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June 2011
It's hard to believe that we are halfway through the year and summer has arrived. Thanks to the partnership and collaboration of clients like you, National Healthcareer Association (NHA) has made great strides in the first six months of the year, and we look forward to continuing that trend for the rest of 2011.
This issue of NHA News is filled with updates that we hope you'll find useful. Of special mention is the story on our affiliated company, ATI Allied Health, which has recently launched an expanded solutions portfolio and an innovative new learning platform, the ATI Allied Health Education Portal. These solutions - a new pharmacy technician training package and certification prep offerings for 10 allied health fields - complement the allied health certification exams we offer here at NHA so that together we can meet the diverse needs of educators, students and employers.
In addition, ATI Allied Health/NHA interim President Dan Schoepf has penned a letter to allied health employers touting the many benefits of hiring well-trained and certified employees. We're confident this letter will reflect well on educational institutions likes yours and your students/prospective employees.
As mentioned in the last issue of NHA News, if you haven't visited www.nhanow.com recently, we invite you to do so. You will notice a cleaner look and easier navigation. Plus, the new website is filled with valuable information for both you and your students.
Finally, we want to quickly remind you to work with me on coordinating exam dates as early as you can. This allows us to provide you with accurate rosters and to get exam materials to you in plenty of time for your students. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call. Thanks again for your partnership.
Sincerely,
The NHA Team
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From the executive director:
I wanted to take the opportunity to update you on recent activity with the NHA Certification Board.
The NHA Certification Board has held two meetings since we last corresponded, and there were several significant policy changes. These policy changes were outlined in all Candidate Handbooks published in May on the NHA website (www.nhanow.com). A summary of the key changes follows.
- Eligibility to earn certification. Candidates can now sit for the certification exam one year prior to completion of their high-school diploma or GED program, and earn a provisional certification. Provisional certification is valid for one year and can be converted to a full certification by providing a copy of one's high-school diploma or GED. A provisional certification can't be renewed or reinstated. In other words, it must be converted to a full certification within the year, or the candidate must retest. To convert a provisional certification to a full certification, the candidate must present evidence of completion of high school or GED program. We hope this change will help the students of many programs achieve certification and enter the workplace sooner.
- Pharmacy Technician Exam Updates. As mentioned in our last newsletter, the ExCPT Certification Governing Committee (for the pharmacy technician certification program) approved the new exam blueprint, which we anticipate will be effective in August. You will notice in the new ExCPT Candidate Handbook that both the current exam blueprint and the new blueprint are included along with both lists of competencies. The new exam will include 30 percent of the items written at a critical-thinking level. Candidates will still receive 110 items and need to score 390 out of 500 to earn certification.
- New board members.The NHA Certification Board welcomes two new members to the Board: Michael Reynolds of El Cajon, Cal., and Marcia Strickland, of Royersford, Penn. We're excited to add these two professionals to the considerable expertise already on the Board.
We welcome your feedback as we continue to improve and we wish you continued success throughout 2011.
Rebecca M. Rabbitt, Pharm.D.
Executive Director, Allied Health Certification Programs
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ATI Allied Health debuts expanded portfolio and innovative Health Education Portal
ATI Allied Health, NHA's sister organization, shared some exciting news June 1, debuting an expanded training solutions portfolio and its exclusive Health Education Portal. With this expansion, ATI Allied Health now offers one of the most in-depth pharmacy technician training programs in the country and certification prep for 10 allied health fields.
These new solutions complement ATI Allied Health's academic-readiness screening test, the Health Occupations Basic Entrance Test (HOBET) and retention offerings to comprise a set of products that helps our educator clients ascertain the competencies of their students and offer training to prepare them for certification or the workforce. The ATI Allied Health solutions also complement NHA's certification options so that together we can provide a comprehensive training and certification solution for educators. We're confident this combination will help our educators retain students and better ensure their success in allied health fields.
The foundation of ATI Allied Health's training offerings is its Health Education Portal, an online resource that uses Internet-based learning technology and engages students through rich animation, video and other interactive tools. It also offers them in-depth tutorials with drill-down abilities, practice tests, tools like calculators and "flash cards," and online proctored assessments. These capabilities accommodate different learning styles, improving student comprehension and retention, and ultimately leading to better patient safety.
Educators can track students' progress - following up with remediation plans when necessary - schedule assignments, generate detailed progress reports and customize the products and features to fit their needs, easily and conveniently online.
If you'd like to learn more about the new ATI Allied Health offerings, please contact your CAM or visit www.atialliedhealth.com. |
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NHA reaches out to employers
NHA interim President Dan Schoepf recently wrote a letter to allied health employers, outlining the many advantages an NHA certification or certification prep offer them and their prospective employees.
The outreach reiterated our goal of making the healthcare industry better one worker at a time, and reaffirmed our commitment to helping employers find and employ well-trained, certified professionals and enhance their standard of care.
"Our focus, like that of our education clients and allied health employers, is on producing well-trained and qualified professionals for the industry," Schoepf said. "This outreach was about letting employers know all of the ways we further that goal."
Some key points of the letter:
- NHA's position as the nation's largest healthcare certification provider, having helped nearly 270,000 candidates become certified in allied health fields.
- Testing at more than 500 proctored test sites, as well as accredited schools nationwide.
- Our one-week turnaround on certifications - faster than any other certification company
- A dedicated service team for employers, including a certification consultant and customer account manager.
- Our work with healthcare, educational, state and professional entities, individual practitioners, employers, accreditation bodies, and other stakeholders to ensure our certification tests adhere to rigorous quality standards.
- Free certification verification for employers.
If you are interested in receiving a copy of the letter, please let your CAM know. |
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Save the date for an Educator Enrichment Conference in your area
NHA and ATI Allied Health are launching our exciting new Educator Enrichment Conferences (EECs). These free conferences feature allied health professionals who share your passion for education, collaboration and lifelong learning, and who seek practical and education-based info that can be used immediately upon returning to their institutions.
Each EEC consists of an info-packed day designed to help you grow and excel in your role as an allied health educator. You'll hear from your peers about the most relevant, interesting topics that are on everyone's mind, and you'll have the opportunity to join discussions and share knowledge on the critical issues facing healthcare today. Finally, the networking opportunities allow you to build relationships that promote a stronger allied health industry. Upcoming conferences:
Brooklyn, New York
June 17
Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center
California College
Chicago
July 28
Malcolm X College
For more information or to register, visit http://nhanow.com/about-nha/events.aspx. |
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Another headline event!
NHA and Allied Health are exhibiting at the Northwest Career Colleges Federation (NWCCF) 42nd Annual Conference on June 15 through June 17. This is the premier "must attend" event for career colleges in the Northwest. With more than 20 sessions on critical subjects, the event offers great info, best-practices, new ideas to help shape solutions to challenges and the opportunity to build peer relationships. The event benefits both large and small schools. |
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