Certification for Health Care Staffing Services

I recently learned that The Joint Commission has a Certification Program for Health Care Staffing Services.  The program evaluates the staffing service's ability to provide qualified and competent clinical staff.  To be eligible for this certification a staffing firm must be responsible for placement of clinical staff in other organizations that oversee or provide direct patient care; or placement of clinical staff under the direct supervision of another organization's personnel and have placed at least 10 clinical staff at the time of the evaluation. 

The program also evaluates the staffing service's processes for verifying the credentials and competencies of the clinical staff.  The Health Care Staffing Services Certification Manual standards cover leadership, human resources management, performance measurement and improvement, and information management. 

Two external groups helped The Joint Commission establish the certification program.  One was an Advisory Council comprised of representatives from health care staffing firms and associations and the other was a Standards Task Force composed of industry recipients, providers and other stakeholders.  A Certification of Distinction is awarded to the health care staffing firm that meets the requirements for certification. 

The next time a hospital or ambulatory clinic needs temporary coverage (locum tenens), it might be worth the effort to ask about Health Care Staffing Services certification. 

Carole  La Pine, MSA, CPMSM, CPCS