Which entity is primarily responsible for accrediting and setting quality standards for hospitals and clinics?

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Accrediting organizations are the ones that establish detailed quality standards for hospitals and clinics and carry out surveys to certify that facilities meet those standards. They develop criteria on patient safety, governance, infection control, staffing, and patient rights, and then use trained survey teams to assess performance and grant accreditation when criteria are met. This formal recognition signals to patients and payers that the facility adheres to nationally accepted quality practices.

Government programs like CMS set overarching regulatory requirements and oversee Medicare/Medicaid participation, and they may recognize certain accrediting bodies as approving entities (deeming authority), but they do not typically conduct the day-to-day accreditation surveys themselves. The CLIA program focuses specifically on laboratory quality and personnel, while the FDA regulates safety and effectiveness of drugs and medical devices. So the primary custodians of accrediting and quality standards for hospitals and clinics are the accrediting organizations.