Confirm the right accreditor and standards
Start by confirming which accreditor fits your programs, and which current standards manual applies to them. Standards differ between accreditors and change over time, so always work from the current edition.
Policies are only the beginning
Surveyors look for evidence that your policies are actually followed: trained staff, completed forms and logs, and records that show the process working. A binder of policies on its own rarely carries a survey.
A sensible sequence
- Compare your current practices against the applicable standards
- Prioritize gaps by risk and effort
- Write or revise policies to match how you really operate
- Train staff and collect evidence of the new practices in use
- Run a mock survey, fix what it finds, and check again
This guide is general information, not legal advice or instructions for a specific payer, state or accreditor. Requirements change; always confirm against the current official source.