It’s a lot like maintenance. Some things need to be done to keep other things going.
Have you considered engaging with a consultant to maintain your accreditation? Obtaining it is the biggest battle. Maintaining it plays a smaller, yet critical role. Failure to document appropriately can lead you to lose your endorsement.
Often times, the small pieces of the compliance puzzle tend to get lost in the shuffle of the day-to-day operations.
What are these?
- Quarterly and annual education & training must be tracked. Be prepared for records requests!
- Are you holding and documenting staff meetings according to the standards?
- Your quality management system has already met the accreditation requirements. Maintaining documentation of loop closure can be a complex task! Who is responsible for it?
Depending on your accrediting body, you will have different compliance requirements. You may be required to submit reports at predetermined intervals or upon reaccreditation.
Lighten the burden on the administrative end so you can continue to support your teams in providing life saving care.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ongoing accreditation compliance maintenance involve?
Maintaining accreditation compliance between surveys requires continuous monitoring of policies, staff training records, quality improvement data, equipment maintenance logs, and incident reporting. It is an active, daily responsibility — not something to address only when a survey approaches.
What are the most common compliance failures between accreditation survey cycles?
Common between-survey failures include letting training documentation lapse, failing to update policies when standards change, neglecting quality improvement data review, and allowing safety event reporting to become inconsistent. These gaps are preventable with the right compliance management support.
Can a consulting firm manage ongoing compliance for an air ambulance program?
Yes — ongoing consulting relationships allow programs to outsource compliance monitoring, receive alerts when standards change, and ensure their documentation and practices remain survey-ready at all times. This is especially valuable for programs without dedicated quality or compliance staff.
How often do CAMTS, EURAMI, and NAAMTA update their accreditation standards?
Accreditation standards are typically updated on a multi-year cycle. Programs must monitor for standard updates and adjust their policies and practices accordingly to remain compliant before their next survey.