Through statewide collaboration, Michigan birthing hospitals are strengthening maternal care, enhancing quality and improving outcomes for mothers and babies.
Through the advocacy of Governor Whitmer’s administration, the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health (MCMCH) and the MHA, Michigan birthing hospitals were provided an opportunity to receive quality improvement payments aimed at enhancing care and improving maternal health outcomes for birthing people.
The deadline to apply for maternal quality payments has passed; however, birthing hospitals interested in pursuing MLC verification through the JC can still qualify for verification cost coverage. Please review the MLC Verification Cost flyer for more details.
Below are MLC resources and ongoing support opportunities for hospitals pursuing the JC MLC verification.
The Joint Commission does not link its accreditation, certification or verification sites to any rating/ranking organizations such as Leapfrog or US News and World Report. The Joint Commission is not aware of any ranking entities that use MLC verification in their methodologies.
This program provides birthing hospital leaders with an independent, external evaluation of their organization’s maternal health expertise, equipment and resources. The assessment determines the facility’s ability to care for many obstetric events, ranging from low- to moderate-risk pregnancies, as well as complex maternal medical conditions, obstetric complications and fetal conditions.
Yes, all birthing hospitals in the state of Michigan are eligible, regardless of The Joint Commission certification status.
MLC cost coverage includes the annual fee for three years, plus the one-time, on-site visit fee during the three-year verification period. See the MLC Cost flyer for more details. Michigan hospitals pursuing MLC verification should NOT pay invoices automatically generated on the hospital’s The Joint Commission Connect portal.
Supported by MDHHS funding, the MHA Keystone Center is directly covering hospital payments for completing The Joint Commission’s MLC Verification Program. See the MLC Cost flyer for more details. Additionally, the Keystone Center is providing technical support for hospitals pursuing The Joint Commission MLC verification.
Michigan birthing hospitals should apply by July 31, 2026, to maximize available state funding. A hospital will then be surveyed four to six months after application to The Joint Commission. To begin the process, birthing hospitals should complete an application:
Yes. The Joint Commission does include the names of all organizations that achieve MLC verification on The Joint Commission’s website. There is a search feature that allows the public to search for verified organizations, by type of award, state and zip code. This is the same process for hospitals and all other organizations that achieve accreditation and/or certification awards.
The Joint Commission does not link its accreditation, certification or verification sites to any rating/ranking organizations such as Leapfrog or U.S. News & World Report. The Joint Commission is not aware of any ranking entities that use MLC verification in their methodologies.
Funds are available in state Fiscal Year 2026 (ending Sept. 30, 2026) for hospitals that fully participate with MI AIM and have applied and/or been verified for MLC through The Joint Commission by July 31, 2026.
Hospital payments will be released to eligible birthing hospitals in September for their full participation in both programs. Payments will be issued directly from Michigan Medicaid. Please review the MDHHS memo regarding Maternal Quality Payments.
Hospitals will receive a quality payment calculated based on the number of Medicaid-covered deliveries, severe maternal morbidity rate and inclusive of $50,000 in base funding.
Note that The Joint Commission fees for participating in the MLC Verification Program are being covered by MDHHS via the MHA Keystone Center.
Yes, every birthing hospital in Michigan is eligible to participate in the MI AIM Collaborative. Generally, the program year begins in January and runs for an entire calendar year. However, a birthing hospital may join the collaborative at any time.
For more details, please visit the 2026 MI-AIM Designation Criteria page.
The MLC toolkit was designed to provide step-by-step guidance to assist hospitals through the JC’s MLC application and verification process.
The MHA Keystone Center would like to thank the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative (FPQC) and Michigan hospitals for sharing the resources outlined in this toolkit. Please note that the resources and information outlined below reflect the experiences of hospitals that have completed the JC’s MLC Verification process. These resources and sample tools should be used as a guide for consideration, but members are strongly encouraged to modify policies and processes based on their unique organizational structure and experience.
TJC TemplatesÂ
Florida Hospital Templates & Samples
TJC Templates
Florida Hospital Templates & Samples
TJC Templates
Michigan Hospital Templates & Samples
Florida Hospital Templates & Samples
The MHA Keystone Center is here to support Michigan hospitals pursing MLC verification. Additional technical support resources to assist hospitals through the MLC verification process are outlined below. The MHA Keystone Center will provide additional information as it becomes available via its monthly newsletter.
Phone: (517) 703-8601
Fax: (517) 703-0628
