CREDENT Receives Highest Certification from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)

ATLANTA, October 29, 2001 - Demonstrating the strength and vision behind CREDENT Verification & Licensing Services, Inc., a national credentials verification organization (CVO), the company announced it has received the industry's coveted CVO Certification from NCQA.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance is an independent, non-profit organization that certifies credentials verification organizations, and accredits managed care organizations. The CVO Certification, which is deemed the healthcare industry's highest 'stamp of approval', recognizes that CREDENT's verification services are designed to comply with NCQA's credentialing standards. The certification process includes rigorous on-site evaluations conducted by a team of health care professionals and certified credentialing specialists. A national oversight committee of physicians analyzes the team's findings and determines certification based on the CVO's compliance with NCQA standards. This includes a thorough evaluation of processes, an audit of credentials files, policies and procedures, and a continuous quality improvement program.

Unlike other CVOs, CREDENT guarantees its clients a 60-day turnaround in completing verifications and processing credentialing applications. The industry standard for completion set by NCQA is 120 days. In almost 95% of their cases, CREDENT has delivered an unprecedented turn around time of 45 days.

Marlene McIntyre Tillery, CPHQ, CPHRM, CMSC, Assistant Vice President of CREDENT credits this quick turnaround to her highly skilled staff with more than 50 years of combined experience in healthcare credentialing. Every CREDENT employee is certified or is in the process of being certified as either a Certified Medical Staff Coordinator (CMSC) or a Certified Provider Credentialing Specialist (CPCS). Both certifications are sponsored by the National Association of Medical Staff Services (NAMSS) and certificants must meet established standards on the national certification exam.

"It makes an enormous difference for the healthcare entity that we are able to cut the verification time in half," explains Tillery. "With so many healthcare organizations facing serious staffing challenges, the faster we can verify the credentials, the faster the physician can begin work. And with malpractice premiums at an all time high, primary source verification of all elements is more important than ever to highlight any issues of concern. We want our clients to be confident in knowing that the physician's qualifications are not only timely, but also unequivocally accurate." Since statistics show that almost one in ten physicians misrepresents themselves on credentialing applications, credentialing has become even more important in the healthcare industry.

CREDENT also boasts an impressive Licensing Services department which services physicians and allied health professionals. Because of their vast knowledge and strong relationships with the country's Medical Boards, CREDENT's Licensure department is able to cut processing time almost in half in most cases, thereby saving time and money for the hospital or provider, and ensuring that the provider is at work seeing patients as quickly as possible.

CREDENT is a sister company of Medical Doctor Associates, Inc., the nation's largest privately held healthcare staffing company. "CREDENT is a natural progression from MDA's in-house credentialing department. Our credentialing department has been processing hundreds of physicians credentials each year for over a decade," explains Ken Shumard, CEO of MDA.

The credentials of each Locum Tenens (LT) physician who contracts with MDA are primary source-verified by CREDENT. "It is a bonus that MDA offers to its clients, and now that CREDENT holds NCQA Certification, the service is even more valuable," Shumard adds. "It is a reflection of the emphasis we have placed on quality throughout the years. From our occurrence form insurance to primary source verification of credentials, MDA has committed to provide the highest level of service and protection for both our physicians and clients."

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About Credent
CREDENT Verification & Licensing Services, Inc. is a full service Credentials Verification Organization (CVO) that provides primary source verification of all healthcare credentials in compliance with NCQA, JCAHO and URAC standards. Licensing and consulting services are also available. For more information, visit www.credent.com.

CREDENT is certified by NCQA for the following elements through September 18, 2003:
- License to Practice
- Hospital Privileges
- DEA/CDS Registration
- Board Certification/Residency Completion/Medical
School Graduation
- Malpractice Insurance
- Malpractice Claims History
- Application Processing
- NPDB Query
- Medicare/Medicaid Sanctions
- Sanctions Against Licensure