Healthcare accreditation, compliance and program development consulting, led by the former COO and General Counsel of URAC
Last updated: October 2026
Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS) is a healthcare consulting firm that helps organizations earn accreditation, stay compliant with regulators and payers, and build new programs.
IHS was founded in 2002 by Thomas G. Goddard, JD, PhD, former Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of URAC. It works in three practice lines: Accreditation Consulting, Compliance Services and Program Development. Its clients are organizations held to accreditor, payer or regulatory standards. IHS drafts the program, policies and clinical content for your clinicians to review and approve. Your organization's named contact submits to any accreditor or regulator.
What does IHS do?
IHS work falls into three practice lines, and many clients use more than one.
1. Accreditation Consulting
Accreditation Consulting takes an organization through a third-party accrediting body's process, whether initial, re-accreditation or several bodies at once. The Accreditation Consulting hub lists every accreditor.
- URAC Health Plan Accreditation Consulting
- NCQA Health Plan Accreditation Consulting
- URAC PBM Accreditation Consulting
- URAC Case Management & Utilization Management
- NCQA Health Equity Accreditation
- URAC Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation
- NABP Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation
- Pharmacy Compounding Compliance (USP 795/797/800)
- URAC Mail Service Pharmacy Accreditation
- ACHC Pharmacy Accreditation
- Joint Commission Pharmacy Accreditation
- DMEPOS Supplier Accreditation
- NDAC Dialysis Accreditation
- CARF Behavioral Health Accreditation
- FACT Cellular Therapy Accreditation
- NCCHC Correctional Health Accreditation
- AAHRPP IRB & Human Research Protection
- Home Health & Hospice Accreditation
- DNV GL ISO 9001 Healthcare Accreditation
- FQHC Site Visit Preparation
- URAC Telehealth Accreditation
- Security Compliance Foundations (HITRUST)
2. Compliance Services
Compliance Services covers regulatory work outside an accreditation cycle: ongoing monitoring, state and federal mandate response, HIPAA and cybersecurity, and regulatory change management. The Compliance Services hub lists the service lines.
- 340B Program Compliance & Audit Preparation
- NYSDOH CLEP / Laboratory-Developed Tests Compliance
- Remote Patient Monitoring Compliance
- Healthcare Cybersecurity Compliance (HIPAA, HITRUST program support)
3. Program Development and Standards Development
Program Development builds programs and standards from the ground up: the policies, procedures, quality management systems and program architecture a client needs before it pursues accreditation or opens a new line of business. The Program Development hub lists the builds.
- NCQA CVO Design & Certification Consulting
- Credentialing Program Design & Build-Out
- Healthcare Compliance Program Development (OIG 7 Elements)
- Certificate of Need (CON) Application Consulting
- AI Governance Program Development
- Regulatory Readiness & Gap Assessment
Who do we work with?
IHS clients fall into three buyer profiles, and many fit more than one.
- Accreditation seekers pursue initial or re-accreditation for payer contracts, state licensure or a survey cycle. They start with Accreditation Consulting.
- Compliance operators run their programs and need ongoing regulatory support or help with a specific regulatory event. They start with Compliance Services.
- Program builders enter a new line of business or build a function from zero. They start with Program Development.
IHS works with:
- Health plans and PBMs
- Specialty, mail and community pharmacies
- Health centers and primary care associations
- Remote monitoring organizations
- Behavioral health organizations
- Correctional health programs
- UM, IRO and IME organizations
- Credentialing organizations
- Network dispute-resolution entities
- Government health networks
NCQA accreditation and recognition engagements are led by Maureen Plumstead.
Which accreditors does IHS work with?
IHS works across URAC, NCQA, NABP, ACHC, CARF, FACT, DNV, NCCHC, AAHRPP, 340B and more. Since 2002, IHS has taken healthcare organizations through accreditation, compliance and program development work. IHS covers Joint Commission Home Care pharmacy accreditation, Health Care Staffing Services certification and HITRUST program foundations alongside your licensed firm, so organizations that need several programs can keep documentation consistent. Start at the Accreditation Consulting hub, or use the program finder.
How does an engagement work?
Every IHS engagement begins with a complimentary discovery call with Dr. Goddard. The call produces a fixed-fee proposal for your situation. Fees are set from organizational complexity, documentation maturity and timeline, not pulled from a price list. The work then runs in five steps:
- Gap assessment. A Standard-by-Standard Review of your policies and operations against the governing standards.
- Document and evidence mapping. Each requirement is tied to the record that shows it.
- Drafting. IHS drafts the program, policies and clinical content for your clinicians to review and approve.
- Mock review. Gaps surface against the governing text before the real review.
- Readiness support. IHS prepares your team. Your organization's named contact submits.
See how IHS works and Starfinch.
Who leads IHS?
Led by senior practitioners
Dr. Goddard personally leads IHS's URAC and program-development engagements. Maureen Plumstead leads NCQA accreditation work.
Dr. Goddard was URAC's Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel before founding IHS in 2002. That inside knowledge of how accreditation programs are built now serves IHS clients across the accrediting bodies. See the IHS team page and the company history.
Dr. Goddard also holds a Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology from George Mason University, the basis of IHS's Leadership & Organizational Development (I/O Psychology) work.
What this is not
- IHS is not an accrediting body. It does not grant accreditation or influence an accreditation decision.
- IHS is a consulting firm, not a law firm, and this site is not legal advice.
- Your organization is the only party that communicates with an accreditor or regulator. IHS drafts, and your organization's named contact submits.
- IHS does not guarantee an accreditation outcome. The accrediting body decides.
Frequently asked questions
Who is IHS a fit for?
IHS fits organizations that must meet accreditor, payer or regulatory standards and want the program, policies and evidence drafted for their clinicians to approve. It is not the right fit if you want someone else to deal with the accreditor, or a guaranteed outcome.
Which accreditors and programs does IHS support?
IHS supports URAC, NCQA, NABP, ACHC, CARF, FACT, DNV, NCCHC and AAHRPP programs, Joint Commission Home Care pharmacy accreditation, Health Care Staffing Services certification, and HITRUST program foundations alongside your licensed firm.
How much does IHS cost?
A project has three cost parts: accreditor or agency fees, which each body sets, consulting fees, and your own staff time. IHS sets a fixed fee for each engagement after a free discovery session, because scope, number of sites and gap severity change the work. Verify current accreditor fees with the accrediting body.
Who communicates with the accreditor, IHS or my organization?
Your organization does. IHS drafts, and your organization's named contact sends it under their own name.
How does an engagement start?
It starts with a complimentary discovery call with Dr. Goddard, which produces a fixed-fee proposal scoped to your situation.
Who leads my engagement?
Dr. Goddard personally leads IHS's URAC and program-development engagements. Maureen Plumstead leads NCQA accreditation work.
Ready to start?
Or browse the complete Services catalog, meet the IHS team, read our company history, or learn why organizations hire healthcare consultants.