- Accreditation is vital for ensuring quality standards in healthcare. It enhances patient trust, improves outcomes, and helps organizations meet regulatory requirements while staying competitive.
- José Domingos, as CEO of the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), has driven the organization’s mission to enhance clinical outcomes through effective accreditation services.
- ACHC addresses challenges faced by healthcare organizations through data measurement, benchmarking, and continuous improvement frameworks.
Accreditation is crucial across industries like healthcare, education, and manufacturing, as it ensures that organizations meet established standards through independent third-party reviews. For healthcare providers, accreditation is more than just a stamp of approval. It builds patient trust by showing that a facility meets strict quality standards, leading to better patient outcomes, greater efficiency, and continuous improvement. It also helps healthcare organizations stay competitive and meet regulatory requirements.
José Domingos, President, CEO, and Board Director of the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. (ACHC), has been a key figure in this space. Since joining ACHC in 2011 and becoming CEO a year later, he has led the organization in its mission to improve clinical outcomes through safe, high-quality patient care. José understands that efficient operations are just as important as patient care, ensuring that healthcare organizations can sustain their commitment to quality.
In a recent interview with Global Healthcare Magazine, José shared his perspective: “We don’t tell healthcare professionals how to practice medicine; our standards guide them to create policies and procedures that fit into a continuous improvement cycle.”
GHM: José, could you tell us about your education and career journey? Which institutions did you attend, and what are your areas of expertise?
José: I studied mechanical engineering technology at Pennsylvania State University. Early in my career, I worked as an engineer at Tyco Electronics. Later, I shifted to product management, focusing on instrumentation and medical connectors. My exposure to the healthcare space and its vast opportunities sparked my interest in marketing.
I moved into marketing roles, first with Teleflex, Inc., a manufacturer of specialty medical devices, and then with Becton Dickinson Diagnostics, where I was responsible for global marketing in their cervical cancer diagnostics division.
My time in these roles allowed me to spend significant time in hospitals and laboratory settings, where I witnessed firsthand the positive impact of these resources on human lives. This experience cemented my commitment to the healthcare industry.
In 2011, I joined ACHC as vice president of marketing and business development. A year later, I took on the role of chief executive officer.
GHM: Please share the origin story of the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). What’s the organization’s mission, and what values guide its work?
José: Founded in 1986, ACHC initially focused on establishing quality standards for home care services. The goal was to create an accreditation process tailored to community settings rather than adapting hospital standards. Since then, we have grown into a nationally and internationally recognized leader in healthcare accreditation. Our growth began with strategic diversification within what is now our Community Care Services division, systematically adding programs to meet identified needs and opportunities. Today, these programs range from home health accreditation to pharmacy and durable medical equipment.
In 2020, we merged with another established accreditation organization that specialized in acute care settings, including hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and laboratories. This merger, involving a 75-year-old organization, allowed us to offer a comprehensive accreditation solution as a single-source provider.
Our mission is to deliver the highest quality accreditation services and partner with organizations and healthcare professionals seeking these services. We focus on two main areas:
- For organizations required by government regulations or payor requirements, we provide a path to compliance that adds value and supports sustainability through our expertise, experience, and educational resources.
- For both mandated and voluntary accreditations, we cater to patient-centered organizations aiming to improve clinical outcomes through safe, high-quality care. Our partnership approach helps these providers enhance clinical performance with our specialized knowledge and support.
GHM: How does ACHC ensure that healthcare organizations meet their accreditation standards and continuously improve their services?
José: At ACHC, we partner with the providers we serve to address their needs from various perspectives—operational, risk and quality management, and clinical performance improvement.
When ACHC surveys an organization, our goal is to understand how they intend to implement their processes and whether their personnel are truly following their policies. Then we ask a crucial question: How do you know you’re doing the right thing? This is where data measurement and benchmarking become essential. We assess whether the organization tracks its results, how it evaluates those results, and what actions are taken when outcomes don’t meet expectations.
When healthcare organizations adopt our framework for continuous improvement, it benefits not only the organization and its staff but, most importantly, the patients it serves.
GHM: Can you walk us through your most impactful programs and their specific contributions to improving healthcare quality?
José: Healthcare is a continuum, so we design programs to connect services and bridge gaps. Research shows that continuity of care is crucial for individual and community health.
As I mentioned previously, ACHC started with home-based care. Our home health, hospice, and home care programs continue to be impactful, through their individual contribution and their connection to other programs.
Home care, for example, often represents a long-term relationship between the provider and a patient with an ongoing or chronic condition or even just an ongoing need for support in activities of daily living. Home health, on the other hand, can be a transitional need, perhaps after a hospital stay or outpatient surgical procedure.
In both programs, home medical equipment supplies and pharmaceuticals may be needed. Accreditation highlights the relationship across the distinct entities by ensuring excellent communication and coordination.
The addition of Acute Care Services to ACHC’s portfolio has served to highlight the interconnectedness of healthcare. Hospitals, in particular, are complex organizations that may seek multiple accreditations: for the organization as a whole, for their laboratories, for sleep centers, for compounding pharmacies, and other affiliated settings. By providing all these programs, ACHC becomes a one-stop shop that adds value by simplifying the process of managing multiple accreditations, offering comprehensive resources, and creating economic benefits.
GHM: As the leader of ACHC, what are your primary roles and responsibilities?
José: When I first joined ACHC, we focused on foundational improvements to position us for future growth. This involved enhancing customer care, building brand awareness, and diversifying our portfolio to offer a comprehensive resource for accreditation and educational needs. Today, thanks to that foundational work, ACHC is six times larger.
My role now includes directing our proactive investment strategy to capitalize on future opportunities. Externally, I lead merger negotiations, while internally, I guide the development of strategies for our teams to use as launching pads for innovation and implementation.
Supporting my staff is a top priority, and I actively work to maintain the corporate culture that has made ACHC an industry leader. When ACHC is a great place to work, it directly impacts the client experience, which is central to our mission.
GHM: Can you share some current statistics on how many healthcare organizations ACHC accredits and the impact on patient outcomes?
José: As of now, ACHC accredits over 24,000 organizations, predominantly in the United States, with a growing presence internationally. Because healthcare practices are culturally informed, we carefully introduce our programs to new regions based on demand and our capacity to address local cultural, religious, and practice differences effectively. For instance, we have a significant market share of home care agencies in the UAE, several ambulatory surgery centers in Central and Latin America, and pharmacies in Australia.
GHM: What challenges did you face in your career journey? How did you tackle them?
José: Like many who have had long careers, I believe that the biggest challenges are gaining relevant expertise for good decision-making, and effectively developing and managing people. My career spans various industries, from electronic data transmission to heat transfer, where I handled everything from troubleshooting leaks to installations on ships and in nuclear power plants. For over 20 years, I’ve worked in hospital operating rooms and laboratories.
I found that it takes about two years to gain the level of expertise required to excel in a field. This approach has been crucial in evaluating, developing, and managing our businesses. My diverse background in engineering, business management, sales, and marketing has contributed to my success. Engineering provided a systematic, logical approach, while experience in other areas has equipped me to engage confidently in any discussion.
GHM: What strategies do you employ to build and lead a successful team within ACHC?
José: To build and lead a successful team, I focus on making decisions that benefit the organization and its people while positioning us for success. My approach is guided by simple principles: treat others as you would like to be treated and lead with authenticity. By being fair, objective, consistent, and genuine, I ensure that I can stand by my decisions.
I also believe in actively participating when needed. While I encourage a sense of ownership throughout the company, my team knows that I am ready to dive into the details and tackle pressing issues alongside them. Their challenges become my challenges.
GHM: What are your future goals for ACHC, and are there any upcoming projects or initiatives you’re particularly excited about?
José: Accreditation was established to identify organizations that prioritize quality care, and it also helps reduce fraud and unethical practices. One of our key goals is to educate the public about the importance of choosing accredited organizations—those validated by an independent third party.
Looking ahead, our goal is to remain the accreditor of choice across every segment we serve. We believe our core principles will drive us there because they truly resonate with the needs of our clients.
GHM: How do you manage to have a perfect work-life balance? What are your hobbies/interests beyond the cabin?
José: I don’t know about perfect balance, but prioritizing is key. There needs to be a hierarchy of values. Family and health come first; without them, work becomes much more difficult. While I can’t completely unplug, changing my scenery from time to time helps. I find that maintaining this balance makes me more effective overall.
GHM: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers – a message of hope, a call to action?
José: When it comes to work, make sure you’re doing something that you’re passionate about. If not, reassess and do something different, even if that means you need to gain additional skills or education. Such reassessment and action will pay dividends.
Life is short. Value those around you, slow down long enough to take it all in, and appreciate where you are. You’ll never be in this same moment in time again. Surround yourself with authentic people who truly care about you. Keep your circle small but tight.
Treat your life, your personal objectives, and your ambitions as you would your job. Plan, assign timelines, and execute one milestone at a time. You’ll accomplish more of them.
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