Frequently Asked Questions

Peruse a few of our most frequently asked questions. If you don’t see what’s on your mind, please contact us:

General

Established in 2003, SRC is a nonprofit, patient safety organization that provides best-in-class accreditation programs for medical professionals, surgeons, hospitals and freestanding outpatient facilities throughout the world.

The fundamentals of an SRC accreditation are intrinsic to the delivery of safe and effective patient care. Designees who follow SRC’s proven processes and methodologies have increased their case volumes, improved outcomes and reduced complications – results that make a positive impact on their bottom line.

Yes, SRC accreditations are recognized domestically and internationally. As a patient safety organization, we believe everyone deserves access to quality health care. We currently have SRC-accredited providers in nearly 30 countries.

SRC offers four different accreditations in over 30 specialty programs. Learn which one is right for you below:

Center of Excellence / Surgeon of Excellence: These two accreditations are packaged together. This accreditation is for hospitals and surgical centers with at least one qualifying medical professional from that department.

Master Surgeon: This accreditation is for a surgeon or medical professional who has privileges at multiple hospitals and wants to be able to promote their accreditation at multiple locations.

Care Specialist: This accreditation program is for all members of the allied health team including nurses, physician assistants, nutritionists, psychologists and physical therapists.

Network of Excellence: This accreditation is awarded to multi-hospital systems that have achieved a Center of Excellence accreditation in the same program across a minimum of three participating hospitals.

Each accreditation program has its own set of requirements. You can download requirements for each program on our ‘PROGRAMS, PRICING & REQUIREMENTS’ pages (Facilities, click here and Medical Professionals, click here). You can also contact businessdevelopment@surgicalreview.org with questions or for more information.

To start the application process, complete this short form- https://srcinterestform.paperform.co/

No annual inspections. We do require a compliance inspection every three years to confirm that you are continuing a culture of excellence.

Surgeon of Excellence accreditation is for those applying with a supporting Center of Excellence facility. Surgeons of Excellence may only carry this title while practicing at their co-applicant Center of Excellence facility. Master Surgeon is an individualized accreditation separate from the hospital that allows the designees to use this title wherever they practice. It is great for surgeons who have privileges at multiple facilities and desire an individual accreditation separate from or in addition to their hospital’s accreditation. Volume requirements for the Master Surgeon accreditation are higher than those for Surgeon of Excellence.

Inspection Process

As a program applicant, much of the timeline depends on how quickly you can prepare and submit the required documentation. The process typically takes anywhere from two to six months.

Yes, the SRC team helps guide applicants through each step of the accreditation process.

No. Many of SRC’s program requirements can be used as guidelines, and by submitting the required documents, you’ll show the inspector your plans to implement our recommended standards. An SRC representative can address any specific concerns you have.

SRC does not conduct pass/fail inspections. If deficiencies are noted, the inspector will detail their recommendations and the applicant will be given sufficient time to correct or rectify any deficiencies.

Your inspector will choose a 12-month date range for the case list submission, and you must submit enough cases to show that you meet the volume requirement for your chosen program. 

After receiving your case list, your inspector will choose which charts they want to review. They will select approximately 10% of your submitted cases for the random chart review.

The standard inspection process is available to everyone. For this process you must prepare and submit all documents at once and not divide up the process. The EAP process is only available to new Center of Excellence applicants (not Master Surgeon candidates). This process allows you to submit documentation in stages to separate the process into multiple steps, so you have more time to prepare and expedite accreditation. There is no price difference between the Standard Inspection Process and the EAP.

The BAA is a contract that states you are allowing the exchange of information to us. SRC does not provide this document, but the legal department for your facility will likely have one in place. If not, sample BAA templates are available online.

BOLD is SRC’s revolutionary database that tracks and analyzes patient outcomes to help you measure improvement in care. You are not required to use BOLD, but you are required to track patient outcomes in some manner (i.e., your own internal system or electronic medical record) acceptable to SRC.

Yes, all documentation must be provided in English or explained in an English narrative.

Account & Billing

SRC considers each facility its own entity, so each campus must pay its own fees and undergo their own inspection process to become accredited. If you seek accreditation programs for multiple facilities under the same health system, you may be eligible for discounts and/or Network of Excellence accreditation.

Payment can be made by credit card, ACH or wire transfer.

SRC does not accept checks – electronic forms of payment only. Organizations unable to pay electronically must contact accounting@surgicalreview.org to make other arrangements.

We offer many ways to submit an invoice payment:

• Online at https://excellence.surgicalreview.org: enter your invoice number & then click “Pay Invoice”

• ACH Payment: contact accounting@surgicalreview.org to get your ACH paperwork completed

• Phone in a payment to Accounting Services at 919.740.0519

• Fax in a payment to Accounting Services at 919.882.8527

After Accreditation / CARE Program

You can begin promoting your accreditation as soon as you receive your congratulatory email from SRC.

You will receive an electronic proof of your award certificates electronically within one to three business days. Then once your proof is approved, hard copies of your award certificates will be printed and shipped. Delivery may take three to four weeks, depending on where you are located.

Absolutely. Contact our CARE™ team by emailing care@surgicalreview.org and they will send you an additional awards order form. SRC covers shipping costs to USA, Canada and Mexico.

CARE stands for “Communicating Accreditation, Recognizing Excellence.” Designed exclusively for SRC-accredited providers, the program provides marketing and advertising services to help designees achieve the many benefits of accreditation.

The cost of the CARE program is included in your annual participation fee at no additional charge.

The Surgeon of Excellence accreditation must be promoted with its accompanying facility Center of Excellence accreditation, whereas the Master Surgeon accreditation can be promoted individually.

Yes, SRC can partner and cobrand using your branding guidelines.

Approved statements about accreditation are included in SRC’s official marketing guidelines, available for download here. The CARE team can also supply you with customized content.

Patients

SRC’s gold seal of accreditation signifies to you that this provider has been thoroughly examined by an independent patient safety organization. It lets you know that this provider meets proven standards, verified by our rigorous inspection process. Our seal eliminates your guesswork and expedites your decision process.

Your provider should be wearing an SRC seal on their lab coat or have it displayed somewhere in their practice if they are accredited. If your provider is not accredited by SRC, ask them why.

Find an SRC-accredited provider near you by clicking here (https://www.surgicalreview.org/find-a-provider/).

SRC does not handle health insurance coverage issues. Such matters should be directed to your health care provider, insurance company and/or human resources department.