About QUAD A
About Us
Since 1980, Quad A (a non-profit, physician founded and led global accreditation organization) has worked with thousands of healthcare facilities to standardize and improve the quality of healthcare they provide – believing that patient safety should always come first.
At QUAD A, the goal is simple, to be your go-to provider when it comes to accreditation – always striving to be an effective, efficient, and easy to work with partner that values education, reliability, and communication. We call it the Quad A promise, and it stands at the forefront of everything we do.
Our thorough processes, expert surveyors, and consultative approach set us apart from other accreditation organizations – offering clearly defined criteria and scheduling processes so there are never any surprises.
QUAD A – Global Accreditation Authority. Patients First. Always.
Our History
QUAD A’s journey began in 1977 as the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASPRS).
In 1980 the name was changed to the American Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Plastic Surgery Facilities (AAAAPSF) in order to better represent outpatient plastic surgical facilities. AAAASPF morphed into the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF) in 1992, recognizing the need for similar standards for all ABMS single surgical and multi-specialty Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs). In that same year, the concept of the AAAAPSF accreditation umbrella was created to cover all of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). To reflect this expansion, the name of the organization was officially changed to AAAASF in 1994.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the approval of deeming authority for AAAASF in 2010, making AAAASF a national accreditation program for providers of outpatient physical therapy and speech-language pathology services, as well as those clinics under the current CMS Rehabilitation Agency/Outpatient Physical Therapy (RA/OPT) Medicare program, including occupational therapy clinics.
Orbis, a leading NGO that works to eliminate avoidable blindness, gained accreditation from the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities International (AAAASFI) for its Flying Eye Hospital in 2014, further expanding AAAASFs global reach.
In 2016, RA/OPT program re-application was completed and approved by CMS for four years. RHC re-application was approved for six years and there was a four-year approval from the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQUA) certification for certification of international facilities, which was felt to be beneficial to compete effectively in international accreditation.
Beginning in 2020, the leadership team at AAAASF, along with its executive board, began the process of not only assessing its internal processes but also gaining insight from the facilities it served. The result was an improved understanding and continued commitment to the core belief that - patient safety should always come first.
In 2022, AAAASF, completed an extensive rebranding effort in response to its continued growth in the U.S. and abroad. At the heart of this effort was a change of the organization’s name from AAAASF to QUAD A, along with an updated brand identity and expanded online presence.
Since 1980, QUAD A, a non-profit, physician founded and led accreditation organization, has worked with thousands of outpatient and rural healthcare facilities to help standardize and improve the quality of health care they provide - always striving to be an effective, efficient, and easy to work with partner that values education, reliability, and communication.
For questions or concerns, email: info@QUADA.org or call 847.775.1970 for immediate assistance.