Joint Commission Readiness: The Complete Guide
When The Joint Commission comes knocking, hospitals must be prepared to present a wide range of documents that demonstrate compliance with standards in patient care, safety, and overall hospital operations to successfully complete their audit. Having a workflow to make the documents readily accessible is crucial for a smooth audit process and can greatly reduce stress on hospital staff.
This guide is the most complete and thorough resource that breaks down what surveyors are really looking for, and how you can build a bulletproof compliance system without the binders and burnout.
Check out all the articles and webinars below for your complete guide!
Let’s Talk Joint Commission Compliance
If you’ve ever lived through a Joint Commission audit, you know the drill: a chime sounds overhead, and calm turns to chaos. Staff scatter. Documentation disappears. Anxiety spikes. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Audit prep doesn't have to be frantic. You don't have to stay up all night with three different binders or rifling through file folders while a survey watches sternly over your shoulder as you try to find a document that you hope actually exists. Getting there involves automating the right workflows so you can stop chasing paper and start showing up confidently.
Essential Workflow and Documents for a Hospital Joint Commission Audit
One of the biggest challenges during an audit is pulling together all the necessary documentation, especially during an unannounced visit. Whether it’s organizational policies, employee certifications, safety protocols, or patient records, everything needs to be meticulously tracked and stored in a way that is easily accessible.
The Joint Commission’s Staffing Mandate and What It Means for Healthcare
Beginning January 1, 2026, The Joint Commission will formally include nurse staffing as a National Performance Goal, shifting staffing from an operational challenge to a core accreditation requirement. Watch this webinar to get a break down of what this mandate means for leaders in healthcare.
From Audit Panic to Proactive Readiness: Joint Commission Compliance Through Automation
For most healthcare organizations, even the possibility of a survey triggers panic. It’s not because the work isn’t being done – we know it is. It’s because we don’t always have the systems in place to prove the work is being done, especially under pressure with a regulatory agency in the building.
From infection control logs to EOC inspections, life safety drills to staff credentialing, we’re juggling massive volumes of documentation, often managed manually, inconsistently, and reactively.
Joint Commission Readiness Series
Check out this series of deep dives into key areas of Joint Commission readiness!
Each topic includes an article and a webinar.
How Can We Make Utility System Testing Consistent and Survey-Ready?
Be Audit-Ready Every Day: Automate Your Joint Commission Prep
Watch this webinar to learn from experts and get workflow templates you can use immediately to be audit ready everyday.
Joint Commission Accreditation Guided by Proven Experts
Our solutions are built by healthcare leaders for healthcare leaders. Our team includes former hospital executives, clinical leaders, and HR strategists who have lived the challenges of staffing shortages, compliance pressure, and clinician burnout firsthand.
Led by nationally recognized strategist Dr. Sarah Inman, we don’t just implement technology—we re-engineer workforce strategy and redesign operating models to drive measurable results.
With proven success across hospitals, clinics, and multi-state systems, we consistently deliver double-digit improvements in cost savings, staff engagement, and patient outcomes. Featured on national platforms and trusted by top providers, we embed lasting change that sticks.
Sarah Inman, MHA, DHA, SHRM-CP
SVP Healthcare Strategy, Partner
LinkedIn
Sarah holds MHA, DHA, and SHRM-CP credentials, specializing in healthcare strategy, leadership, governance, corporate training, and clinical scheduling. A nationally recognized workforce management expert and HR leader, she focuses on strategy, compliance, and employee-centered transformation.
Ashley Kamla, MBA, RN, CENP
Healthcare Strategist
LinkedIn
Ashley, an MBA, RN, and CENP, brings expertise in healthcare strategy, leadership, governance, and advanced scheduling. She is a healthcare executive and workforce strategist specializing in nursing leadership and operational transformation.
Marta Retzler, BSA, MBA
Healthcare Strategist
LinkedIn
With BSA and MBA credentials, Marta specializes in timekeeping, accruals, attendance, advanced scheduling, corporate training, and automated testing. She is a consultant with expertise in testing, training, and business strategy for organizational efficiency.
Julie Elbin
Healthcare Strategist
LinkedIn
Julie specializes in healthcare strategy, attestation, advanced scheduling, accruals, PBJ (Payroll Based Journal), and timekeeping. She is an experienced WFM professional supporting client success through system expertise and strategic insights.
