Facilities Can Now View Letters and
Application Review Findings Documents Online
ENHANCEMENTS TO ONLINE ACCREDITATION OFFER CONVENIENCE
OF
INSTANT ACCESS TO VITAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE IAC
MAY 15, 2012 | Facilities are now able to view and download their application decision letters and Application Review Findings (ARF), as well as other written correspondence, through the online portal.
This enhancement is an asset to facilities that are in the process of applying for accreditation as it enables instant access to these vital communications from the IAC. As new correspondence is uploaded to your application, your facility’s Medical and Technical Directors are automatically notified via e-mail.
The download capability will be available for facilities with applications currently in progress and applications submitted from May 15, 2012 forward. Facilities that received an accreditation decision prior to May 15, 2012 will experience the capability to view/download written correspondence and ARF letters with future application submissions.
To view current correspondence associated with your facility’s application:
- Login to your Online Accreditation account at www.iaconlineaccreditation.org;
- Select Applications from the menu;
- Scroll down to any application that you currently have in progress;
- To the right, the Available Actions icons are displayed. When you have correspondence ready for viewing, the appropriate icon will be active. Your facility's available decision letters and ARF will be identified by the document icon and any other written correspondence will be identified by a mailbox icon (shown below);
- Select an icon and a new window will open with options to download your listed letters or the application review findings associated with the chosen application;
- Clicking on one of the download options will begin a download of a zip file. Click OK and save the file on your desktop.
The IAC will continue to make enhancements to improve the Online Accreditation process. Currently accredited facilities are encouraged to login to their Online Accreditation accounts to view all of the exciting improvements being made prior to starting their next application!
Proposed Changes to IAC Standards for Vascular Testing, Echocardiography and CT Accreditation Now Open For Public Comment
COMMENTS MAY BE SUBMITTED TO IAC NOW THROUGH JULY 1, 2012
MAY 2012 | In keeping with the IAC’s continued commitment to streamlining and simplifying the accreditation process, we are pleased to announce that the public now has the opportunity to comment on proposed changes to the Standards.
The Standards are reviewed periodically by the Board of Directors and revised as needed. As a new component to the accreditation process, once approved by the Board of Directors, proposed Standards are posted to the IAC website for a 60-day public comment period. These proposed Standards include changes to current Standards, the removal of current Standards and/or the addition of new Standards.
Beginning May 1, 2012, the public may visit the IAC website at www.intersocietal.org/iac/comment_period.htm to comment of any of the proposed Standards until July 1, 2012. In order to provide comments, the IAC Comment Form must be completed and electronically submitted by the provided deadline.
To submit a comment on proposed Standards:
- Visit the IAC website at www.intersocietal.org/iac/comment_period.htm;
- Scroll down to the section for the Standards you’d like to comment on;
- Select the Standard you wish to comment on that is listed;
- A window will expand with the description of the Standard and the proposed change on the left;
- On the right, fill in your name and comment in the boxes provided;
- Hit submit.
At the close of the comment period, Board of Directors will review comments, consider modifications as needed and vote for final approval of the Standards. Facilities are notified of changes to the published Standards, and the most current version of the Standards can be viewed or printed from the website.
IAC Provides New Standards and Resources
to Help Clarify Policy Requirements
MAY 2012 | To clarify two existing questions within the IAC Online Accreditation application for applicant Vascular Testing, Echocardiography, Nuclear/PET, MRI and CT facilities, corresponding standards related to required policies for Primary Source Verification and Patient and Other Customer Complaints have been added to each of the Standards.
HELPFUL RESOURCES RELATED TO THESE NEW STANDARDS
To assist your facility with meeting these IAC accreditation requirements, samples of the following policies are published within the Helpful Resources sections of each of the IAC division websites for download and customization by your facility:
Primary Source Verification Policy
PURPOSE: To confirm that all personnel are qualified and properly credentialed. This policy establishes a process for verifying credentials of all medical and technical staff directly from the organizations that originally conferred or issued the credential or certification to the practitioner.
Policy for Receiving and Responding to Patient or Other Customer Complaints
PURPOSE: To establish a process for addressing patient or other customer complaints and/or comments regarding their experience with the facility. Complaints and comments are taken seriously and will be subject to the procedure.
IAC Changes Division Names, Streamlines Accreditation Process
FEBRUARY 2012 | Resulting from the culmination of extensive research of the needs of facilities seeking
accreditation, the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) has renamed its six individual accrediting divisions
and implemented multiple enhancements to streamline the process.
Sharing a common mission — improving health care through accreditation — the IAC offers multi-modality
accreditation in six areas, now designated as:
- IAC Vascular Testing
Previously the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL)
- IAC Echocardiography
Previously the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL)
- IAC Nuclear/PET
Previously the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Nuclear Medicine Laboratories (ICANL)
- IAC MRI
Previously the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Magnetic Resonance Laboratories (ICAMRL)
- IAC CT
Previously the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Computed Tomography Laboratories (ICACTL)
- IAC Carotid Stenting
Previously the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Carotid Stenting Facilities (ICACSF)
Read the official IAC Press Release»
Accredited Labs Can Now Download Marketing Materials Online
FEBRUARY 2012 | The IAC is proud to unveil its new downloadable Marketing Kit available for use by IAC accredited laboratories. The online Marketing Kit contains the new Seal of Accreditation as well as a personalized press release and media list form for use by accredited laboratories. These materials are offered exclusively to accredited laboratories and may only be accessed through the secure Online Application portal.
To download your laboratory's new marketing items:
- Login into the secure Online Accreditation portal at www.iaconlineaccreditation.org with your username and password;
- Select the Applications Tab;
- Under your granted application, there should now be a star icon active under the Actions column to view the Marketing Kit
- Clicking on the active star icon will prompt a new window within the portal containing complete instructions on how to download the marketing materials.
Please note: Only IAC accredited laboratories will be able to access the new online Marketing Kit. Labs currently in the process of applying will be able to access the materials through the online portal once they received an accreditation decision of granted. For questions regarding the new online Marketing Kit, please e-mail marketing@intersocietal.org.
IAC Launches New Website and New Program Websites
FEBRUARY 2012 | The Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) is pleased to announce the launch of its enhanced website at www.intersocietal.org, along with newly-designed websites and domains for each IAC programs:
Clients wishing to access the website for Vascular Testing should now go to www.intersocietal.org/vascular, rather than www.icavl.org. Due to the success of the initial redesign in Summer 2010, the IAC has continued to enhance the look and ease of the websites in keeping with our new streamlined, evolved accreditation process.
Now that the Online Accreditation portal allows IAC accredited laboratories to easily download their Marketing Materials, the IAC is looking for great examples to showcase on our websites! In February 2012, the IAC will be sending all accredited laboratories a new marketing kit containing new certificates, a new door cling and the brand new IAC Seal of Accreditation and we want to see how you are using it. E-mail your examples to marketing@intersocietal.org and we may consider showcasing you accredited lab throughout the Marketing Your Achievement section of our new sites.
Geoffrey Rose, MD, FACC, FASE Appointed Chairperson of IAC
 JANUARY 2012 | Geoffrey A. Rose, MD, FASE, FACC, was recently
appointed Chairperson of the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC).
Headquartered in Ellicott City, Md., the IAC is a national, nonprofit organization
in operation to evaluate and accredit medical facilities.
Prior to his new leadership role within the IAC, Dr. Rose, of Charlotte, N.C.,
served on the IAC Echocardiography Board of Directors since 2007,
including a presidential term. He is a representative of the American Society of
Echocardiography (ASE). Read the complete press release»
Now Available: The IAC 2012 Exhibit Schedule!
JANUARY 2012 | Representatives from the IAC divisions are on hand in the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission booth at many upcoming local and national conferences. View the 2012 Exhibit Schedule» |
