Evolving accreditation. Rise of ACOs prompts group to expand services beyond ambulatory care.

“The movement to accountable care organizations and other recent trends has led to more health systems reabsorbing primary-care physicians and free-standing ambulatorycare settings back into the hospital,” Burke said in an April release announcing the program. “AAAHC saw an opportunity to improve patient care by offering a program that addresses both outpatient and inpatient hospital care and the ambulatory care offered by small hospital systems.”