Question:  What is "credentialing"?

Answer:  Credentialing is the process by which an organization authorizes, contracts, or employs practitioners who are licensed, certified, or registered to practice independently to provide services on behalf of the organization. Eligibility is determined by the extent to which an applicant meets established standards/requirements such as education, licensure, professional standing, services, accessibility, and utilization and may include quality performance expectations pertaining to quality of care, services, or established performance/professional standards.

 

Question:  What is the "WPA"?

Answer:  The WPA or Washington Practitioner Application is a universal application designed to be used by all practitioner types (e.g. allopathic physicians, physical therapists, osteopathic physicians, nurse midwives, etc.) when applying to hospitals and healthcare insurance companies.  It was developed by the Washington Credentialing Standardization Group (WCSG) in 1995 and has undergone three revisions.  The current version is posted on our Tools page.

Question:  What is the "WCAT"?

Answer:  The Washington Delegated Credentialing Audit Tool or WCAT is a universal audit tool designed to be used by entities delegating credentialing to another entity.  It is based on the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) standards and revisions are completed as those standards are revised.   It was developed by the Washington Credentialing Standardization Group (WCSG) in 1998 and has undergone three revisions.  The current version is posted on our Tools page

Question:  What is a "Locums Tenens"?

Answer:  A Locum Tenens is a physician/practitioner who is temporarily working on behalf of a another physician/practitioner for a time frame not usually in excess of ninety (90) days.