VISN 20 has received a three-year JCAHO accreditation.

Veterans Integrated Service Network 20 (VISN 20), which includes VA medical centers, clinics and domiciliaries in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, received a three-year Network Accreditation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

A JCAHO team evaluated the network in October 2001. VISN 20 received a score of 99 for standards addressed, including integration and coordination of care and services, organizational ethics, educating and communicating with veterans and staff, management of data and information, and improving network performance. VISN 20 is the second among 21 VISNs in the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration chosen to pursue and be awarded JCAHO network accreditation.

VISN 20 provides integrated health care services through more than 1.6 million outpatient visits per year and treats more than 170,000 medical/surgical, rehabilitation, mental health, and long-term care patients in its hospitals and nursing homes. The network includes eight major health-care facilities in Anchorage, Alaska; Boise, Idaho; Portland, Roseburg, and White City, Ore; and Seattle/American Lake, Spokane, and Walla Walla, Wash. There are an additional 17 community based outpatient clinics serving as access points for veterans living in areas distant from the major facilities.