Joint Commission Cuts Standards: Compliance Tips

In June 2025, The Joint Commission announced a major overhaul to its hospital and critical access hospital accreditation standards under a new initiative called Accreditation 360. The goal? To eliminate outdated or low-value standards and streamline the compliance process for healthcare organizations.

The result is historic: 777 standards eliminated, reducing the total number of requirements by nearly 50%. While this reduction is designed to ease the burden of compliance, it also shifts more responsibility onto hospitals to demonstrate real, measurable performance—especially in areas tied to facility safety, maintenance, and emergency readiness.

So what does this mean for your facility team? And how can you prepare for these changes before they take effect on January 1, 2026?

Joint Commission’s 2025 Standards Overhaul: What Changed?

As reported by Becker’s Hospital Review, this overhaul focuses on removing standards that no longer align with current clinical evidence or fail to drive quality improvements.

Key takeaways:

• 777 standards eliminated, including 714 specific to hospitals

• Reductions span environment of care, life safety, and documentation-heavy requirements

• The goal is to shift focus from administrative tasks to outcomes that directly affect safety and quality

Hospitals still need to meet the remaining standards and be ready to prove compliance with clearer documentation and accountability.

How These Changes Affect Facility Teams

While some documentation requirements are easing, facility teams remain on the front lines of compliance. Joint Commission surveyors will continue to examine critical areas tied to:

• Equipment maintenance and preventive care (EC.02.04.01)

• Utility systems inspections (EC.02.05.01)

• Emergency preparedness

• Fire and life safety systems (LS series)

• Environment of care documentation and readiness

In short, fewer standards don’t mean fewer expectations. In fact, hospitals are now expected to demonstrate excellence in fewer but more meaningful areas.

Why Documentation and Visibility Still Matter

The new Accreditation 360 approach places a premium on data-driven performance. Facility leaders must be able to quickly provide:

• Proof of completed preventive maintenance

• Work order history on critical assets

• Emergency system testing records

• Building-specific compliance documentation

• Real-time reporting dashboards

Hospitals that rely on outdated systems or siloed spreadsheets may struggle to deliver this level of transparency, especially during unannounced surveys.

How FacilityONE Helps Hospitals Stay Compliant

FacilityONE has helped large U.S. healthcare systems maintain Joint Commission readiness by providing complete visibility, automation, and documentation across all facility operations.

F1 WORKS makes it easy to assign, track, and close out work orders—ensuring every PM or corrective task is logged and audit-ready.

F1 MAPS shows exactly where assets, safety systems, and high-risk areas are located on interactive digital floorplans, which surveyors and staff can reference in real time.

F1 INSIGHTS provides dashboards and visual reports that help facility managers track trends, monitor performance, and prepare for audits with confidence.

In one case, a large hospital system using FacilityONE passed its most recent Joint Commission survey with zero EC or LS deficiencies—thanks in part to the ability to instantly provide service records, floorplan documentation, and asset data during the visit.

Get Ready for 2026 with the Right Tools

The Joint Commission may be reducing standards, but it’s raising the bar for operational efficiency and documentation. FacilityONE gives healthcare facility teams the tools to stay ahead—without scrambling during survey season.