(The Joint Commission: Oakbrook Terrace, IL) -- The Joint Commission, a health-care accrediting body, and SGS Group, a verification, inspection, certification, and testing company, are joining forces to offer hospitals and critical-access hospitals in the United States the option of pursuing both accreditation and certification to various standards from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and industry best practice standards beginning in early 2012.

This program combines The Joint Commission’s modern health care quality and safety standards, survey process, and accountability performance measures with SGS management system audits including certification to the ISO 9001 quality management system standards. The combination of accreditation and certification to ISO standards offers hospitals the tools to maintain best practices and lower costs across their entire operation while remaining focused on their core service—delivering quality health care to patients.

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