AIA Guidelines for TJC

What year of AIA Guidelines does The Joint Commission follow?  If we are renovating a critical access hospital that will follow state rules and regulations, do we have to follow TJC?


TJC is now referencing the 2010 AIA Guidelines and is still referencing the 2000 NFPA 101® Life Safety Code®. The hospital has a choice of using either the state rules and regulations or the 2010 Guidelines.  If the hospital is following their state rules & regulations, TJC should be OK with that. Only critical access hospitals that have applied for or are presently accredited by the Joint Commission must abide by the TJC standards & requirements, otherwise they are not bound by TJC accreditation standards or requirements.    

2012 Hospital Accreditation Standards

Standard EC.02.06.05

The hospital manages its environment during demolition, renovation, or new construction to reduce risk to those in the organization.

Elements of Performance for EC.02.06.05

A 1. When planning for new, altered, or renovated space, the hospital uses one of the following design criteria:

_ State rules and regulations

_ Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities, 2010 edition, administered by the Facility Guidelines Institute and published by the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) When the above rules, regulations, and guidelines do not meet specific design needs, use other reputable standards and guidelines that provide equivalent design criteria. (See also EC.02.05.01, EP 1)

A 2. When planning for demolition, construction, or renovation, the hospital conducts a pre-construction risk assessment for air quality requirements, infection control, utility requirements, noise, vibration, and other hazards that affect care, treatment, and services.