Chapter 13: Health Care System: Structure

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH) (now just called The Joint Commisssion) was founded in 1951 as an independent, not-for-profit organization whose primary purpose was to provide voluntary accreditation. Today, the mission of The Joint Commission is to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. Visit The Joint Commission web site. Select "About Us" and then write a half-page summary of the mission and goals of this non-profit organization. The Joint Commission

The American Medical Asociation, founded in 1847 at Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, is a professional organization composed of physician members. Visit the AMA web site. Select "About AMA" and then write a half-page summary of the mission and goals of this professional association. American Medical Association

Founded in 1898, the American Hospital Association (AHA) is the national organization that represents, advocates for, and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities. Visit the AHA web site. Click on "News Center." Select and read one press release from those listed. Write a one-page report summarizing how you learned about the news item. American Hospital Association