NAMSS, AHA and ACGME Announce New Verification of Graduate Medical Education Training Form

NAMSS, in partnership with the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and the Organization of Program Director Associations (OPDA) and others, developed a workgroup that has been meeting over the past year to discuss options to standardize the training verification process and alleviate these burdens placed on hospitals, medical services professionals, and program directors. This group has also been working with the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) to address the needs for licensure within the form and will continue that collaboration into the future.

In an effort to streamline the credentialing process, NAMSS and our partners have collaborated to create a standardized “Verification of Graduate Medical Education Training” (VGMET) form. To access this form, please click here.

The VGMET form consists of three sections:

1. Verification of Graduate Medical Education Training
2. Additional comments as needed
3. Attestation

For 2016 and future graduates:

The form would be completed once by the program director at the time of completion of the internship, residency or fellowship, with a separate form for each training program completed. The signed form would be placed in the trainee’s file.  The form would be photocopied and sent with a standard cover letter to hospitals or other organizations requesting verification of training.

For pre-2016 graduates:

The form would be completed once – if and when a program receives a request for verification of training. The current program director would review the file and complete the form based on information contained therein, sign and date the form and send to the requesting hospital. Thereafter, that form would be used in response to all requests for training verification – a photocopy of the form, and a signed dated cover letter attesting that the form accurately reflects information about the trainee in the file.

NAMSS is proud of this group’s work to create this new form as it is a significant step toward greater efficiency and will ease the burdens placed on Medical Staff and Credentialing Services Professionals, hospitals, program directors, and other stakeholders. It is a prime example of the type of reforms that are possible when those within the industry identify a problem and work together to achieve a creative solution.

AR State Medical Board Policy Changes

From the Arkansas State Medical Board:

Licensure and CCVS Policy Change

In response to requests from the Legislative Branch and other organizations in the state, the Arkansas State Medical Board (ASMB) has approved several changes for licensing and Centralized Credentials Verification Service (CCVS). It is believed these changes may be a factor in helping to reduce the amount of time it takes to license practitioners in this state. These changes are:

- Authorized the use (Not Mandate) of the Federation of State Medical Board’s FCVS credentials program.
- Authorized the utilization (Not Mandate) of the Federation of State Medical Board’s uniform application.
- Reduced the requirement to collect the Work History, including Hospital Privilege History, to only the last 10 years unless circumstances call for the additional information.
- Accept assignments by Locum, Contract or Telemedicine companies for verification of Work History provided by company assignment rather than from collecting verifications from the individual facilities.

*The ASMB/CCVS staff has requested and received approval from NCQA for the use of the FCVS by the CCVS.