Patient Care Services Credentialing

Locations and Facilities

The UW Medical Center credentialing process ensures that individuals who interact with patients at UWMC or SCCA are appropriately licensed, registered, certified, competent to practice in their proposed role, and have current immunizations/immunities to ensure the safety of the patients. Privileges are typically granted for two years. Patient Care Services (PCS) credentialed individuals may be protected in the event of an adverse outcome.

This process requires input from you and your employer about your proposed role, professional liability coverage, competency, immunization history, conviction/criminal history, ID check, and HIPAA training.

Determining whether you need to credential with PCS

Physician, Nurse Practitioner, or Physician Assistant

For CLINICAL PURPOSES, you are not required to credential with PCS. Instead please contact the Office of Medical Staff Appointments (OMSA) at 206.543.1002 or omsa@u.washington.edu.

For CLINICAL FACULTY PURPOSES see the Teaching section below.

Research or Clinical Care

You are NOT a Physician, Nurse Practitioner, or Physician Assistant (see above) and you fall into one of these two categories:

You are an employee of UWMC (08 budget) or SCCA and you will be conducting research or clinical care with UWMC or SCCA patients which falls outside of your normal job description
You are not an employee of UWMC or SCCA (e.g., UW Medicine, UW School of Nursing, or an outside employer such as Group Health, Puget Sound Blood Center, Pacific Northwest Research Institute) and you will be conducting research or clinical care, on-site, with UWMC or SCCA patients

Teaching

You will be clinical faculty for a group of students at UWMC or SCCA and you fall into one of these two categories:

You are an employee of UWMC (08 budget) or SCCA and you will be conducting clinical care with UWMC or SCCA patients which falls outside of your normal job description.
You are not an employee of UWMC or SCCA (e.g., UW School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle University, Shoreline Community College) and you will be conducting clinical care with UWMC or SCCA patients and your role will bring you on site to UWMC or SCCA.

Job Shadowing

To job shadow. there is a less extensive screening process and does not require the full PCS credentialing application below. Approved job shadow applicants are directly supervised by UWMC staff. A job shadow is for observational activities only not to exceed three visits.

Please submit the following in hard-copy format to the PCS Credentialing Coordinator:

Application and Agreement for Observational Activities
HIPAA Privacy Quiz (MS Word DOC)

PCS Credentialing Application

You may reference this helpful checklist for new applicants (MS Word DOC) to assist you when completing your application.

The following are submitted online. Please print out the final page with your confirmation code to include in your application:

Please submit the following in hard-copy format:

Current curriculum vita or resume
UWMC Confidentiality Agreement (PDF) and/or SCCA Confidentiality Pledge (MS Word DOC)
A statement of current immunization including
- Proof of a non-reactive tuberculosis skin test within the last year, a chest x-ray, or a tuberculosis symptom checklist (MS Word DOC)
- Proof of current immunity for hepatitis B. Documentation of immunization for hepatitis B does not prove immunity. Only a titer with a positive result is proof. You may be asked to sign a Hepatitis B Waiver (MS Word DOC)
- Two vaccines (doses) or proof of immunity for MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
- Vaccination or history of the disease (immunity) for varicella
Employer Certification Form (MS Word DOC) filled out by your employer
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Certificate of Training Completion. Policy requires training specific to UWMC/SCCA. If you are a UW or SCCA employee training will be arranged by your home department. For all others training will be arranged by the PCS Credentialing Coordinator.
Integrity at Work: this is a reference pamphlet regarding UWMC’s ethics, standards and compliance; you must read the pamphlet, complete and return the attestation page
UW Conviction/Criminal History Information form (PDF)
Washington State Patrol background check form (MS Word DOC): sections C and D must be filled out completely
Verified copy of your state drivers license. Acceptable verification includes
- Appearing personally before the PCS Credentialing Coordinator
- Having your employer (same as on Employer Certification) print the word “verified," the date, and their name and then sign their name on a copy
- At SCCA appearing personally before Genevieve Johnson, 206.288.2264, gjohnson@seattlecca.org
Current licensure or certificate for the State of Washington

Upon receipt of the materials and review by the PCS Credentialing Coordinator, you will be informed of any missing documents or additional requirements for your proposed role. Completed applications are then submitted to the Credentialing Committee for approval.

Access to Electronic Medical Records

If you need to obtain access to electronic medical records as part of your role description please contact:

For UWMC, please contact us at https://info.medical.washington.edu/ or by e-mail at uaa@u.washington.edu
For SCCA, please contact IT Helpdesk at 206.288.8200 or uaa@seattlecca.org

What happens after approval?

Nurse Manager Notification, Photo Identification, Parking

You will receive an approval letter via email. For UWMC you are required to obtain a photo identification badge (instructions are in the approval letter). You must wear your photo ID badge at all times in the medical center.

Parking is available in lot E12 (adjacent to Husky Stadium).

Parking arrangements may be available and should be negotiated with the unit/area with which you will be working.

Required Updates

Expiration will result in privileges being revoked.

Current licensure (if needed for your position) - send confirmation to the PCS Credentialing Coordinator
Annual TB test or the equivalent - send confirmation to the PCS Credentialing Coordinator

Expiration of Privileges

In most cases privileges are granted for two years. Credentialing expires automatically if you leave your current position without informing the PCS Credentialing Coordinator.

Renewal

You must contact the PCS Credentialing Coordinator a minimum of one month before expiration to submit renewal materials. In order to have continued access to electronic medical records: For UWMC please contact https://info.medical.washington.edu/ or e-mail at uaa@u.washington.edu.

For SCCA, please contact IT Helpdesk at 206.288.8200 or uaa@seattlecca.org.

Renewal Application

If your credentialing is eligible for renewal, please complete the following to document changes in your personal or professional information, role description, and to confirm current TB status. All renewal applications must be reviewed and approved by the Credentialing Committee.

You may reference this helpful checklist for renewing applicants (MS Word DOC) to help you when completing your application.

The following are submitted online. Please print out the final page with your confirmation code to include in your application:

UWMC Cultural Diversity Training
Education Fair