The ASGE Endoscopy Unit Recognition Program (EURP) is the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy's recognition of GI endoscopy units that meet its quality and safety requirements, and it earns the unit three years of honoree status and the ASGE Quality Star. This page is for endoscopy unit administrators preparing a first application or a renewal. Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS) organizes the policies, education records and quality evidence for ASGE recognition; your endoscopists and infection preventionist own the clinical content.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
What is the ASGE Endoscopy Unit Recognition Program?
ASGE describes it as "the only program of its kind honoring GI endoscopy units that have demonstrated this commitment" (ASGE, EURP); that is ASGE's own description. "Successful applicants to the program earn EURP honoree status for three years, which is renewable with reapplication, and the right to display the ASGE Quality Star through the facility's promotional materials" (same page).
The governing text is the ASGE EURP application, marked "Application and criteria effective January 1, 2026" (ASGE EURP application). It sets six program requirements, which ASGE lists as follows (ASGE, EURP application journey):
- "Proof of Accreditation Provide proof of current accreditation by a recognized accrediting body."
- "Guideline Adoption Attest that specific quality and safety guidelines have been adopted as unit policy."
- "ASGE Membership A designated portion of unit endoscopists must hold ASGE membership."
- "Staff Competency Attest staff have been trained and assessed as competent in infection control."
- "ASGE Quality Course At least one unit representative must complete an ASGE Quality Course."
- "Quality Policy Assessment Submit required documentation of adoption of continuous quality improvement practices."
The application states that "The Medical Director of the endoscopy unit must attest to having adopted the following ASGE clinical guidelines and the CDC guideline on infection control as unit policy" (ASGE EURP application). The list covers ASGE guidelines on antibiotic prophylaxis, infection control, privileging, credentialing and proctoring, unit safety, sedation and anesthesia, and antithrombotic management; the multisociety guideline on reprocessing flexible GI endoscopes; and the CDC "Guideline for Isolation Precautions ... 2007."
There are three application pathways: ambulatory surgery center, hospital outpatient department or office; hospital, which includes a VA hospital pathway; and international. ASGE defines the first two by screening volume: "The Ambulatory Surgery Center/Hospital Outpatient Department/Office application pathway is for settings that provide endoscopic services in the United States that have ≥ 5% of colonoscopy volume being colorectal cancer screening procedures. The Hospital application pathway is only for hospital-based units in the United States with ≤ 5% of colonoscopy volume being colorectal cancer screening procedures" (ASGE, EURP application journey).
Who needs it and what triggers it
ASGE states that "GI endoscopy units of any practice setting based in the United States and around the globe are welcome to apply" (ASGE, EURP application journey). The work usually starts with one of these events:
- A decision to apply. ASGE states: "All program requirements must be met before application submission. This may require your unit to update policies, introduce new workflows, or otherwise before application submission can be made" (ASGE, How to apply).
- Paying the application fee. "Units have one year from the time the application fee is paid to meet all requirements" (ASGE EURP application).
- A first-time application. "First-time applicants must take the course Improving Quality and Safety in Your Endoscopy Unit" (ASGE, How to apply).
- Renewal. Honoree status lasts three years and is "renewable with reapplication" (ASGE, EURP).
How IHS helps
IHS works from the EURP application and the guidelines it names. The process:
- Prerequisite check. IHS checks the unit against the application's prerequisites: current accreditation, the ASGE membership threshold, the Quality Course and guideline adoption.
- Questionnaires and evidence mapping. IHS sends questionnaires on guideline adoption, staff education and quality review, then builds a crosswalk from each application item to its evidence and the person who owns it.
- Drafting. IHS drafts unit policies and quality-review procedures, and education and competency-record templates. Reprocessing, sedation and other procedural content is drafted for your endoscopists and infection preventionist to approve.
- Application review. IHS reviews the assembled application against the requirements before the unit submits it, and lists what is missing or thin.
What you supply: program documents, education records, quality data, your accreditation evidence, and your endoscopists and infection prevention staff. Your medical director signs the attestations.
The limit: scope reprocessing validation and procedural quality are clinical and technical matters. IHS documents them; it does not judge them. IHS describes its process here and does not claim prior EURP engagements. Your unit applies to, submits to and corresponds with ASGE; IHS drafts, and you submit.
What to have ready
Each item below ties to the EURP application ("Application and criteria effective January 1, 2026") or to ASGE's EURP pages, read October 2026.
- "Proof of current accreditation by a recognized accrediting body" (ASGE, EURP application journey).
- A count of unit endoscopists who hold ASGE membership, since "At least 50% of unit endoscopists must be ASGE members to apply to the program" (ASGE EURP application).
- Your colorectal cancer screening share of colonoscopy volume, which ASGE uses to define the pathways (ASGE, EURP application journey). The text gives the ASC/HOPD/Office pathway for settings at 5% or more and the Hospital pathway for hospital-based units at 5% or less, so a hospital-based unit at exactly 5% fits both; ask ASGE which applies. IHS drafts the question; your unit sends it.
- Unit policies that adopt each ASGE guideline and the CDC infection control guideline named in the application, ready for the medical director's attestation (ASGE EURP application).
- A written description of "how the unit trains and assesses competency of staff for endoscope reprocessing, sterile medication ..." (same document).
- Training and competency records showing staff "have been trained and assessed as competent in infection control" (ASGE, EURP application journey).
- Proof that at least one unit representative has completed the ASGE Quality Course; first-time applicants take "Improving Quality and Safety in Your Endoscopy Unit" (ASGE, How to apply).
- Documentation "of adoption of continuous quality improvement practices" for the Quality Policy Assessment (ASGE, EURP application journey).
- The sequence ASGE's application states: the fee "is processed once the unit is confirmed to have met the ASGE Membership Requirement," and the unit then has "one year from the time the application fee is paid to meet all requirements" (ASGE EURP application). ASGE's how-to-apply page also says "All program requirements must be met before application submission" (ASGE, How to apply). Plan the membership threshold first, the fee second, and everything else inside the year.
The introductory call is the place to walk through this list against your own unit.
How it compares
| Route | What it is | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| EURP recognition | Three-year honoree status and the ASGE Quality Star, for units that meet the six program requirements | ASGE, EURP |
| Facility accreditation alone | Accreditation by a recognized accrediting body. EURP requires it as a prerequisite, so it is the base layer, not a substitute | ASGE, EURP application journey |
| GIQuIC registry participation | A quality registry; the EURP application gives participating units a lower application fee | ASGE EURP application |
| No recognition | The unit keeps its accreditation and runs quality work without applying to ASGE | None |
The table describes scope only. Which route fits depends on your unit's goals.
What it costs
The cost has three parts: ASGE's application fee, which ASGE publishes; ASGE membership dues and the Quality Course, which are priced separately and were not on the pages we reviewed; and the cost of preparation, which depends on your gaps. ASGE's standard application fees, from the application "effective January 1, 2026" and read October 2, 2026, are below. These are ASGE's fees, not IHS fees.
| ASGE application fee | 50% to 99% ASGE membership | 100% ASGE membership |
|---|---|---|
| Primary or single unit | $950 | $700 |
| Each additional unit | $475 | $350 |
| Primary or single unit, with GIQuIC discount | $800 | $550 |
| Each additional unit, with GIQuIC discount | $400 | $275 |
Source: ASGE EURP application. "The application fee is nonrefundable." ASGE's pages for the low screening volume hospital, VA hospital and international pathways were not reviewed, and fees there may differ. Verify current fees with ASGE before budgeting.
IHS scopes each engagement after a free introductory call.
What this is not
- IHS is not ASGE and does not grant, predict or influence a recognition decision.
- IHS does not apply to, submit to or correspond with ASGE for your unit. Your unit does, and your medical director signs the attestations.
- IHS does not validate reprocessing or judge procedural quality, and this page is not clinical advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ASGE Endoscopy Unit Recognition Program, and what does the Quality Star mean?
EURP is ASGE's recognition program for GI endoscopy units. Successful applicants "earn EURP honoree status for three years, which is renewable with reapplication, and the right to display the ASGE Quality Star through the facility's promotional materials" (ASGE).
Which endoscopy units are eligible for EURP?
ASGE states that "GI endoscopy units of any practice setting based in the United States and around the globe are welcome to apply" (ASGE). The ASC, hospital outpatient department and office pathway is for US units where at least 5% of colonoscopy volume is colorectal cancer screening; the hospital pathway is for US hospital-based units at or below 5%. A hospital-based unit at exactly 5% fits both definitions, so ask ASGE which applies. There is also an international pathway.
Does an endoscopy unit need Joint Commission or AAAHC accreditation before applying to EURP?
EURP requires "proof of current accreditation by a recognized accrediting body" (ASGE). The ASGE pages we reviewed do not name which accrediting bodies qualify, so confirm yours against ASGE's application materials.
Which guidelines must the medical director attest the unit has adopted?
The application lists ASGE guidelines on antibiotic prophylaxis, infection control, privileging, credentialing and proctoring, unit safety, sedation and anesthesia, and antithrombotic management; the multisociety guideline on reprocessing flexible GI endoscopes; and the CDC "Guideline for Isolation Precautions ... 2007" (ASGE EURP application). The medical director attests that each has been adopted as unit policy.
How much does EURP cost, and how do ASGE membership and GIQuIC participation change the fee?
For a primary or single unit, the standard 2026 application fee is $950 with 50% to 99% ASGE membership and $700 with 100%. With the GIQuIC discount it is $800 or $550 (ASGE EURP application). The fee is nonrefundable; verify current fees with ASGE.
How long does EURP review take after the application is submitted?
ASGE states that "The review and approval process for applications received without any outstanding materials is one to three months." A complete application "is sent for review by a physician member of the ASGE Quality Assurance in Endoscopy Committee" and then recommended "to the ASGE Governing Board for final approval" (ASGE).
What quality improvement documentation does the EURP application ask for?
The Quality Policy Assessment requirement is to "Submit required documentation of adoption of continuous quality improvement practices" (ASGE). IHS drafts the quality-review procedures and maps them to that requirement.
How should a unit document reprocessing competency and infection control training for EURP?
The application asks the unit to "Describe how the unit trains and assesses competency of staff for endoscope reprocessing, sterile medication ..." (ASGE EURP application), and the Staff Competency requirement is an attestation that staff "have been trained and assessed as competent in infection control" (ASGE). Your infection preventionist approves the content; IHS builds the record templates.
Who has to take the Improving Quality and Safety in Your Endoscopy Unit course?
"First-time applicants must take the course Improving Quality and Safety in Your Endoscopy Unit" (ASGE). The program requirement is that "At least one unit representative must complete an ASGE Quality Course" (ASGE).
How long does EURP honoree status last?
Three years, "renewable with reapplication" (ASGE).