Quality Standards

Florida’s free and charitable clinics are a vital part of the health care safety net—delivering high-quality care through strong policies, dedicated volunteers, and mission-driven leadership. The FAFCC Certified Clinic Program creates clear, consistent standards for clinic operations and offers a meaningful way to demonstrate quality, credibility, and impact across the statewide network.

The program serves as a common framework—designed with input from clinic leaders and industry experts—to reflect the unique needs and realities of Florida’s free and charitable clinics.

Why Certification Matters

Certification is about recognizing and elevating the essential work clinics already do every day and providing a standardized way for partners and policymakers to understand clinic readiness and accountability.

The Certified Clinic Program helps clinics:

• Demonstrate operational quality and accountability

• Strengthen credibility with funders, hospital partners, and legislators

• Prepare for grant opportunities and partnerships

• Highlight excellence and innovation

• Show the collective strength of Florida’s safety net

By aligning around shared standards, we strengthen every clinic—and the network as a whole.

What the Program Evaluates

Clinics complete a comprehensive application aligned to FAFCC standards across key operational domains, including:

• Governance and leadership

• Core organizational policies (e.g., nondiscrimination, privacy/HIPAA, safety, consent)

• Financial practices and reporting

• Credentialing and background checks

• Risk management and clinical safety

• Data collection and quality improvement

(Standards are tailored based on service model, so direct-care standards apply to clinics that provide onsite clinical services.)

How Certification Connects to State Investment

Starting in FY27 (January 1, 2027), certification is required for full clinic membership and eligibility for the State Funds Grant Program.

This ensures state-funded partnerships are tied to a consistent, statewide baseline of operational readiness and documented standards.

Partner With Us

Stakeholders can support this work by:

• Recognizing certification as a meaningful indicator of clinic operational readiness

• Aligning partnership requirements with statewide standards to reduce duplicative burden

• Supporting technical assistance and capacity-building resources that help clinics meet and sustain standards