Joining the ACHSI accreditation program may comprise two stages:

Stage One – Enrolment Period

The enrolment period enables organisations to prepare themselves prior to joining the four-year membership period (Stage Two), and provides the hospital with:

·       A copy of the ACHSI standards and other materials.

·       Access to the ACHS website to download quality improvement publications.

·       Access to a web-based Electronic Assessment Tool, which is used to prepare a detailed “self-assessment” of your organisation’s performance.

·       Initial support for completion of the self- assessment is provided via a teleconference, and if necessary further support can be provided via email.  

·       An ACHSI surveyor will review the self-assessment, provide feedback on its completeness and make recommendations for quality improvement.

This enrolment period is not mandatory. However, it does allow ACHSI to estimate the organisation’s readiness for accreditation as well as provide an indication of the resources required for an organisation wide survey. Generally, the enrolment period is valid for 12-18 months.

Stage Two - Membership Period

Stage Two is when the organisation joins the ACHSI membership program. The accreditation system is a four-year membership program with either a survey or a self-assessment event each year. The sequence of events is usually:

·       Year 1 - an onsite Organisation-Wide Survey by a team of surveyors.

·       Year 2 - a Self-Assessment.

·       Year 3 - a Periodic Review (an onsite survey conducted by a smaller team).

·       Year 4 - another Self-Assessment.

The fee scale will depend on the size of the hospital, the complexity of its services, the number of surveyors involved and the number of days required to complete the onsite survey and report.  

ACHSI has an overall fee policy that compares very favourably with that of other international accrediting agencies. In addition, membership fees can be payable annually to assist with budgetary requirements.

For further information contact: achsi@achs.org.au

Click here to download the ‘ACHSI Survey Scope Information Form’