Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) — a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of care in organized healthcare settings. JCAHO evaluates, accredits, consults, and sets standards for long-term care facilities, ambulatory healthcare organizations, home care agencies, hospices, hospitals, healthcare delivery networks, and organizations offering major mental health services. JCAHO offers accreditation to healthcare organizations throughout the United States, and its standards are recognized as representing the contemporary national consensus on quality patient care.