Healthcare Compliance Certification: Different Programs and Certifications

Compliance Certification

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) creates and enforces standards for workplace safety. All organizations and individuals are required to comply with these standards, as well as any other safety laws that apply to their industries. Employers are required to “provide a workplace free from serious recognized hazards” (OSHA). This is called compliance. It includes:

• Performing regular safety checks and maintaining all equipment
• Providing safety training to employees in a way they can understand
• Informing employees of their rights and responsibilities
• Keeping records of all work-related injuries

By definition, a certification of compliance is a formal document stating that an individual or company is currently operating within a specific set of safety requirements. There are many different types of certificates for compliance. One example is a Certification for Healthcare Compliance, which will be covered in depth throughout these next sections. Other examples would include:

• Corporate Compliance
• Financial Compliance
• Regulatory and Legal Compliance
• IT Compliance
• Privacy and Ethical Compliance

The Healthcare Industry

This industry is entirely composed of establishments that are dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of patients with health issues. The healthcare industry consists of individuals and businesses that operate within the three branches of healthcare. These three branches are:

1. Services
2. Products
3. Finance

The service branch includes organizations and individuals that administer healthcare services to patients, such as hospital staff, dentists, and dermatologists. The product branch would entail businesses or individuals that manufacture medical equipment, devices, or drugs. Programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, which provide medical insurance and other forms of financial medical assistance, would fall into the finance branch. 

Healthcare Compliance Certification

As in all industries, healthcare providers and facilities are required to comply with the regulations issued under OSHA. Healthcare compliance involves employers in the healthcare industry becoming familiar with all the regulations, and then assisting their employees in implementing those regulations. This way, the whole facility can maintain a safe environment for employees and patients alike.

There are a lot of different requirements that OSHA holds for healthcare compliance. 

A few examples of these are listed below:

• Precautions to prevent employee and patient exposure to germs, bacteria, and viruses 
• Requirements for healthcare employees to wear personal protective equipment
• Requirements for identifying and ensuring the use of work practice controls within the workplace

One of the main requirements for a compliance certification is for healthcare employees to follow OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standards. The concern for this is important because healthcare employees have some of the highest chances of being exposed to, developing, and transmitting certain bloodborne pathogens including:

• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus

There are many different titles that healthcare employees can hold when it comes to healthcare compliance certifications. These titles can vary based on the job that the employee holds. A few examples include:

• Certified in Healthcare Compliance
• Certified in Healthcare Research Compliance
• Certified in Healthcare Privacy Compliance
• Certified Medical Device Compliance Professional

The most common title among the healthcare industries (and possibly the most important when it comes to the safety of employees within the workplace) is a Certified Professional Compliance Officer or CPCO. 

CPCO

Medical facilities need employees who can develop, organize, manage, and direct the functions of a compliance department. This is where a CPCO comes in. CPCO stands for Certified Professional Compliance Officer. This is someone who addresses the ever-growing compliance requirements of government laws, regulations, rules, and guidelines within their organization. 

Becoming a Compliance Officer is a step after accruing a degree. Many professionals choose to seek it out after obtaining about a year’s worth of experience in the medical field. Despite this, experience alone may not necessarily be enough to prepare someone for the testing portion of the certification process. 

A compliance officer has five main responsibilities. These responsibilities are as follows:

1. Identify the risks an organization faces
2. Create and implement processes to protect employees against those risks
3. Monitor and assess the effectiveness of the organization’s risk-prevention processes
4. Resolve compliance issues
5. Advise the organization on better ways to minimize risk and comply with laws and regulations

Laws and Regulations

Laws are defined as rules that govern everyone equally, while regulations are defined as rules that only affect those who deal directly with the agency that enforces them, such as OSHA. 

In the eyes of the law, healthcare compliance is defined as the ongoing process of meeting or exceeding the legal standards applicable to the healthcare industry. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) states that a healthcare compliance certification is a mandatory requirement for anyone looking to enroll in federal healthcare programs. 

OSHA regulations cover various workplace safety hazards and require employers to take specific actions in order to minimize risks. Healthcare compliance has many requirements regulated under OSHA. For instance, OSHA requires healthcare employees and professionals to follow an extensive list of healthcare standards. A few examples of these standards include:

• Hazard Communication Standards
• Ionizing Radiation Standards
• Exit Route Standards
• Emergency Action Plan Standards
• Medical and First Aid Standards
• Fire Escape Plan Standards

Both government laws and OSHA regulations are implemented and enforced to ensure the wellbeing of healthcare employees and their patients. Any employers or employees that decide to take shortcuts are only putting themselves and others in harm’s way, legally and physically. It is important for employers to follow these standards as well as encourage their employees to understand and adhere to them. 

Healthcare Compliance

Healthcare Compliance Programs 

A healthcare compliance program is something that an employer or CPCO develops, implements, maintains, and utilizes within their facility or organization. This helps them keep every employee informed and so they can more closely comply with all the healthcare laws and regulations.

An effective healthcare compliance program can be the difference between having a safe and healthful work environment and paying heavy fines due to OSHA violations. Some essential elements of a healthcare compliance program might include:

• Implementing written policies, procedures, and standards of conduct
• Appointing a compliance officer and creating a compliance committee (if there’s not one already)
• Conducting effective safety training and educating employees
• Developing open and effective lines of communication

Healthcare Compliance Courses

Healthcare compliance courses are designed to certify employees working within the healthcare industry. They mainly apply to individual employees, rather than to organizations. Healthcare Compliance Certification courses are broken down into three sections or stages:

1. Eligibility
2. Testing
3. Renewal

Eligibility confirms that an employee or other candidate has the necessary experience—in both education and work—within the field of healthcare compliance. 

Testing usually involves an exam that is broken into key knowledge areas and the employee’s practical applications. Many people choose to enroll in an advanced graduate certification course in healthcare compliance to prepare them for the testing portion. 

Renewal requirements of the certification range from one to three years and serve to confirm that certified healthcare professionals have completed a designated amount of continuing education.

Continuing Education Units

It is important for healthcare employees to know that a healthcare compliance certification is not a substitute for a healthcare degree. Even those who have a degree in medicine do not automatically meet all the requirements for compliance certification. There are many universities that offer both a degree in healthcare as well as courses for compliance certification.

Drexel

Drexel University offers many programs through its colleges of engineering, law, and medicine. Its College of Medicine has highly innovative academic programs that allow its students to work in real-world situations. It also offers a non-degree program designed to develop career-related skills in healthcare compliance. 

USC

The University of Southern California also offers a healthcare compliance program. Surprisingly enough, the University of Southern California is best known for its Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Additionally, they have a high-ranked MD program for students who are interested in a career in medicine. 

Summary

Staying on top of regulations and complying with OSHA healthcare standards is essential for today’s healthcare providers. Having a strong compliance program in place not only helps protect organizations from financial and safety risks but also contributes to the development of an ethical work environment that provides safe and quality care to patients. Most organizations and individuals can keep their workplace safe and healthful by complying with all healthcare laws and regulations.