Hyperbaric Facility Accreditation (HFA) is the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society's (UHMS) accreditation of hyperbaric medicine programs, granted after an on-site survey against the probes in the HFA Fifth Edition Accreditation Manual (two days for a Full or Reaccreditation survey; a Provisional survey "will almost always require a three-day site visit with one surveyor"). This page is for hospital and independent hyperbaric program managers preparing a first survey, a provisional survey or reaccreditation. Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS) builds the hyperbaric program's policy and records system for UHMS accreditation; your physicians, engineers and safety director own chamber safety and treatment.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
What is UHMS Hyperbaric Facility Accreditation?
The governing text is the Accreditation Manual for UHMS Hyperbaric Facility Accreditation, Fifth Edition (v5). UHMS states: "The UHMS Accreditation Manual is a comprehensive resource that guides hyperbaric facilities through every step of the accreditation process. ... The manual also includes the accreditation probes used to evaluate key aspects of hyperbaric facility operations" (UHMS, Accreditation for Hyperbaric Medicine). The Manual states: "There are currently 24 concentration areas included in the HFA Program probes" (UHMS HFA Fifth Edition Manual).
Surveyors look at the whole program. UHMS states: "Our surveyors evaluate the hyperbaric program as an integrated operation, examining governance and administration, clinical oversight, staff qualifications and competency, patient-care practices, quality management, emergency preparedness, safety, and the physical environment" (UHMS).
The Manual points to outside codes. For fire safety it states: "For day-to-day fire safety requirements and developing safety programs, the 2024 edition of NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code, Chapter 14, Hyperbaric Facilities, will be used as a primary reference" (UHMS HFA Fifth Edition Manual). For building construction the Manual says facilities "should comply with the 1999 edition (or earlier)" of NFPA 99, "unless they were operational before the 1999 edition was issued and the edition applied at the time," in which case "the survey team will try to recognize compliance with the earlier edition." It also references NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, ASME PVHO-1 and PVHO-2, and the UHMS Guidelines for Hyperbaric Facility Operations, 4th edition.
UHMS describes the program's standing with The Joint Commission this way: "The UHMS HFA program is the only hyperbaric-specific accreditation to be recognized by The Joint Commission as a Complementary Accrediting organization under the TJC's Cooperative Agreement Initiative" (UHMS). That is UHMS's own statement.
Who needs it and what triggers it
The buyer is a hospital-based or independent hyperbaric program. UHMS says the program "is accepted by numerous private insurers and regulatory organizations" (UHMS); whether a given payer requires it is in that payer's own terms. The work usually starts with one of these events:
- A first full survey. Full Accreditation is for an organization "not accredited by UHMS HFA" that "meets accreditation eligibility criteria, and has been providing services for more than 12 months prior to the onsite survey" (UHMS HFA Fifth Edition Manual).
- A new program that needs accreditation for reimbursement. Provisional Accreditation is "available for facilities that require third-party accreditation for reimbursement prior to the 12-month requirement." It "reflects one-year accreditation only. A full survey must be completed before the one-year mark to maintain accreditation" (same document).
- Reaccreditation. Accreditation is "valid for three years," or four years for "Accredit with distinction" (same document).
- A significant change. UHMS lists "Relocation or remodel of a facility," "Change in service offered" and "Change in key facility personnel," and states that "Failure to notify the UHMS may result in the loss of accreditation" (UHMS).
How IHS helps
IHS works from the Fifth Edition Manual and its probes. The process:
- Gap assessment. IHS reads the program's documents against the Manual's probes and writes down each gap with the probe it comes from.
- Questionnaires and evidence mapping. IHS sends questionnaires on staffing, physician supervision, safety roles and incident review, then builds a crosswalk from each probe to its evidence, including the Presurvey and the documents due 30 days before the survey.
- Drafting. IHS drafts a policy and records system covering staffing, safety responsibilities and incident review. Treatment protocols are drafted for your hyperbaric physicians to approve.
- Mock documentation review. Before the survey, IHS reviews the documentation against the probes as a surveyor would and lists what is missing or thin.
What you supply: the Manual, chamber and maintenance records, staff credentials, and your hyperbaric physicians, engineers and safety director.
The limit: chamber engineering, NFPA 99 fire safety and treatment decisions stay with your specialists. IHS documents the program; it does not inspect chambers or judge treatment. IHS describes its process here and does not claim prior UHMS engagements. Your facility applies to, is surveyed by and corresponds with UHMS; IHS drafts, and you submit.
What to have ready
Each item below ties to the UHMS HFA Fifth Edition Manual or to UHMS's accreditation page, read October 2026.
- Your copy of the Fifth Edition Manual, which "includes the accreditation probes used to evaluate key aspects of hyperbaric facility operations" (UHMS).
- A list of the 24 concentration areas in the HFA probes, each with an evidence owner (UHMS HFA Fifth Edition Manual).
- Your months of operation, since Full Accreditation requires "providing services for more than 12 months prior to the onsite survey," and Provisional Accreditation exists for facilities that need accreditation for reimbursement before then (same document).
- The Presurvey and the 10 documents due "30 days prior to the survey" for a Full Accreditation survey (same document).
- A fire safety program built on "the 2024 edition of NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code, Chapter 14, Hyperbaric Facilities" (same document).
- Chamber and maintenance records against ASME PVHO-1 and PVHO-2, which the Manual references (same document).
- Staff credentials and competency records, since surveyors examine "staff qualifications and competency" (UHMS).
- Quality management and emergency preparedness records, two of the areas surveyors examine (same page).
- A change-notice process for "Relocation or remodel of a facility," "Change in service offered" and "Change in key facility personnel" (same page).
The introductory call is the place to walk through this list against your own program.
How it compares
| Route | What it is | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| UHMS Full Accreditation | Two-day on-site survey for programs with more than 12 months of service; three-year accreditation, or four years with distinction | UHMS HFA Manual |
| UHMS Provisional Accreditation | One-year accreditation for facilities that require third-party accreditation for reimbursement before the 12-month mark; a full survey must follow within the year | UHMS HFA Manual |
| UHMS Consultation Survey | A survey type listed in the Manual's fee schedule with its own application and survey fees. The Manual states: "A Consulting Survey does not result in an accreditation decision." | UHMS HFA Manual |
| Joint Commission accreditation of the host hospital | We did not review a Joint Commission source for this row. UHMS states its HFA program is recognized by The Joint Commission as a Complementary Accrediting organization. Whether hospital accreditation alone covers a hyperbaric unit for a given payer is not stated on the pages we reviewed | UHMS |
The table describes scope only. Which route fits depends on your program's age, your payers and your host organization.
What it costs
The cost has two parts you can see in advance: UHMS's own fees, which UHMS publishes in the Manual's Accreditation Fee Schedule, and the cost of preparation, which depends on your gaps. UHMS's fees, read October 2, 2026, are below. These are UHMS's fees, not IHS fees.
| Survey type | Application fee | Survey fee |
|---|---|---|
| Full Survey and Reaccreditation Survey | $2,500 (non-refundable, due at time of application) | $7,500 (due 30 days prior to the scheduled survey date) |
| Consultation Survey | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Provisional Survey | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| International Survey | $2,500 | $4,500, plus survey team travel |
Source: UHMS HFA Fifth Edition Manual, Accreditation Fee Schedule. UHMS's accreditation page lists processing charges: "Domestic wire: $15.00 per transaction International wire: $20.00 per transaction Credit Card Payments: 2% per transaction" (UHMS). UHMS's accreditation page describes this as a "New structure fee effective January 2015"; confirm the schedule is current. Verify current fees with UHMS before budgeting.
IHS scopes each engagement after a free introductory call.
What this is not
- IHS is not UHMS and does not grant, predict or influence an accreditation decision.
- IHS does not apply to, submit to or correspond with UHMS for your facility. Your facility does.
- IHS does not inspect chambers, certify fire safety or make treatment decisions, and this page is not engineering or clinical advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is UHMS hyperbaric facility accreditation, and who needs it?
It is the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society's Hyperbaric Facility Accreditation program, surveyed against the probes in the Fifth Edition Manual (UHMS). UHMS says the program "is accepted by numerous private insurers and regulatory organizations."
Is UHMS accreditation required for hyperbaric reimbursement?
The pages we reviewed do not state a Medicare or specific payer requirement. UHMS offers Provisional Accreditation for "facilities that require third-party accreditation for reimbursement prior to the 12-month requirement" (UHMS HFA Manual). Check each payer contract for its own terms.
What happens during the two-day UHMS survey?
"HFA surveys are conducted on-site by a three-member team consisting of an experienced hyperbaric physician, nurse, and technologist" over two days (UHMS HFA Manual). Surveyors examine "governance and administration, clinical oversight, staff qualifications and competency, patient-care practices, quality management, emergency preparedness, safety, and the physical environment" (UHMS).
How much does UHMS hyperbaric facility accreditation cost?
For a Full Survey or Reaccreditation Survey, UHMS lists a $2,500 non-refundable application fee and a $7,500 survey fee due 30 days before the survey. Provisional and Consultation surveys are $2,000 plus $3,000 (UHMS HFA Manual). Verify current fees with UHMS.
What is the difference between UHMS full, provisional and consultation surveys?
A full survey is for programs providing services for more than 12 months. A provisional survey gives one-year accreditation to facilities that need it for reimbursement sooner, and a full survey must follow before the one-year mark (UHMS HFA Manual). A consultation survey is a separate survey type with its own fees in the Manual's fee schedule; the Manual states that "A Consulting Survey does not result in an accreditation decision."
Can a new hyperbaric program get accredited before it has 12 months of operating history?
Provisional Accreditation is "available for facilities that require third-party accreditation for reimbursement prior to the 12-month requirement." It "reflects one-year accreditation only" (UHMS HFA Manual).
Which NFPA 99 edition applies to a hyperbaric chamber for UHMS accreditation?
The Manual states that "the 2024 edition of NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code, Chapter 14, Hyperbaric Facilities, will be used as a primary reference" for day-to-day fire safety and safety programs (UHMS HFA Manual). For building construction the Manual says facilities "should comply with the 1999 edition (or earlier)" of NFPA 99, "unless they were operational before the 1999 edition was issued and the edition applied at the time," in which case "the survey team will try to recognize compliance with the earlier edition."
What documents are due 30 days before a UHMS survey?
For a Full Accreditation survey, the Manual requires "submissions of the Presurvey and 10 documents 30 days prior to the survey" (UHMS HFA Manual). IHS maps each required document to your evidence.
Does a hospital-based hyperbaric unit need UHMS accreditation if the hospital is Joint Commission accredited?
UHMS states that HFA "is the only hyperbaric-specific accreditation to be recognized by The Joint Commission as a Complementary Accrediting organization" (UHMS). The pages we reviewed do not say whether hospital accreditation alone satisfies a given payer. That answer is in the payer's terms.
How long does UHMS accreditation last, and what is accreditation with distinction?
The Accreditation Council's determinations include "Accredit (valid for three years)" and "Accredit with distinction (valid for four years)" (UHMS HFA Manual).