New standards take effect for all applicants beginning February 15, 2027.
HARRISON, OHIO (Oct. 28, 2026) — The Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) has published its updated 2026 Full Accreditation Standards. The revised standards represent an important step in the evolution of SSH Accreditation and will be required for all applicants beginning February 15, 2027.
The most significant change is the consolidation of two separate 2021 documents — the Core Accreditation Standards and the Teaching/Education Accreditation Standards — into a single, unified set of requirements: the SSH Accreditation Core Simulation Education Standards. All programs will be required to meet these Core Simulation Education Standards, with the option to apply for additional accreditation areas: Assessment, Research, Systems Integration, Fellowship Program, and/or Human Simulation.
Under the 2021 framework, the Core Accreditation Standards addressed how a Program was managed and operated, while the Teaching/Education Accreditation Standards focused on the design, delivery, and improvement of educational activities. The 2026 standards bring these areas together, creating a more integrated approach to evaluating simulation education programs.
While many familiar requirements remain, the updated standards reorganize existing expectations, introduce several new or expanded requirements, and clarify terminology to reflect the evolving needs of simulation-based education.
Key Changes in the 2026 Standards
The updated standards expand the framework from seven sections to eight, including a new section dedicated to educational activity design. Key changes include:
- Integrated standards: The former Core and Teaching/Education standards are now combined into one comprehensive framework.
- New section on educational activity design: Requirements address design oversight, educator selection and development, and evaluation of educational activities.
- Annual review of educational activities: Programs must demonstrate an annual review process for their educational activities.
- Documented faculty development policies: Faculty development must be included among a program’s documented policies.
Preparing for the February 2027 Application Deadline
The updated standards apply to programs preparing for initial accreditation or reaccreditation. SSH encourages programs to review the new requirements well in advance of their application deadlines to identify documentation gaps, assess current practices, and plan for any necessary changes.
The online application portal is temporarily closed while SSH implements the updated standards. The portal is scheduled to reopen no later than December 15, 2026. During this interim period, programs are encouraged to begin preparing their application materials using a Word document organized around the new standards.
Programs approaching reaccreditation should begin this review now to allow sufficient time to align documentation and practices with the updated requirements.
A Framework for Continuous Improvement
SSH Accreditation is designed to be more than an application or a periodic review. The standards provide a framework for ongoing quality improvement, helping programs evaluate their practices, strengthen educational activities, and demonstrate their commitment to excellence in simulation-based healthcare education.
Programs that integrate the standards into their ongoing operations and improvement efforts will be better positioned to navigate the updated accreditation process and sustain alignment with SSH expectations.
The 2026 SSH Accreditation Core Simulation Education Standards are available now at ssih.org/full-accreditation. For questions about the updated standards or the accreditation process, contact accreditation@ssih.org.