Joint Commission and NACHC Announce Strategic Partnership to Support Community Health Centers and Patients

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Michael King at

(Bethesda, MD May 5, 2026) - Joint Commission and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) today announced the two organizations will partner to develop education, training, advisory services, and more for community health centers (CHCs) across the nation, which provide care to 52 million people, or one in seven people nationwide, including one in three in rural America. This collaboration between Joint Commission and NACHC will support CHCs in their commitment to achieving high standards of care, fostering innovation, and driving excellence across clinical and operational domains.

As local, nonprofit, patient-governed organizations that provide affordable, comprehensive, and effective primary healthcare to all patients regardless of income or insurance status, CHCs play a vital role in the nation's healthcare system. Many patients with limited access to healthcare depend on CHCs for their care. This annually includes 9.8 million children, 4.1 million seniors over age 65, 2.3 million homeless individuals, and more than 642,000 veterans.

"I am deeply inspired by the remarkable impact CHCs have on the communities they serve and on our nation's health overall," said Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, president and CEO, Joint Commission. "For Joint Commission, this focus on community health centers is a deliberate and important part of our strategy to diversify the areas of healthcare we support. We respect NACHC's steadfast commitment to advancing care for all and know they will be a strong partner as we share a common mission. We look forward to supporting CHCs in delivering exceptional care to the millions of Americans who depend on them."

"Entering a partnership with Joint Commission, the leading standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare, is a strategic investment in high-quality patient care for the communities we serve," said Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, president and CEO, NACHC. "By aligning our teams around shared standards and evidence-based practices, we are strengthening the culture of continuous improvement that upholds the highest standards of quality and safety and builds on the strong outcomes CHCs already deliver."

In the coming months, Joint Commission and NACHC will work closely together in developing programs and resources, ultimately including a new Joint Commission accreditation program, all designed to support CHCs in continuously improving outcomes and providing the safest and highest quality care possible for their patients.

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About NACHC

NACHC's mission is to champion Community Health Centers delivering affordable, effective, comprehensive primary care that is community-driven and improves health for all. For more information, visit https://www.nachc.org.

Michael B. King

(240) 571-9542

[email protected]

About Joint Commission

Joint Commission enables and affirms the highest standards of healthcare quality and patient safety for all. Founded in 1951, it is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare, evaluating more than 23,000 healthcare organizations and programs across the United States. As an independent, nonprofit organization, Joint Commission inspires healthcare organizations across all settings to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value.

Learn more at  https://www.jointcommission.org.

Zachary Brousseau

(202) 478-9326

[email protected]