National League of Nursing's
Community Health Accreditation Program receives Authority
from Health Care Financing Administration
NOTE: The following is a copy of a press release issued in April, 1999 by the National League For Nursing (www.nln.org) and is copyright NLN. It is provided here for reference because of its importance to those concerned about hospice standards of care. Hospices that meet the higher "C.H.A.P." standards of care, upon inspection by CHAP, would be more likely to provide higher quality hospice care.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Philip H. Serghini,
Manager of Public Relations
(212) 363-5555, ext. 366
pserghi@nln.org
COMMUNITY HEALTH ACCREDITATION PROGRAM (CHAP) RECEIVES HOSPICE DEEMING AUTHORITY
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21, 1999 - The Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) announced today that it has
been granted "deeming authority" by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) of the US Department of Health and
Human Services.
With this move, the federal government now recognizes CHAP hospice standards as meeting or exceeding federal standards
for participation in Medicare. CHAP is currently the only national accreditation organization authorized to perform Medicare,
hospice surveys. Hospice programs today provide care to over 450,000 terminally ill patients and their families per year in the
United States.
Because CHAP has received deeming authority from HCFA, Medicare hospices meeting CHAP's standards will now be able
to consolidate two surveys with one comprehensive survey performed by CHAP.
CHAP, which in 1992 was the first accrediting body in the nation to receive "deeming authority" for home care from the federal
government, has been accrediting community-based and public health programs since its inception in 1965. Utilizing top
national experts in the field, CHAP challenges providers to excel in all areas of clinical and operational performance, allowing
accredited providers to be recognized in their community as having achieved the highest level of quality.
"We are very excited to be recognized as the 'gold standard' for hospice programs. What this means for clients and their
families is that more hospices will seek the highest quality standards through the accreditation process, thereby improving quality
across the board," said Jerold S. Cohen, President of CHAP.
"We've been waiting for this for years," said Cindy Nyquist, CEO of Upper Peninsula Home Health and Hospice of Marquette,
Michigan. "It brings everything under one roof, and under one quality roof. For CHAP to be able to come in and provide
Medicare 'deemed status' along with CHAP accreditation --it's a great marriage," she said.
Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the National League for Nursing (NLN).
For more than a century, NLN and CHAP have set the highest standards for community and home heath care organizations.
CHAP assures consumers that accredited programs have gone beyond minimum quality levels and have met the industry's
highest nationally recognized standards of excellence. To learn more, visit CHAP on-line at: www.chapinc.org . Visit NLN
on-line at: www.nln.org.
Copyright © 1999 Community Health Accreditation Program, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Community Health Accreditation Program, Inc. , 61 Broadway , New York, NY 10006
(800)669-1656, ext. 242 or 1(212)363-5555 Fax 1(212)812-0393 E-mail comments dfeinst@nln.org
For more information about CHAP, contact CHAP at www.chapinc.org.
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