The purpose of this book is to provide information and insight into alternative choices for healthcare-facility accreditation. Healthcare management textbooks and articles on accrediting alternatives tend to be rather limited. Most health executives think primarily of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) when they are questioned about hospital accreditation, or the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as an obvious choice for managed care facilities. However, other alternatives are available and viable and are increasingly being chosen by healthcare organizations across the country.