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Healthcare Accreditation and Certification Consulting

Last updated: October 2026

Accreditation consulting is professional help preparing an organization to meet an accrediting body's standards and prepare for its review. Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS), founded in 2002 by Thomas G. Goddard, JD, PhD, former Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of URAC, provides accreditation, compliance and program development consulting across 15+ accrediting and certifying bodies.

For each program, IHS does five things: a gap assessment against the governing standards, document and evidence mapping, drafting the program, policies and clinical content for your clinicians to review and approve, a mock review against the governing text, and readiness support. IHS is not an accrediting body and does not influence its decision. IHS drafts, and your organization's named contact submits.

IHS offers this work to health plans, PBMs, pharmacies, behavioral health organizations, rehabilitation facilities, laboratories, FQHCs, home health and hospice providers, and technology vendors. To discuss a program not listed here, Schedule a Free Discovery Session.

How do I choose between accreditors?

The party that requires accreditation usually decides which accreditor you need. The first accreditor named in a payer request or RFP is a first guess, so confirm it against the text that creates the requirement.

Where the requirement comes fromWhat to read
A payer contract or network agreementThe accreditation clause and the accreditors it names
A delegation agreementThe accreditation it recognizes
A state licensure rule or statuteThe rule text and any list of recognized accreditors
A federal program or contractThe program rule or solicitation

Accreditors differ in program scope, standards, timelines and fees, so compare each body's own materials. IHS does not tell you which body to choose.

Which URAC accreditation programs does IHS support?

IHS supports the URAC programs below, from initial accreditation through renewal. Dr. Goddard was URAC's Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel before founding IHS.

Health Plan, PBM & Managed Care

Network Accreditation

Pharmacy Accreditation

Patient Care & Clinical Programs

Workplace, Employer Health & Behavioral Health

Digital Health & Cybersecurity

Professional Certification

If your organization needs consulting on a URAC program not shown here, Schedule a Free Discovery Session to confirm scope.

Which NCQA accreditation and recognition programs does IHS support?

IHS supports NCQA programs for health plans, credentialing verification organizations and practices seeking recognition.

NCQA accreditation and recognition engagements are led by Maureen Plumstead. Dr. Goddard leads NCQA program development only, such as designing a credentialing program.

Health Plans & Managed Care

Long-Term Services & Community-Based Organizations

Health Care Providers & Practices

Credentialing

Which NABP accreditation programs does IHS support?

NABP is the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. IHS supports the NABP programs below alongside state board licensure and PBM network requirements.

Which ACHC accreditation programs does IHS support?

ACHC is the Accreditation Commission for Health Care. IHS supports the ACHC programs below.

CMS Deeming Authority Programs

Clinical & Behavioral Health

Home-Based & Residential Care

Pharmacy & Telehealth

What is Security Compliance Foundations (HITRUST)?

HITRUST provides a risk-based cybersecurity certification framework used by health plans, pharmacies, technology vendors, and healthcare facilities to demonstrate compliance with HIPAA, NIST, and other regulatory requirements. IHS is not a HITRUST licensee. IHS builds the policies, governance, HIPAA risk analysis and evidence behind a HITRUST effort, manages the project and coordinates with the HITRUST-licensed firm the organization engages, which performs the readiness and validated assessments.

Which CARF accreditation programs does IHS support?

CARF is the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. IHS supports CARF behavioral health accreditation, listed below. To discuss another CARF program, Schedule a Free Discovery Session.

Which other accrediting and certifying bodies does IHS support?

These pages address bodies beyond URAC, NCQA, NABP, ACHC and CARF:

IHS's Joint Commission readiness work covers Home Care pharmacy accreditation and Health Care Staffing Services certification. The list at the end of this page links the remaining programs.

What does accreditation consulting cost?

The total cost of an accreditation project has three parts, and a different party sets each one.

  • Accrediting body fees. Each body sets its own application, review and maintenance fees. Verify current fees with the body before you budget.
  • Consulting fees. IHS sets a fixed fee for each engagement after a free discovery session, because scope, number of sites and gap severity change the work.
  • Your own staff time. Your clinicians approve the drafts, and your team gathers the supporting records.

How does an accreditation engagement work?

Every IHS accreditation engagement begins with a complimentary discovery call with Dr. Goddard, which produces a fixed-fee proposal. The work then follows these steps:

  1. Gap assessment. A Standard-by-Standard Review of your policies and operations against the target program's standards.
  2. Document and evidence mapping. Each requirement is tied to the document or record that shows it.
  3. Drafting. IHS drafts the program, policies and clinical content for your clinicians to review and approve.
  4. Mock review. A mock review against the governing text surfaces gaps before the real review.
  5. Readiness support. IHS answers your team's questions during the review period. IHS does not take part in the review, and your organization's named contact submits.
  6. Corrective action. If the accrediting body finds deficiencies, IHS helps draft the corrective action plan.

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 page is not legal advice.
  • IHS drafts, and your organization's named contact submits to the accrediting body and communicates with it.
  • IHS does not guarantee an accreditation outcome. The accrediting body decides.

How do the three practice lines fit together?

Accreditation Consulting is one of IHS's three practice lines, with Compliance Services and Program Development. A client can use more than one at a time.

  • Compliance Services: standalone regulatory compliance consulting independent of accreditation cycles: state mandates, CMS changes, 340B, HIPAA, telehealth, AI governance, and ongoing monitoring
  • Program Development & Standards Development: building healthcare programs from the ground up: CVO design, credentialing architecture, compliance programs, CON applications, QMS design, and new line of business builds
  • Leadership & Organizational Development (I/O Psychology): an additional IHS offering: industrial-organizational psychology consulting for healthcare workforces and leadership teams, including leadership-team assessment, burnout and moral injury diagnostics, executive coaching, M&A culture integration, and AI workforce governance
  • Complete Service Catalog: the full list of IHS services

Who leads IHS accreditation engagements?

Led by senior practitioners. Thomas G. Goddard, JD, PhD, personally leads IHS's URAC and program-development engagements. Maureen Plumstead leads NCQA accreditation work. Dr. Goddard oversaw URAC's accreditation operations as its COO and General Counsel.

Multi-body coordination. Many organizations pursue more than one body, such as URAC and NCQA for health plans. IHS manages shared documentation, overlapping standards and conflicting timelines as one project.

Experience since 2002. Since 2002, IHS has guided health plans, PBMs, specialty pharmacies, behavioral health organizations and other healthcare organizations through accreditation.

Frequently asked questions

What is accreditation consulting?

It is help preparing an organization for an accrediting body's review. IHS works in five steps: gap assessment, document and evidence mapping, drafting for your clinicians to approve, mock review and readiness support.

Who is accreditation consulting not for?

It is not for organizations that want a firm to deal with the accrediting body for them, or that want a guaranteed result. IHS drafts, your organization's named contact submits, and the accrediting body decides.

How do I choose between URAC, NCQA and other accreditors?

Start with the document that requires accreditation: a payer contract, delegation agreement, state rule or federal program rule. It decides which accreditors qualify. IHS does not recommend one body over another.

How much does IHS accreditation consulting cost?

Cost has three parts: the accrediting body's fees, 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.

Who communicates with the accrediting body, IHS or my organization?

Your organization does. IHS drafts the text, and your organization's named contact sends it under their own name.

Which accrediting bodies does IHS work with?

IHS supports URAC, NCQA, NABP, ACHC, CARF and 15+ other bodies, all linked on this page. Joint Commission readiness covers Home Care pharmacy accreditation and Health Care Staffing Services certification. IHS is not a HITRUST licensee, so its HITRUST work is program foundations and project management alongside your licensed firm.

Who leads an IHS accreditation engagement?

Dr. Goddard personally leads IHS's URAC and program-development engagements. Maureen Plumstead leads NCQA accreditation and recognition work, and Dr. Goddard leads NCQA program development only.

Schedule a Discovery Call

All IHS accreditation consulting engagements begin with a complimentary discovery call. Dr. Goddard assesses your goals, readiness and timeline and provides a fixed-fee proposal.

Schedule a Free Discovery Session

More accreditation and certification programs

Alternative accreditation pathways

Behavioral health and HCBS

Blood and biotherapies

Cardiac and specialty programs

Community and public programs

Digital health and payment models

Federal provider programs

Gaps from 2026 deals

Healthcare education

Imaging and diagnostics

Laboratory programs

Other clinical program standards

Payers and delegated organizations

Program development builds

Surgical quality programs

Transport

Talk with IHS's CEO

A 30-minute introductory meeting with Thomas G. Goddard, JD, PhD, to scope what your organization needs.

Schedule a Free Discovery Session