When the Joint Commission’s Accreditation 360 goes live on January 1, 2026, hospitals won’t face a mystery exam — they’ll have the answer key in hand. That’s the message from Jim Grana, Field Director at the Joint Commission, who describes the updated Survey Process Guide as the most powerful, and most overlooked, readiness resource available today.
“Anyone can go onto our website and download the Survey Process Guide,” he said. “It goes into step-by-step detail of what the expectations of the survey process are.”
The Survey Process Guide replaces the familiar Survey Activity Guide. It’s more than 600 pages long — and it’s the exact reference Joint Commission surveyors will use onsite. Grana calls it an “open-book test” because hospitals can literally see the same tracer tools and evaluation criteria surveyors will apply.
Among them:
“All we’ve done,” said Grana, “is use the existing formats of our tools and change the nomenclature to reflect the new standards. What we’re evaluating hasn’t changed.”
Grana suggests downloading the PDF, using Ctrl + F to search “Physical Environment,” and reviewing every item that applies to your facility. Treat it like a mock survey blueprint — walk the building with your own staff using the same pages your surveyor will have open in January 2026.
He recommends pairing it with two other freely available documents:
Together, these create what Grana calls “survey readiness in real time.”
In an environment filled with anxiety about new standards and changing rules, the Survey Process Guide levels the playing field. Hospitals no longer have to guess what surveyors will look for; it’s all written down and publicly accessible.
“Look at that guide, look at what falls under PE and NPG, and be prepared,” Grana said. “It’s all there — it’s an open-book test.”
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