{"id":4431,"date":"2025-07-31T01:58:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T20:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/blog\/?p=4431"},"modified":"2025-07-31T01:58:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T20:28:00","slug":"joint-commission-standards-2026-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/blog\/joint-commission-standards-2026-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Joint Commission Standards Are Changing in 2026: What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Starting <strong data-start=\"139\" data-end=\"158\">January 1, 2026<\/strong>, the Joint Commission will roll out major updates to its standards. These changes aim to make compliance simpler but also bring new challenges for hospitals and behavioral health organizations.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"361\" data-end=\"388\"><strong data-start=\"366\" data-end=\"386\">What\u2019s Changing?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"389\" data-end=\"665\">\n<li data-start=\"389\" data-end=\"476\">\n<p data-start=\"391\" data-end=\"476\">The number of standards will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jointcommission.org\/en-us\/standards\/prepublication-standards\/critical-access-hospital-and-hospital-requirements-streamlined-to-reduce-burden\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">drop from about <strong data-start=\"436\" data-end=\"452\">1,551 to 774<\/strong><\/a>, cutting duplication.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"477\" data-end=\"579\">\n<p data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"579\">Many <strong data-start=\"484\" data-end=\"517\">Elements of Performance (EPs)<\/strong> are being merged into <strong data-start=\"540\" data-end=\"577\">broader, code-based requirements.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"580\" data-end=\"665\">\n<p data-start=\"582\" data-end=\"665\">Surveyors will now focus more on <strong data-start=\"615\" data-end=\"640\">core safety practices<\/strong> and less on paperwork.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"667\" data-end=\"812\">While these changes are designed to reduce clutter, they also mean hospitals must <strong data-start=\"749\" data-end=\"797\">update how they train, document, and prepare<\/strong> for surveys.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"819\" data-end=\"858\"><strong data-start=\"824\" data-end=\"856\">Top Concerns in the Industry<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"859\" data-end=\"944\">From healthcare forums and compliance groups, here\u2019s what people are worried about:<\/p>\n<ol data-start=\"945\" data-end=\"1484\">\n<li data-start=\"945\" data-end=\"1048\">\n<p data-start=\"948\" data-end=\"1048\"><strong data-start=\"948\" data-end=\"982\">Less clarity in new standards:<\/strong> Broad language leaves room for confusion about what\u2019s required.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1049\" data-end=\"1170\">\n<p data-start=\"1052\" data-end=\"1170\"><strong data-start=\"1052\" data-end=\"1079\">Updating documentation:<\/strong> Policies, manuals, and reference materials need reformatting to match the new structure.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1171\" data-end=\"1265\">\n<p data-start=\"1174\" data-end=\"1265\"><strong data-start=\"1174\" data-end=\"1212\">Staff and surveyor learning curve:<\/strong> Teams must learn the new system before survey day.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1266\" data-end=\"1375\">\n<p data-start=\"1269\" data-end=\"1375\"><strong data-start=\"1269\" data-end=\"1294\">Technology readiness:<\/strong> Hospitals need stronger systems for <strong data-start=\"1331\" data-end=\"1372\">credentialing, training, and tracking<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1376\" data-end=\"1484\">\n<p data-start=\"1379\" data-end=\"1484\"><strong data-start=\"1379\" data-end=\"1411\">Constant readiness pressure:<\/strong> Leaders fear last-minute scramble as surveys align to these new rules.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3 data-start=\"1491\" data-end=\"1526\"><strong data-start=\"1496\" data-end=\"1524\">How emPower LMS Can Help<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1527\" data-end=\"1666\">Meeting these changes will take <strong data-start=\"1559\" data-end=\"1609\">organized training and airtight documentation.<\/strong> This is where our <strong data-start=\"1628\" data-end=\"1656\">LMS and training library<\/strong> fit in:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1668\" data-end=\"2083\">\n<li data-start=\"1668\" data-end=\"1736\">\n<p data-start=\"1670\" data-end=\"1736\"><strong data-start=\"1670\" data-end=\"1710\">Electronic documentation of training<\/strong> for every staff member.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1737\" data-end=\"1800\">\n<p data-start=\"1739\" data-end=\"1800\"><strong data-start=\"1739\" data-end=\"1775\">Policy signatures tracked online<\/strong>\u2014no more paper binders.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1801\" data-end=\"1892\">\n<p data-start=\"1803\" data-end=\"1892\"><strong data-start=\"1803\" data-end=\"1831\">Recurring training plans<\/strong> (monthly, quarterly) to keep compliance active year-round.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1893\" data-end=\"1973\">\n<p data-start=\"1895\" data-end=\"1973\"><strong data-start=\"1895\" data-end=\"1937\">Built-in surveys and instant reporting<\/strong> so leaders see gaps in real time.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1974\" data-end=\"2083\">\n<p data-start=\"1976\" data-end=\"2083\"><strong data-start=\"1976\" data-end=\"2042\">Training materials that cover <a href=\"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/the-joint-commission-training\/\">all five key compliance segments<\/a><\/strong> tied to Joint Commission requirements.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2085\" data-end=\"2214\">By digitizing compliance and training, you cut down on manual work, reduce errors, and ensure your team is always survey-ready.<\/p>\n<h4 data-start=\"2221\" data-end=\"2261\"><strong data-start=\"2226\" data-end=\"2259\">Get Ahead of the 2026 Changes<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"2262\" data-end=\"2488\">The 2026 standards shift isn\u2019t just a rewrite\u2014it\u2019s a push toward <strong data-start=\"2327\" data-end=\"2401\">better data, continuous training, and stronger leadership involvement.<\/strong> Hospitals that act early with the right tools will navigate the transition smoothly.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2490\" data-end=\"2664\">\ud83d\udc49 <strong data-start=\"2493\" data-end=\"2567\"><a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/free-demo\/\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"2495\" data-end=\"2565\">Book a quick demo today<\/a><\/strong> and see how emPower LMS can help your team stay ready for Joint Commission surveys year-round.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Starting January 1, 2026, the Joint Commission will roll out major updates to its standards. These changes aim to make compliance simpler but also bring new challenges for hospitals and behavioral health organizations. What\u2019s Changing? The number of standards will drop from about 1,551 to 774, cutting duplication. Many Elements of Performance (EPs) are being [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4432,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[70,366],"class_list":["post-4431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-joint-commission","tag-joint-commission","tag-tjc2026"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4431"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4431\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4433,"href":"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4431\/revisions\/4433"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.empowerelearning.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}