The accreditation process is marked by an on-site evaluation over the course of two days that includes a review of records and meetings with providers, staff, and students to determine whether UHS meets more than 150 standards established by AAAHC. Ahead of the on-site evaluation, UHS staff from across the organization work to review policies and procedures, assess quality improvement projects, and ensure rigorous health, safety, and education standards are met. 

After clinical observations and interviews with staff, one accreditor commented that the UHS clinic was well organized and neat. Further, UHS received positive feedback that our staff are really “sharp,” which the accreditor noted as a reflection of good leadership and coaching. 

“Reaccreditation is a rigorous process,” said UHS Executive Director Jake Baggott. “Our team works hard to prepare for the evaluation, and I’m immensely proud of our organization’s commitment to excellence in care.” 

One accreditor shared the parting words that they would feel comfortable having their child come to UHS to seek care. This heartfelt feedback, alongside a successful reaccreditation process, affirms our collective efforts to promote, protect, and improve student health and wellbeing. 

The 2025 accreditation process was led by Luke Thompson, Associate Director of Health Information Management and Privacy. UHS will next participate in reaccreditation in 2028. 

Connect & Reflect 

This April, UHS Survivor Services and Violence Prevention will host ”Connect & Reflect”—a space for student survivors and allies to reclaim campus, build community, and break the stigma around survivorship. Preview upcoming Connect & Reflect events below and visit the webpage for more information.  

CONNECT 

Coffee & Consent | April 30th from 10 PM – 2 PM on East Campus Mall 

Stop by for a cup of coffee and learn about campus, student-led, and community resources available to survivors. 

Day of Connection | April 30th from 2 PM – 7 PM on the 4th floor of the Student Activity Center  

Connect with other student survivors through assorted art and crafts, movement, and violence prevention activities. View the full schedule.  

REFLECT  

Art & History Gallery | April 1st – 30th open daily from 10 AM – 8 PM on the 4th floor of the Student Activity Center 

View the past 50 years of campus sexual assault activism alongside art by student survivors in person and online.  

Closing Reception | April 30th from 4 PM – 5:30 PM on the 4th floor of the Student Activity Center 

Gather for refreshments and conversation with UHS and campus partners working on sexual violence research, prevention, and response. The reception will include brief remarks by Associate Director of Title IX Coordinator, Lauren Hasselbacher, and acknowledgement of this year’s student artists. 

Other ways you can get involved to support violence prevention on campus  

Join a student organization:  

• PAVE is dedicated to preventing sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking through education and activism.  

• Sex Out Loud promotes healthy sexuality through sex-positive education and activism.  

• EmBark unites survivors of sexual assault and dating violence with the shelter animal of their choice.  

Build skills to prevent violence before it occurs: 

• GetWIse@Home offers four online violence prevention programs to choose from, including DatingWIse (healthy relationships and dating violence), SexWIse (healthy sex and sexual violence), ListenWIse (trauma and survivor support), and ActWIse (recognizing violence and bystander intervention).  

• “Find Your Role” is an interactive, 10-question personality-style quiz designed to help you explore what types of stepping in may feel safest and most comfortable to you by discovering how you are already practicing different types of intervention in your everyday life. At the end of the quiz, you will receive personal, actionable feedback that matches your “role” in stepping in to prevent harm.

Attend other events and programs for Sexual Assault Awareness Month:

• Keep an eye out for other events throughout the month hosted by student organizations and campus partners, including rallies, mindfulness sessions, and self-defense classes (all hosted by the RCC)

Year-Round Support for Student Survivors at UHS 

UHS Survivor Services supports you in whatever ways feel most helpful for you, including providing emotional care, reviewing your options, and affirming your decisions. If you’re unsure how to label your experience or what support you need, our Survivor Services team is here to listen, provide resources, and help you explore your options, including referrals, accommodations, and reporting. 

To connect with an advocate, email survivorservices@uhs.wisc.edu, call 608-265-5600 (option 3), or schedule online via MyUHS. 

University Health Services (UHS), the UW-Madison campus health center, received a full three-year reaccreditation as an ambulatory health care center by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). UHS has been continually accredited by AAAHC since 1983.

Accreditation is a voluntary process that happens every three years. This year’s in-person survey was delayed from 2021 due to the pandemic. Preparation for the on-site evaluation begins more than one year in advance and involves reviewing policies and procedures, assessing quality improvement projects, and working with every UHS unit to ensure rigorous health, safety, and education standards are met.

AAAHC surveyors, who are health care professionals at other organizations around the country, spent two days at UHS this spring evaluating clinical spaces, reviewing records, and meeting with providers, staff, and students to determine if UHS was meeting more than 150 standards established by AAAHC.

“Re-accreditation is a significant achievement for our entire organization. I’m grateful to all UHS employees for their commitment to providing exemplary service and care to our students daily,” says Jake Baggott, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Executive Director of UHS.

In their summary report, AAAHC stated that UHS demonstrated overall ‘substantial compliance’ with all of the AAAHC standards and achieved exemplary levels of organizational performance and quality amidst fighting a pandemic for two years.’

UHS improved compliance levels on all standards. One surveyor noted that “I have not been to an organization that has been this well prepared or hospitable…” and “…There’s a culture of quality here.”

“I’m impressed by the thorough and rigorous preparation by the entire UHS team to make this survey successful, knowing that just a quarter of college health centers pursue the voluntary accreditation at all,” says Lori Reesor, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. “This accomplishment, achieved during a stressful and uncertain period for our staff both professionally and personally during the pandemic, is an affirmation of the high standard of care and commitment UHS has for our students.”

The most recent accreditation process was led by Courtney Blomme, Associate Director of Population Health and Tami Morin, the former Director of Nursing who retired from UW-Madison in April. UHS will next participate in the accreditation process in 2024.