The accreditation and reaccreditation decision-making process assesses a CME provider’s compliance with the accreditation requirements. Based on these compliance findings, the ACCME decides on the provider’s accreditation status.
Information about accredited providers in the ACCME System, including each provider’s accreditation status is available here.
The Five Accreditation Status Options:
Provisional Accreditation is a two-year term awarded to initial applicants that demonstrate compliance with the following Core Accreditation Criteria:
- Mission
- Program Analysis
- Program Improvements
- Educational Needs
- Designed to Change
- Appropriate Formats
- Competencies
- Analyzes Change
Although rare, it is possible for a provider to receive extended Provisional Accreditation, for one or two years, if compliance issues are identified that would prohibit advancing to Accreditation.
Accreditation is the standard, four-year term awarded to accredited providers. Providers that demonstrate one or more noncompliance findings in the Core Accreditation Criteria and/or the policies receive Accreditation but are required to submit progress reports.
Accredited CME providers have the option to aim to achieve Accreditation with Commendation, a six-year term. To be eligible for Accreditation with Commendation, CME providers must demonstrate compliance with the Core Accreditation Criteria, in addition to the Menu of Commendation Criteria. Choosing from the menu, providers need to demonstrate compliance with any seven criteria of their choice, from any category, plus one criterion from the Achieves Outcomes category, for a total of eight criteria.
Probation is given to accredited providers that have serious problems meeting ACCME requirements. Providers on Probation are required to submit progress reports. Providers with Accreditation may have their status changed to Probation if their progress reports do not demonstrate correction of noncompliance issues. Most providers on Probation implement improvements quickly, return to a status of Accreditation, and sustain compliance. Providers cannot remain on Probation for longer than two years.
Nonaccreditation: Although Nonaccreditation decisions are rare, the ACCME does make that determination in the following circumstances:
- An initial applicant is not in compliance with any one of the criteria required to achieve Provisional Accreditation.
- A provisionally accredited provider has serious noncompliance issues.
- A provider on Probation fails to demonstrate in one or more progress reports that it has achieved compliance in all Accreditation Criteria within two years.
- In rare circumstances where there are compelling reasons, an accredited provider may have its status changed to Nonaccreditation. Examples of such circumstances include an accredited provider that has demonstrated recurrent noncompliance in the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education and/or has received previous decisions of Probation, and/or has engaged in joint providerships while on Probation in violation of joint providership policy.