The concepts, distinctions, and frameworks behind competency verification — explained for facilities, professionals, and suppliers.
Most confusion in this field comes from three words being used interchangeably. They are not interchangeable.
The process of collecting and verifying credentials.
The assessment process that confirms competence.
Confirming that a credential is valid and current.
Access is not competence. A credential can verify who someone is and that their documents are in order — it cannot tell a facility whether that person is competent to perform a job in a healthcare environment. That distinction is the foundation of everything HWASC does.
Short, focused explainers drawn from across the site.
How the accredited clinical verification chain — licensure, credentialing, privileging — compares to today's vendor credentialing, and what's missing for the non-hospital workforce.
Read the comparison →A family member visits. A rep makes a sales call. The same rep returns to support surgery. Why the third scenario demands a different set of requirements.
See the spectrum →FDA requires knowledge of the product. CMS requires competency for the job and environment. Between them sits the job — and it has never been defined.
Understand the gap →The internationally accepted process for defining a profession — and the foundation for valid certification under ISO/IEC 17024.
Learn about the JTA →From project initiation through public review to approval as an American National Standard — the six-step accredited consensus process.
Walk the process →Who the competency framework covers, whether certification replaces credentialing, what ISO/IEC 17024 is, and more.
Read the FAQ →An education program — webinars, briefings, and training materials for facilities, credentialing teams, and non-hospital professionals — is in development. Planned topics include understanding function-based access, preparing for certification, and incorporating certification verification into credentialing workflows.
To be notified when educational programming is announced, contact info@hwasc.org.
Interested in a briefing for your facility, credentialing program, or supplier organization?