National Performance Specialists Pursues NCCA Accreditation for New Medical Assistant Certification Program

Third-party verification of exam content will help pave the way for industry leading program development

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- National Performance Specialists (NPS), a leading allied health certification agency and education advocate, today announced its intent to submit a brand new program in the field of medical assisting to NCCA for review and accreditation. The program is currently under development via a green field process in collaboration with Hanchar Consulting Services and ACS Ventures to give rise to an industry leading standard for allied health certification in alignment with third-party standards.

NPS currently offers national certification programs in the allied health fields of phlebotomy, electrocardiography, patient care, behavioral health, and medical administrative assisting. By adding medical assistant national certification to its program catalogue, NPS continues to pursue its goal of being a premier provider of certification for allied health professionals. The medical assisting program will also be among the first to be submitted for NCCA review and consideration for accreditation. This third-party accreditation will add further validity to the program by ensuring that it adheres to established quality standards and elements for development, implementation, and maintenance.

While national certification is not required by all states, it does add quality to an individual's personal career credentials. NCCA accredited programs offer an additional assurance and a reputable alternative to other fly-by-night agencies that may not follow industry standards in their competency testing. To be eligible for NCCA accreditation and consideration, NPS is following a rigorous program development schedule spearheaded by Ronald Hanchar of Hanchar Consulting Services. Hanchar has overseen the establishment of a governing committee designed to develop bylaws, policies, and procedures for the program as well as the coordination of efforts for exam and test development and delivery. "NPS' goal with this initiative is to develop a legally defensible and psychometrically sound certification program, and that's what we're on track to do," said Hanchar.

Test development will be conducted by ACS Ventures under the leadership of Scott Russell. This development will encompass collaboration with subject matter experts, development of a test purpose statement, and a job task analysis that will help ensure that the exam questions are relevant and resourceful for exam participants. Russell and his team will also oversee the operational pilot, slated to launch in the spring of 2023, which will help the team define a domain of practice as well as exam subject weighting and content development. "Our methodology is designed as a standard setting process using a validity-evidence centered approach," explained Russell.

The operational pilot and subsequent submission to the NCCA board for review and accreditation is a prolonged process that is designed to ensure efficacy and quality of credentials for all participants. "We firmly believe in providing high-quality and compliant national certification programs for our members," said Tyler Capeletti, President and CEO of NPS. "Pursuing NCCA accreditation for our latest program offering was the next logical step in the growth and development of the NPS suite of offerings." The NPS system will also incorporate live remote proctoring provided by Proctor U, a division of Meazure, with technology assets and integration overseen internally by NPS. "Live remote proctoring will be an important component to ensure test integrity while upholding the standards of NCCA accreditation," said Brandon Oxendine, Vice President and CTO.

Medical assistant professionals who recently completed or intend to complete a training program can reach out to NPS directly to participate in the historic pilot program. Participants will be able to sit for the national exam and will receive their test results after the cut score is determined by ACS Consulting. Interested candidates can email [email protected] for more details and to register to participate.

National Performance Specialists (NPS) is an independent agency dedicated to providing quality, innovative educational resources and accessible certification options for allied health professionals in a number of disciplines. NPS distinguishes itself with competency-based programs that set the standard for certification and qualified evaluation. With over 5 years delivering initial certification and certification renewal services, NPS continues to innovate by pioneering technology solutions that address the needs of often laggard and change-resistant industries. Visit www.npscerts.com to learn more.

Contact:
Tyler Capeletti
866-319-7052 | [email protected]

SOURCE National Performance Specialists