How the HQAA online HME accreditation process works
Step 1. Meet your coach.
After your HQAA application is accepted, you will get your own HQAA accreditation coach. At this time, you should also designate someone within your organization to be the Workroom Manager. This person will serve as the main point of contact with the coach, and will be responsible for completing the online documentation process.
Think of your coach as an accreditation personal trainer. Your coach will receive and review your documentation as you upload it to the Workroom. He or she will compare your documentation to the criteria requested in the HQAA standard. Then, they will let you know if your documentation meets the criteria, or identify what might be missing. The coach also helps your Workroom Manager via immediate access to an HQAA standards expert. This reduces both the time and stress associated with typical accreditation programs.
As you submit your standards documentation, your coach will:
- Provide timely feedback on documentation
- Answer questions as they arise
- Help you stay on track
- Assist with additional resources
Step 2. Complete your online Workroom.
Not knowing how to start is a common problem when using other accreditation processes. With HQAA, it's easy. In the Workroom, your designated Workroom Manager will tackle each of your policy and procedure manual documents one-by-one. Plus, he or she will keep track of their progress, manage their time, and get expert feedback — all with the help of the HQAA coach.
Now, one of the first questions our clients ask is, "How long does the process take?" The answer really depends on your company and the types of products and services you offer, along with the amount of time the Workroom Manager devotes to the Workroom on a regular basis. On average, it takes three to six months to complete the document review portion of the process.
The HQAA Workroom provides:
- Standards compliance guidance
- Organization tools and timeline
- Tutorials and communication tools
- Documentation upload and repository
Step 3. Prep for the survey.
After your Workroom is 100% complete, you will receive a brief pre-survey form to complete. After your pre-survey form is completed, a surveyor will conduct a short telephone interview with you. When a surveyor is assigned, he or she will review your Workroom documentation. The goal, by the time of the survey, is to help you feel as well-prepared, at ease and empowered as possible.
The HQAA survey prep includes:
- Pre-survey interview form
- Telephone interview prior to the site visit
- Ongoing access to your coach
- Surveyor review of your Workroom documentation
- Audit tool access
Step 4. Earn accreditation.
You've worked hard and now it's time to show off your new HQAA Quality Champion status! Upon completing the accreditation process, we'll send your organization a letter of accreditation, a certificate of accreditation, and HQAA logo stickers for your vehicles and offices. In addition, we'll notify CMS of your successful accreditation. Your company will be listed on the HQAA website as an accredited provider. You can also sign up for our ACT (Accreditation Continuation Toolkit) service to continue to manage, maintain and update your standards online.
HQAA accreditation includes:
- Letter of accreditation
- Certificate of accreditation
- Notification to CMS
- Eligibility for the HQAA ACT Accreditation Continuation Toolkit service
- HQAA.org recognition
