The Accreditation Process
Any public health agency that meets the criteria outlined
in the Accreditation Documents may
apply by following the preparatory steps indicated in the documents and by
submitting the completed forms along with the Accreditation
fee.
Preparation for accreditation varies according to which
standards are met by the agency when it first begins preparations and
ranges from 1-2 years.
All applications for accreditation are reviewed by the
Principles and Standards Committee of the OCCHA Board of Directors. Based
on a review of the application, public health agencies are either
considered ready for an accreditation survey or are encouraged to prepare
themselves for re-application at a later date.
Surveys are scheduled within 90 days of acceptance of the
application (unless this deadline is extended by mutual agreement).
Surveys are conducted by experience public health professionals specially
trained as surveyors (see also Information for Surveyors).
Survey Teams
Survey teams are comprised of a Senior Surveyor, 2-3
trained surveyors, 1-2 apprentice surveyors and the Executive Director.
The size of the survey team is determined by the size and scope of the
public health agency.
Length of an Accreditation Survey
Accreditation surveys require 3 full days and are
generally conducted from Monday to Wednesday or Wednesday to Friday. The
purpose of the survey is to evaluate the agency’s degree of compliance
with the OCCHA principles and standards by gathering information from:
-
The Agency Questionnaire (completed by the Agency and
submitted with the application form);
-
The review of evidence/documentation on-site, and
-
The interview of staff members and representatives of
local community agencies.
Surveyor worksheets are completed by the members of the
survey team upon completion of an accreditation survey. These worksheets
contain the findings, commendations, suggestions, recommendations and
requirements of the surveyors relative to the review of documents and the
interview of staff members and community agency representatives. The
report is submitted to OCCHA within two weeks of the completion of the
survey.
A complete outline of the elements of an accreditation
survey can be found in the Surveyor Manual for an Accreditation Survey in
the section Information for Surveyors.
The Accreditation Award
The accreditation award is determined by the OCCHA
Board of Directors, in consultation with the Principles and Standards
Committee. The length of the accreditation award will be two, three,
four, or five years and is based upon careful review of the findings
of the accreditation survey.
5 Year Accreditation: A rating indicating optimal
compliance across and within the standards with no components noting
insufficient evidence to demonstrate compliance. This rating demonstrates
overall excellence in the delivery of programs and services in public
health and the agency is recognized to be performing in an exemplary
way.
4 Year Accreditation: A rating indicating substantial
compliance across and within the standards. Some areas of improvement
have been identified which should be addressed. This rating demonstrates
high achievement in the delivery of programs and services.
3 Year Accreditation: A rating indicating satisfactory
compliance across and within the standards. Some weaknesses within
the standards have been identified which may affect the delivery
of programs and services and which should be addressed. This rating
demonstrates good delivery of programs and services.
2 Year Accreditation: A rating indicating minimal
compliance across and within the standards. Deficiencies however,
exist relative to the standards that affect the delivery of programs
and services. These deficiencies must be remedied. This rating demonstrates
that the agency could show more improvement towards compliance with
the standards resulting in a higher level of achievement in the
delivery of programs and services.
A comprehensive report is provided to the agency outlining
the findings and resulting requirements, recommendations, suggestions and
commendations.
Appeal Process
Each agency is given 14 days within notification of the
accreditation award and report to file its intention to appeal the
findings of an accreditation survey. The documentation for such an appeal
must be submitted within 34 days of the agency’s receipt of the report.
If an appeal is received, the OCCHA Board of Directors will meet with the
representatives of the agency to discuss the supporting argument for the
appeal. The OCCHA Board of Directors will meet to review the evidence
presented and will prepare a final report. The decision of the OCCHA Board
of Directors is final.
The Accreditation Certificate
The accreditation award is presented as a certificate to
be displayed and viewed by the public and is considered the property of
OCCHA. Should an accredited agency fail to abide by the Terms and
Conditions of Accreditation, the certificate shall be withdrawn.
Accreditation Fees
At the time of application, the agency is required to
submit both the survey fee and the first year's maintenance fee.
|
Year
|
Survey
Fee
|
Annual
Maintenance Fee
|
|
April 1, 2007
April 1, 2008
|
$6,500.00
$6,500.00 |
$2,950.00
$3.025.00
|
All fees are subject to GST.
Survey fees and maintenance fees will be reviewed annually
to reflect inflation.
|