ACC Transcatheter Valve Certification is the American College of Cardiology's certification for structural heart programs that perform transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER). This page is for structural heart program administrators who are launching a program or pursuing the ACC route or a related Joint Commission route. Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS) documents your structural heart team's governance and certification evidence; your heart team owns clinical decisions.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
What is ACC Transcatheter Valve Certification?
ACC states that "Transcatheter Valve Certification provides a framework for standardizing patient selection, reducing clinical variation, strengthening multidisciplinary team collaboration, optimizing procedural care and using data to drive continuous quality improvement" in structural heart programs. It names two procedure types: "Transcatheter valve aortic replacement procedures (TAVR)" and "Mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) procedures" (ACC, Transcatheter Valve Certification). ACC also states that "Every facility is paired with an Accreditation Review Specialist (ARS) who serves as a dedicated partner throughout your accreditation process."
The governing text is the "ACCF Accreditation Services® Program Requirements," REV 5.1, posted 03/16/2026, which covers all ACCF programs including Transcatheter Valve ("TCV") Certification (ACCF Program Requirements, REV 5.1). The TCV clinical criteria themselves sit in ACC's application and Agreement, which are not public and are not quoted on this page.
Two other texts shape the same work. The Joint Commission's cardiac certification page lists Outcomes-Driven Certification in Cardiac Surgeries and Procedures (ODC-CC) and, in future tense, says it "will be the first of its kind to assess outcomes across a broad group of common cardiac surgeries and procedures, including emerging procedures like transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), which allows for limited standard-based surveys, depending on performance" (Joint Commission, cardiac certification). The page does not state a launch date or eligibility, so your organization confirms with the Joint Commission whether it is open to applicants before treating it as a route. And for Medicare coverage, CMS National Coverage Determination 20.32, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), Version 2, effective June 21, 2019, sets conditions for hospitals and heart teams (CMS NCD 20.32). The NCD is a coverage rule, not a certification.
Who needs it and what triggers it
The buyers are structural heart program administrators. The triggers in the sources:
- Launching a TAVR program. NCD 20.32 sets thresholds for hospitals without TAVR experience, including "≥ 50 open heart surgeries in the previous year prior to TAVR program initiation" and "≥ 300 percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) per year" (CMS NCD 20.32).
- Organizing the heart team. Under the NCD, "The patient (preoperatively and postoperatively) is under the care of a heart team: a cohesive, multi-disciplinary, team of medical professionals" (CMS NCD 20.32).
- Choosing a certification route: ACC Transcatheter Valve Certification, or the Joint Commission's outcomes-driven cardiac certification, which names TAVR among its procedures (Joint Commission).
- An anniversary date. ACC states that "Certification is granted for three (3) years" and that "it is strongly recommended that the Facility submit its application for re-Certification no later than (six) 6 months before its Anniversary Date" (ACCF Program Requirements, REV 5.1).
How IHS helps
Your organization chooses the route. IHS then works through it with your heart team:
- A gap assessment against the chosen route, using questionnaires on heart-team governance, referral, case review and follow-up.
- Document and evidence mapping: a crosswalk from each requirement to the record that shows you meet it.
- Drafting: heart-team governance documents, referral and case-review records, and follow-up responsibilities, for your heart team to review and approve.
- A mock review against the requirements before the site review.
- Readiness support, including drafted responses to review findings for your team to review and submit.
What you supply: the requirements and application materials, registry data, case reviews and your heart team's clinical decisions.
The limit: valve procedure decisions and registry reporting are clinical and stay with your team. IHS does not make or review clinical decisions, does not report to registries, and does not submit anything to ACC or The Joint Commission. IHS markets its process here; this page does not describe past ACC engagements.
What to have ready
These are the items to gather first, each tied to the text that asks for it.
- Registry participation: "The Facility must demonstrate active participation in the collaborative registry between the Society of Thoracic Surgeons ("STS") and the American College of Cardiology Foundation ("ACCF") for Transcatheter Valve Treatments ("TVT") known as the STS/ACC TVT Registry™, through an active TVT Registry Participation Agreement" (ACCF Program Requirements, REV 5.1).
- Surgical database participation: "The Facility must participate in the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database ("ACSD")" (ACCF Program Requirements, REV 5.1).
- Capacity to complete the Baseline Gap Analysis on time: "Submission of the BGA is expected within sixty (60) days of receiving access to the tool" (ACCF Program Requirements, REV 5.1).
- A plan to file within ACC's window: "Submission of the Application is expected within twelve (12) months of receiving access to the online tool" (ACCF Program Requirements, REV 5.1).
- A budget line for site-review travel: "The Facility is responsible for all travel costs for up to two (2) ACCF staff members for each Site Review to be conducted onsite at the Facility" (ACCF Program Requirements, REV 5.1).
- A named heart team, since NCD 20.32 requires care by "a cohesive, multi-disciplinary, team of medical professionals" (CMS NCD 20.32).
- For a new TAVR program, the full set of NCD hospital conditions: at least 50 open heart surgeries in the prior year, at least 20 aortic valve related procedures in the 2 years before initiation, at least 2 physicians with cardiac surgery privileges, at least 1 with interventional cardiology privileges, and at least 300 PCIs per year, plus the NCD's separate heart team qualifications (CMS NCD 20.32).
- Registry participation that meets the NCD: a "prospective, national, audited registry that: 1) consecutively enrolls TAVR patients; 2) accepts all manufactured devices; 3) follows the patient for at least one year" (CMS NCD 20.32).
- For the Joint Commission route, outcome data by measure type, since ODC-CC "evaluates hospitals based on clinical outcomes, using a set of surgery- and procedure-specific composite measures, readmission rates, and patient experience (HCAHPS)" (Joint Commission).
If most of this is in place, the introductory call is the place to start.
How it compares
| Option | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| ACC Transcatheter Valve Certification | Covers TAVR and TEER; requires TVT Registry and STS ACSD participation; Baseline Gap Analysis within 60 days and application within 12 months of tool access; granted for three years (ACC; ACCF Program Requirements, REV 5.1). |
| Joint Commission Outcomes-Driven Certification in Cardiac Surgeries and Procedures | Names TAVR among its procedures; evaluates clinical outcomes through procedure-specific composite measures, readmission rates and HCAHPS; allows limited standard-based surveys depending on performance (Joint Commission). The Joint Commission's cardiac certification page does not state a launch date or eligibility, so your organization confirms with the Joint Commission whether it is open to applicants before treating it as a route. |
| Joint Commission Comprehensive Cardiac Center | For hospitals that "deliver care for every touch point and for every cardiovascular disorder in the cardiac care continuum" (Joint Commission). |
| No certification | Meet the NCD 20.32 coverage conditions and registry participation only. IHS's reading, October 2026: the NCD conditions govern Medicare coverage, and the NCD text we quote does not require certification (CMS NCD 20.32). |
Each option is run by a different body with its own requirements. This page does not recommend one over another.
What it costs
The cost has outside parts set by the certifying body, your own staff time, and any consulting support you choose. ACC publishes its fee terms but not the annual fee amount. The Program Requirements state: "The Facility is required to pay an annual fee for each Accreditation Program" and "The annual fee is non-refundable." The facility also pays travel for up to two ACCF staff per site review. And: "A Criteria Deficient fee of up to five thousand US Dollars (USD$5,000.00) may be assessed if the Facility fails to meet the Accreditation requirements at the time of the Site Review" (ACCF Program Requirements, REV 5.1). Verify current fees with ACC.
The Joint Commission does not publish a fee schedule on the pages we reviewed; fees depend on scope.
IHS scopes each engagement after a free introductory call.
What this is not
- IHS is not a certifying body and does not grant, influence or predict a decision by ACC or The Joint Commission.
- IHS does not submit applications, registry data or responses to ACC, The Joint Commission or CMS, or correspond with them on your behalf. IHS drafts; your organization submits.
- This page is not clinical, legal or coverage advice. Patient selection and valve procedure decisions belong to your heart team.
Frequently asked questions
What is ACC Transcatheter Valve Certification and which procedures does it cover?
It is ACC's certification framework for structural heart programs, aimed at standardizing patient selection, reducing clinical variation, strengthening multidisciplinary team collaboration, optimizing procedural care and using data for quality improvement. ACC names two procedure types: transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER).
Does ACC certification cover TEER as well as TAVR?
Yes. ACC's Transcatheter Valve Certification page names both TAVR procedures and mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) procedures.
Do we need TVT Registry participation before we can apply for ACC transcatheter valve certification?
ACC's Program Requirements, REV 5.1, state that the facility must demonstrate active participation in the STS/ACC TVT Registry through an active TVT Registry Participation Agreement, and must participate in the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database. The requirement quoted does not state at which step ACC checks it; the application materials govern the timing.
What does Medicare require of a hospital and heart team to be covered for TAVR?
CMS NCD 20.32 requires that the patient be under the care of a heart team before and after the procedure. A hospital without TAVR experience needs at least 50 open heart surgeries in the year before program initiation and at least 300 PCIs per year, among other conditions. The heart team and hospital must also participate in a prospective, national, audited registry that consecutively enrolls TAVR patients, accepts all manufactured devices and follows the patient for at least one year.
How is ACC Transcatheter Valve Certification different from the Joint Commission's outcomes-driven cardiac surgery and procedures certification?
ACC's certification is specific to TAVR and TEER programs and runs on the ACCF Program Requirements, with registry participation and a three-year term. The Joint Commission's ODC-CC assesses outcomes across a broad group of cardiac surgeries and procedures, including TAVR, using composite measures, readmission rates and HCAHPS, and allows limited standard-based surveys depending on performance. The Joint Commission's cardiac certification page does not state a launch date or eligibility, so your organization confirms with the Joint Commission whether it is open to applicants before treating it as a route.
How long does ACC transcatheter valve certification take from start to award?
ACC expects the Baseline Gap Analysis within 60 days of receiving tool access and the application within 12 months. The sources we reviewed do not state the time from application to award.
What is the Baseline Gap Analysis in the ACC certification process?
The Program Requirements define the BGA as the Baseline Gap Analysis, completed in ACC's online tool. Submission is expected within 60 days of receiving access to the tool.
How long does the certification last and when should we apply for re-certification?
ACC states that certification is granted for three years. ACC strongly recommends submitting the re-certification application no later than six months before the anniversary date.
What does ACC certification cost, and what happens if we fail criteria at the site review?
ACC charges a non-refundable annual fee per program but does not publish the amount, and the facility pays travel for up to two ACCF staff per site review. A Criteria Deficient fee of up to USD $5,000 may be assessed if the facility fails to meet the requirements at the site review. Verify current fees with ACC.
What heart team governance documents and case-review records do reviewers expect?
ACC's TCV clinical criteria sit in its application and Agreement, which are not public, so this page does not list them. NCD 20.32 requires a cohesive, multidisciplinary heart team. IHS drafts heart-team governance documents, referral and case-review records and follow-up responsibilities for your heart team to approve.