Hospital accreditation, certification and periodic review come from a variety of both public and private sources, though the goal is generally consistent: develop uniform standards to ensure that hospitals in the United States all operate at an acceptable safety level and deliver quality patient care in an appropriate and effective manner.

Hospitals are subject to the Medicare Conditions of Participation set forth by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Before 2008, only the Joint Commission and Health Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) were approved by CMS to accredit hospitals as meeting the Medicare Conditions of Participation.

In October 2008, CMS approved DNV Healthcare as a third national accreditation program for hospitals seeking to participate in the Medicare program. Now, hospitals accredited through DNV Healthcare have been added to the American Hospital Association (AHA) Guide, listing these facilities as well as those accredited by the Joint Commission and HFAP.

The entire health care hierarchy for the United States in 2010 is explained in more detail Here.