Primum non nocere. It is imperative that not only physicians, but all involved in healthcare first, do no harm. While medical staff and healthcare administrators are at the heart of providing safe, quality healthcare, another group that is involved on...

Primum non nocere. It is imperative that not only physicians, but all
 involved in healthcare first, do no harm. While medical staff and
 healthcare administrators are at the heart of providing safe, quality
 healthcare, another group that is involved on the front-end of patient safety
 and healthcare quality are credentials verification organizations or CVOs.



 CVOs act as a safeguard, verifying whether healthcare providers are qualified
 to practice based on a rigorous review of their education, training,
 background, and experience. However, according to the leading healthcare
 accreditation organization, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (<a
 href="https://www.ncqa.org/programs/health-plans/credentialing/"
 >NCQA</a
 >), &ldquo;credentialing is more than a &lsquo;check-the-box&rsquo; regulatory
 duty, it&rsquo;s an essential safety component of the health care
 system.&rdquo;



 The credentialing process generally involves in-depth examination of documents
 including CV, med school/residency/fellowship certificates, medical license,
 board certification, professional affiliations, DEA registration, CME records,
 case logs, references, malpractice records, and more. Credentialing takes
 time, expertise, and money and can have a significant impact on resources for
 healthcare organizations. Savvy administrators can alleviate this drain on
 resources by partnering with a NCQA-certified CVO they can trust for
 preverification.


<h2>NCQA Accreditation in Credentialing</h2>


 NCQA is the leader in
 <a
 href="https://www.ncqa.org/programs/health-plans/credentials-verification-organization-cvo/"
 >CVO accreditation</a
 >. An NCQA-certified CVO has passed extensive review and has an effective
 credentialing process in place. A skilled CVO can streamline credentialing
 &ndash; efficiently verifying primary source documentation, giving healthcare
 administrators confidence in provider quality, serving as a resource for
 in-house credentialers, and ultimately, bolstering patient safety and quality
 of services.



 According to NCQA, accreditation ensures a consistent, effective and diligent
 credentialing process, promotes industry best practices, upholds state
 regulation requirements, and protects consumers&rsquo; access to quality
 healthcare.


<h2>
 Why Partner with an NCQA-Certified CVO and NAMSS-Certified Professionals?
</h2>


 According to Diana Hall, CPCS, CPMSM, FMSP, Senior Director of Quality and
 Compliance for Medical Doctor Associates, &ldquo;As patients, we trust our
 providers. We assume we will receive quality care, and we trust that our
 doctors are who they claim to be. As a certified credentials verification
 organization, we know that there is a patient at the end of every assignment
 &ndash; every healthcare professional that we verify. So we ensure that our
 verification quality is the best it can possibly be.&rdquo;



 Hall explains, &ldquo;MDA has its own NCQA-certified CVO called CREDENT. Not
 only is CREDENT a CVO, it also has four National Association of Medical Staff
 Services (NAMSS) certified professionals. To put this into perspective, there
 are 6,200 registered hospitals in the U.S. (<a
 href="https://www.aha.org/statistics/fast-facts-us-hospitals"
 >American Hospital Association</a
 >) and only 4,300
 <a href="http://www.namss.org/About.aspx">NAMSS-certified professionals</a>.
 This means there are not enough certified professionals to cover every
 hospital in the U.S. At CREDENT and MDA, we don&rsquo;t
 need certified professionals to work here and run our risk management
 and compliance programs, we want them. This ensures we offer the
 highest quality in credentialing and staffing services.&rdquo;



 Hall points out one more bonus of partnering with a NCQA-certified CVO that
 employs NAMSS-certified professionals: &ldquo;We have a wonderful resource for
 our clients &ndash; a whole team of qualified individuals who will speak their
 language and ensure they are not alone with their credentialing
 questions.&rdquo;



 Certified credentialing professionals and organizations share the same passion
 for patient safety and quality care as medical providers and healthcare
 administrators. In that vein, Hall says that CVOs and credentialing
 professionals can be considered among &ldquo;the gatekeepers of patient
 safety.&rdquo;

How an NCQA-Accredited CVO Can Help You Ensure Patient Safety and Deliver Quality Healthcare