News of healthcare mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is everywhere. Generally, both sides involved in these consolidations and partnerships enter in good faith with a goal to create value—for the new organization and for the patients it serves.¹

Successful and sustainable M&A strategies require an articulated vision and defined goals upon which policies and organizational changes will be built. Without such a framework, the objective of quality patient care—which always should be central—is at risk of being overlooked.

ACHC is not a stranger to M&A activity. Our 2014 merger with Pharmacy Compounding Board of Accreditation (PCAB) was followed by the historic 2020 union which merged two accreditation organization with deeming authority from CMS to expand services across the continuum of care. We have experienced the same need for effective change management strategies that other healthcare organizations have faced. We, too, defined goals, established policies to minimize risk, and aligned objectives across our teams to ensure ongoing quality for our providers and their patients.

During periods of transition and beyond, frequent review and audits of policies, procedures, implementation, evaluation, and communication encourage a culture of quality and accountability within newly-formed and existing organizations. Accreditation provides a framework to analyze and measure value, quality, and efficiency. Clear standards allow for a comprehensive, action-focused assessment of efforts to improve and streamline operations, mitigate risk, and promote a mission of patient-centered care.

Let us partner to support excellence in your operations as they evolve, whether from potential disruption of M&A, or from the natural course of change in any organization.

¹ Deloitte: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/life-sciences-and-health-care/articles/hospital-mergers-and-acquisitions.html