s absolutely our responsibility to get our teams to the next level. We want to be challenged and motivated to do more and get better. Adopting that mentality means that everybody—managers, support roles, team leads, new employees, seasoned staff—is on the same path, side by side. We’re not satisfied with “good enough.” We’re lifting each other up.
behavioral health
This distinction recognizes home-health providers integrating behavioral health into their service offerings. Standards support coordinated care for patients
with mental illness, substance use disorders, or intellectual and developmental disabilities, strengthening communication, continuity, and outcomes across the care team and their clients. eligibility: » ACHC Home Health Accreditation
This distinction recognizes providers delivering ongoing respiratory care outside the hospital setting. Standards emphasize a team-based approach to assessment, disease management, and patient education, supporting individuals with acute or chronic respiratory conditions through coordinated, continuous treatment. eligibility: » ACHC DMEPOS Accreditation (Home Medical Equipment service) clinical respiratory patient management
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