Reasons why license, certification and accreditation are required in health care organizations.

As a healthcare professional and manager, it is important to understand the distinction between license, certification, and accreditation in regard to healthcare professionals and healthcare institutions. Prepare a 2-3 page paper that describes license, certification and accreditation in the healthcare industry.  Include the following in your paper:

• Define and distinguish between the terms license, certification, and accreditation as they apply to healthcare professionals and organizations.
• Describe at least 2 reasons why license, certification and accreditation are required in health care organizations.
• Research the requirements in your state or a state of your choice for license requirements for healthcare professionals besides the requirement for physicians and nurses to be licensed.  What other healthcare professionals need to be licensed to practice or perform the duties of their profession?  What does scope of practice mean?  Who determines this?

For help with researching your state’s requirements, search on the state government’s website for information on the State Health Department or search “licensure”.

• Provide an example of an agency that accredits healthcare institutions and the types of requirements that must be met for accreditation.
• Provide at least three examples of an organization or agency that provides certification or credentialing for healthcare professionals.  Include one of the examples as a specific type that is available for healthcare administrators/managers or health information management professionals.  Describe the requirements for each example.

NOTE: Use at least two scholarly references and cite using APA format.  Be sure to cite the reference to your state’s website resource on licensure of healthcare professionals.