Know your planning paths
AAAHC offers tools, resources, and education throughout your pre-survey planning. These insights provide meaningful value to continuously improve quality.
Review our survey types
- Early Option Surveys (EOS) apply to organizations not accredited by AAAHC, meet AAAHC eligibility criteria, and have been providing services for fewer than six months.
- Initial accreditation surveys apply to organizations currently not accredited by AAAHC and have been providing services for at least six months before the onsite survey, or organizations with expired AAAHC accreditation that are again seeking accreditation through AAAHC.
- Renewal surveys apply to AAAHC-Accredited organizations that seek continuation of accreditation following a three-year term.
- Interim surveys are conducted for AAAHC-Accredited organizations and for which oversight is required to assess ongoing compliance with the accreditation Standards.
- AAAHC holds “deeming authority” from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to conduct deemed status accreditation for ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs).
- Random surveys support the AAAHC’s ongoing quality assurance initiatives, an accredited organization may be selected for a random survey from 9 to 30 months after an accreditation survey.
- Discretionary surveys are conducted “for cause,” when concerns have been raised about an accredited organization’s continued compliance with AAAHC Standards. If triggered by a significant change, AAAHC may refer to a Discretionary survey as a Special survey.
- A Compliance survey may be conducted for a System Accreditation as a quality check of the system’s ability to maintain compliance with AAAHC Standards throughout the 1095 cycle and across all sites.
These survey types are also similarly reflected in our certification programs.
Understand important milestones on your journey.
Attend Achieving Accreditation
