As we enter the New Year, it’s a good time to get a refresher on the overall reaccreditation process and specifically -- Survey Windows and Blackout Dates.

Your Survey Window
All applications for reaccreditation must be submitted six months prior to your expiration date. Therefore, if your accreditation cycle ends in June 2020, you should have already applied for renewal by now!

The process is easy. Simply complete your online  renewal application, along with the appropriate fees through your MY ABC account. Once we have received and approved your application, we will schedule your estimated survey window and assign a surveyor to conduct your survey. Once the surveyor and dates have been determined, you will receive an email from us detailing all of this important information.

All facilities are given a four-week survey window during which their survey could occur. The purpose of the survey is to ensure that your facility is still in compliance with the standards, so you should be prepared and anticipate an unannounced visit during this time frame. On occasion, surveyors will need to adjust their schedules. If this occurs, your facility will receive a new four-week window for your survey.

Blackout Dates: When to ask for them and when not to
We receive many requests for blackout dates during a facility’s survey window and unfortunately, we end up having to issue an automatic denial for these requests. We do not allow blackout dates during your survey window and there are absolutely no exceptions.

You may submit blackout dates outside of your four-week survey window by the deadline indicated in your ‘Application Received’ email. This email, along with all other correspondence related to your accreditation, is sent to the primary email address on file for your facility. Please ensure that the email address listed on your facility’s MY ABC account is current, along with any other pertinent information, such as your affiliates’ addresses and phone numbers. You can easily update your information online through your facility’s MY ABC account.

If you have any questions about the reaccreditation process, please contact us at accreditation@abcop.org or 703-836-7114. We are here to help you through every step of the process!