Dr. M Blatstein's Blog, Medical, Preparation

Accreditation Status of BOP Federal Medical Centers (FMC’s): Accredited vs. Non-Accredited Facilities.

FMC houses both violent and non-violent offenders.

Do not request placement in an FMC unless absolutely necessary; even then, staff and supply shortages may still hinder access to care.

These are the BOP version of hospital care, but are not what you’re used to.

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Federal Medical Center (FMC) Rochester in Minnesota is accredited by the American Correctional Association (ACA), and its medical and mental health units are accredited by The Joint Commission under Behavioral Health, Nursing Care Center, and Ambulatory Care standards. [1, 2]

Accreditation Details

  • American Correctional Association (ACA): Accredited overall as a federal correctional institution providing comprehensive inmate care. [1]
  • The Joint Commission: Accredits specific clinical care areas:
  • Behavioral Health standards
  • Nursing Care Center standards
  • Ambulatory Care standards [1]
  • Facility Focus: Functions as an administrative security federal medical center holding male inmates who need long-term or specialized medical and mental health care. [1,]

The Butner Federal Medical Center has faced scrutiny over lapsed external healthcare certifications. [1,]

Accreditation Status

  • Lapsed Certifications: Investigations, including reports by NPR, found that independent hospital-style medical accreditation for Bureau of Prisons facilities lapsed around 2021. [ 2]
  • Official Stance: The BOP maintains that it follows internal correctional and health standards comparable to independent hospitals, though outside accreditation has been a point of public and legal concern. [1]
  • Institutional Context: Historically, the facility has noted oversight and credentials from bodies like the American Correctional Association (ACA) for institutional operations, while broader independent medical certifications faced interruptions. [1, 2]

Federal Medical Center (FMC) Lexington is accredited by The Joint Commission under long-term care and ambulatory care standards and by the American Correctional Association (ACA). [1]

Accreditation Details

  • The Joint Commission: Accredited for meeting national healthcare quality and safety standards in long-term care and ambulatory care.
  • American Correctional Association (ACA): Accredited for meeting professional correctional facility standards. [1]

(FMC) Devens maintains distinct healthcare and educational accreditations to support its specialized mission as an administrative-security medical center: [1, 2]

  • Healthcare Services: FMC Devens is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). It holds this accreditation across three core healthcare areas: ambulatory care, long-term care, and behavioral health. [1]
  • Mental Health Programming: The institution’s predoctoral psychology internship program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). [1]
  • A Note on Correctional Standards:
    • While individual Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities historically met the standard requirements of the American Correctional Association (ACA), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) ended its agency-wide contract with the ACA. The FBOP now utilizes direct oversight metrics (?) and independent, unannounced Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) inspections to evaluate safe confinement conditions. [1, 2, 3]

Federal Medical Center, Carswell (FMC Carswell) in Fort Worth, Texas, no longer holds independent healthcare accreditation from The Joint Commission. 

Accreditation Status Details

  • Lapsed Accreditation: FMC Carswell’s contract with The Joint Commission—which traditionally evaluates and accredits health care organizations—expired in October 2020, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) did not renew it.
  • Current Standing: The facility operates without independent external healthcare monitoring or certification for its specialized medical units, including its inpatient dialysis program. 
  • Oversight Issues: Investigations by media outlets and government watchdogs have noted that outside public documentation or clinical monitoring of medical care inside the facility remains limited.

Federal Medical Center, Fort Worth (FMC Fort Worth) maintains professional accreditation for its specialized training programs, notably holding full accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA) for its doctoral psychology internship program. [1, 2]

Facility Overview

  • Type: Administrative-security federal prison and medical facility for male inmates requiring specialized, ongoing medical or mental health care.
  • Location: 3150 Horton Road, Fort Worth, TX 76119.
  • Operations: Operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). [1, 3, 4]

Federal Prisoners (MCFP Springfield) is a Care Level 4 federal prison hospital located in Springfield, Missouri. [1, 2]

The institution holds medical and correctional credentials from several major national bodies: [1]

  • The Joint Commission: Accredited as a hospital facility, ensuring it meets comprehensive national healthcare quality and safety standards. [1]
  • American Correctional Association (ACA): Holds full accreditation for adherence to strict operational and safety standards for correctional facilities. [1]
  • College of American Pathologists (CAP): Accredited for its laboratory facilities and diagnostic precision. [1]
  • American Psychological Association (APA): Accredited for its mental health and psychiatric treatment programs. [1]

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The following organizations survey and accredit hospitals and healthcare organizations in the US

Medicare and Medicaid deeming

A number have deeming power for Medicare and Medicaid.

  • American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF)
  • Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC)
  • Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC)
  • American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics (ABC)
  • Board of Certification/Accreditation, International (BOC)
  • Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ)
  • Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)
  • Community Health Accreditation Program(CHAP)
  • DNV GL Healthcare
  • Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT)
  • Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA)[5]
  • Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP)
  • Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation (HQAA)
  • Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ)
  • Joint Commission (TJC)
  • National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
  • National Dialysis Accreditation Commission (NDAC)
  • The Compliance Team, “Exemplary Provider Programs”
  • The Intersocietal Accreditation Commission(IAC)
  • Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC)

Education accreditation

Birth Centers

  • The Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers

Emergency Medicine

  • National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT)

Medicine

  • Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
  • Federation of State Medical Boards
  • National Board of Medical Examiners

Nursing

  • National Council of State Boards of Nursing

College of Nursing accreditation

  • American Association of Colleges of Nursing
  • Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
  • National League for Nursing

Advanced practice nursing college accreditation

  • American College of Nurse-Midwives
  • Council of Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs

Respiratory care

College of respiratory care accreditation

  • Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care

Non-governmental credentialing bodies

  • National Board for Respiratory Care

Surgery

  • Association of Surgical Technologists
  • Surgical Review Corporation

Therapeutics

  • American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
  • American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
  • National Board of Certified Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)

References

  1. “American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics”. abcop.org. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  2. “AAAASF”. Archived from the original on July 6, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  3. “Approval of the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality’s (CIHQ) Hospital Accreditation Program”. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  4. “Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy”. www.factwebsite.org. Archived from the original on September 13, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  5. “GHA For Business”. www.globalhealthcareaccreditation.com. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  6. “Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Approval of an Application From National Dialysis Accreditation Commission for CMS Approval of Its End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Facility Accreditation Program”. Federal Register. February 5, 2019. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  7. “Archived copy”. Archived from the original on September 1, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  8. APTAAdmin. “Home”. American Public Transportation Association. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  9. “NBCOT Home Page”. www.nbcot.org. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.