WHA's contracted Medical Groups/IPAs are responsible for providing WHA accurate, current information regarding their physicians and healthcare providers.  They notify WHA on a daily basis as new information becomes available to them.  Within 5 business days of receiving new information WHA's web-based Provider Directory displays the updated information.  In addition, each quarter, WHA sends its contracted Medical Groups/IPAs a physician list that requires them to verify the directory information.

Verification of information about a practitioner's training, licensure, and Board Certification is the responsibility of WHA's contracted Medical Groups/IPAs.  They do this when a practitioner initially joins their group (credentialing) and again every 36 months (recredentialing).  WHA carries out oversight activities to ensure the contracted Medical Groups/IPAs meet and maintain national standards regarding credentialing and recredentialing.

WHA contracts directly with the hospitals listed in the Directory and confirms the accuracy of hospital directory information quarterly.

This field indicates if a practitioner is currently taking new patients.  The Medical Group/IPA notifies WHA when it learns a practitioner's practice is "closed" to new patients.  Quarterly WHA requires Medical Groups/IPAs to validate this information.  Please note that there are times that a Medical Group/IPA may not immediately know that a practitioner has limited his/her practice.  Before you select a PCP it is always best if you contact that PCP's office to verify that they are accepting new patients.  *

To be accredited a hospital voluntarily submits to an ongoing evaluation process to determine if it meets the standards that have been established by an accrediting body.  A hospital that is fully accredited by The Joint Commission is in full compliance with rigorous national healthcare quality and safety standards.  Obtaining Joint Commission accreditation is validation of an organization's ongoing performance improvement efforts.  On an annual basis WHA's contracted Medical Groups/IPAs are required to provide documents to support the accreditation of hospitals to which they refer WHA members.  Semi-annually, WHA verifies hospital accreditation status online.  You may verify a hospital's accreditation status by visiting the following website http://www.qualitycheck.org/consumer/searchQCR.aspx.

A specialist who has successfully completed a residency program approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in a specialty that is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) or by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), and has been certified by an ABMS or AOA member board is considered board certified.  Board certification are verified by the contracted Medical Groups/IPAs during the credentialing and recredentialing processes and are reported to WHA.  Quarterly the contracted Medical Groups/IPAs must verify this information for WHA.  As changes to board certification status occur the Medical Groups/IPAs notify WHA.  Quarterly, the Medical Groups/IPAs must review and confirm the accuracy of information specific to their practitioners including board certification. You may verify a practitioner's board certification by visiting http://abms.org/wc/.  Patients who would like to check the certification status of a D.O.  can contact the AOA Member Service Center at 1.800.621.1773, Option 1 in the menu.  All board certifications listed are those issued by an ABMS Board except as follows: if "AOB" appears before the board certification, it is issued by an AOA recognized board.

This field shows the hospitals where a practitioner may admit or care for patients. Practitioners self-report this information to their Medical Group/IPA at the time they are credentialed or recredentialed.  The Medical Groups/IPAs report this information to WHA at that time and if a practitioner's network hospital affiliations change.  Quarterly, the Medical Groups/IPAs must review and confirm the accuracy of information specific to their practitioners including their hospital affiliations.  *

Languages spoken by a practitioner are reported to WHA by the contracted Medical Groups/IPAs.  Neither the Medical Groups/IPAs or WHA verify or certify the foreign language skills of the physician.  If new information becomes known regarding a practitioner's ability to communicate in another language, the Medical Groups/IPAs will update this information when they return their quarterly report to WHA. If you have a specific language need, contact the physician's office directly to verify they can meet your needs.  *

The field designates the medical group(s) or IPAs with whom the physician is associated.  When a physician joins or leaves one of WHA's contracted Medical Groups/IPAs, the contracted Medical Group/IPA must notify WHA.  Quarterly, the Medical Groups/IPAs must review and confirm the accuracy of information specific to their practitioners including their medical group/IPA affiliations.  *

A specialty is a particular branch of medicine in which a practitioner focuses.  A specialty may be based on a specific body system, such as the heart, a specific age group, such as pediatrics, or on a complex scientific technique used to diagnose or treat certain types of disorders.  A specialist may or may not be Board Certified.  WHA's contracted Medical Groups/IPAs validate specialty information during the credentialing and recredentialing processes.  They report this information to WHA at that time and as changes in specialty status occur.  Quarterly, the Medical Groups/IPAs must review and confirm the accuracy of information specific to their practitioner's specialties.  *

* Limitations to the accuracy of information in WHA's web-based or print Provider Directory would be the result of human or computer error in requesting information, responding to a request, a data entry error, or in the timeliness of reporting.  WHA's print directories are limited to the information available at the time the directory is printed.