Provider credentialing protects disaster victims, ensures quality care
When Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria battered the southern United States in a matter of weeks, the
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) deployed more than 4,600 first responders to care for more than 40,000 patients.
Behind the scenes, FEI Systems operated around the clock technical help desk support for the suite of health information technology systems developed by the company and used by those on the ground to record patient encounters and treatment during the months-long crises.
And even before disaster struck, the clinicians and other responders on the federal emergency deployment roster had to be credentialed and verified as fit for relief care. This process was yet another supported by the ongoing partnership between FEI Systems and the ASPR.
Since 2012, FEI Systems has provided health information technology services and support to assist the ASPR in caring for those facing some of the worst disasters to hit the country, up to and including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This has encompassed provider credentialing for first responders, to help promote victim safety and to assist in maintaining a readiness roster for national emergencies.
Health IT Services in Disasters’ Wake
For more than 20 years, FEI Systems has successfully demonstrated our commitment to assisting state agencies in the coordination and delivery of barrier-free, person-
The
National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) is a federally coordinated healthcare system and partnership of several U.S. federal agencies, including the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS),
Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
Department of Defense (DoD), and
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The ASPR employs the NDMS in national emergencies to assist with the care and movement of individuals at risk, as well as fatality management support, when requested by local, state and other federal government agencies.
In the last 10 years, FEI has provided ongoing technical development and design, technical support, and training for the suite of NDMS systems, including its Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. Notably, FEI has assisted in the delivery of care during Hurricanes Sandy, Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and the Kilauea volcano eruption in Hawaii. Additionally, FEI has supported standby emergency preparation for the State of the Union Address, Independence Day celebrations at the National Mall, the United Nations General Assembly, the White House National Security Summit and the Democratic and Republican National Committees’ conventions.
Supporting Provider Credentialing for National Emergency Readiness
Early in the partnership with the ASPR, FEI developed and deployed an integrated provider credentialing process for the NDMS Responder Management System (RMS). This system is now the source of readiness and employee information for thousands of federal responders spread throughout the country. The NDMS RMS can verify that the responders placed on rosters are accurately credentialed, transparently tracked and easily managed to meet the needs of the deployment or training actions. Throughout the partnership, FEI has served as the NDMS headquarters credentialing staff designee to conduct steady-state or pre-deployment license reviews. This includes verifying that clinicians’ licenses align with requirements for emergency care and removing those clinicians from deployment lists that are missing proper credentials.
FEI developed, and currently maintains, an extensive matrix of provider credentialing file requirements for an extensive network of provider types, including: physicians and medical officers, nurse practitioners and certified registered nurse anesthetists, registered nurses, EMS responders, mental health specialists and psychologists, respiratory therapists, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, diagnostic radiologic technicians, laboratory medical technicians, dental officers, veterinary technicians, and even funeral directors.
