Which Types of Healthcare Organizations Does Joint Commission International Work With?

Joint Commission International (JCI) works with a broad range of healthcare organizations internationally, not just hospitals. Its accreditation and certification programs extend to ambulatory care, laboratories, long-term care, home care, and other providers, and organizations outside the United States typically begin engagement by contacting JCI directly or applying through its website. The exact program that fits an organization depends on the setting and services it delivers.

Healthcare settings JCI evaluates

JCI's international work centers on evaluating organizations against its published standards. The settings most commonly associated with JCI include:

• Hospitals — the flagship JCI accreditation program for acute-care hospitals.
• Ambulatory care organizations — clinics and outpatient providers, including surgical and diagnostic centers.
• Clinical laboratories — laboratory accreditation for organizations that perform diagnostic testing.
• Long-term care and home care — providers delivering extended or in-home services.
• Other care providers — JCI also offers certification programs for specific service lines and disease-specific or condition-specific care (for example, programs focused on particular clinical services).

Because JCI operates globally, these categories apply to organizations outside the United States; U.S. organizations are generally served by The Joint Commission rather than JCI.

Does JCI work with laboratories and non-hospital providers?

Yes. JCI's scope is not limited to hospitals. Laboratories, ambulatory care providers, and long-term and home care organizations are part of the settings JCI evaluates, and JCI also offers certification for specific care programs. This matters for organizations that provide services across multiple settings: an organization may need to determine whether accreditation applies to the whole entity or to a specific service line, and which standards set matches its services.

How international organizations engage with JCI

For organizations outside the United States, the practical path is to:

1. Identify the relevant program — match the organization's setting and services (hospital, ambulatory, laboratory, long-term care, home care, or a certification area) to the corresponding JCI program.
2. Review the applicable standards — JCI publishes standards and accreditation resources that describe what is assessed.
3. Contact JCI or apply — engagement typically begins through JCI's website, where organizations can request information or start an application.

The website is the primary entry point for standards, resources, and application information. Note that some resources may require a subscription; the available materials do not confirm which resources are free, so check each resource page for access conditions.

Choosing the right program

Use the organization's setting and services as the deciding factor:

Where an organization spans several settings, confirm with JCI which standards apply before applying, since the program determines the standards used and the scope of the evaluation.