Part I: Write an essay discussing the following: The role of the Joint Commission in accrediting medical facilities Which facilities can be accredited? What are the goals of the Commission? How do existing Joint Commission guidelines impact facilities that are not accredited by the Commission? What does it mean to a facility to be accredited by the Joint Commission? Is it mandatory for organizations to be accredited by the Joint Commission? If not, what impact does not having such accreditation mean in terms of reimbursement?

Part II: Create a memorandum where: You are the administrator of the health information department for a medium-sized facility. You have just been informed by the compliance officer that the Joint Commission will be visiting your facility and will be focusing on your department. Begin the memorandum by including information you believe will be important for your personnel to know to prepare for the visit. Then, anticipate possible questions that the Commission might have for you in terms of compliance. How will you and your department respond to these questions? How will you manage any negative findings during the visit? Finally, discuss how current noncompliance findings can be avoided in the future in this memorandum.