Initial Applicants

Purpose of Accreditation

The field of medicine is ever-changing and healthcare providers need to learn continuously. Accredited continuing medical education (CME) should motivate providers to reach their full potential in a safe non-biased space. Thus accredited organizations must demonstrate that they will deliver independent CME that accelerates learning, change, and improvement in healthcare. 

Expectations of NHMS

• Eligible organizations that decide to apply for NHMS accreditation should be prepared to demonstrates compliance with the ACCME Accreditation Criteria and NHMS policies. For this reason, organizations considering application must plan, implement and evaluate at least one CME activity within the 24 months prior to beginning the accreditation process.
• NHMS expects its accredited providers to monitor their overall CME program for compliance with the ACCME Accreditation Criteria and NHMS policies and to fulfill annual reporting requirements.
• Payment of certain fees is required to obtain and maintain NHMS accreditation. 
• It is strongly recommended that accredited providers have physician involvement in their CME program.

Eligibility

The following criteria must be met before an organization will be considered for NHMS accreditation:

The organization must:

• Be located in New Hampshire or Vermont. 
• Serve a target audience of no more than 30% of physician learners from outside New Hampshire and its contiguous states. 
• Not be an ineligible company. An ineligible company is one whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. 
• Be developing and presenting CME programs on a regular and reoccurring basis.
• Present activities that have "valid" content. Specifically, these activities should promote recommendations, treatment or manners of practicing medicine that are within the definition of CME. Providers are not eligible for accreditation if they present activities that promote treatments that are known to have risks or dangers that outweigh the benefits or are known to be ineffective in the treatment of patients;
• Demonstrate an overall organizational commitment to the CME program, including physician support, financial support, staffing, and record-keeping resources.

The Pre-Application Process:

In the pre-application process, organizations explain their eligibility and demonstrate that they are able to fulfill ACCME Accreditation Criteria and NHMS policies when producing CME activities. 

1. Review the requirements and processes outlined in the following documents:
   
   1. ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education^SM
   2. NHMS Accreditation Requirements;
2. Complete and submit the Pre-Application for NHMS Accreditation and a non-refundable application processing fee of $250.  
   
   Once you have completed and submitted the Pre-Application for NHMS Accreditation and paid the pre-application fee, NHMS will review to determine your organization's eligibility and to verify that your organization has mechanisms in place to meet NHMS requirements.
3. Begin the process for achieving Provisional Accreditation.  
   
   NHMS will notify your organization of the pre-application review outcome and whether or not you are eligible to continue with the process for achieving Provisional Accreditation- a two-year term. NHMS sends this notification via e-mail, usually within four weeks of receipt of a pre-application.
   
   If the pre-application is deemed not appropriate at the time, NHMS will contact the applicant and explain the reasons for denial and areas that need further development. An applicant may reapply once changes have been made to meet the accreditation standards.

Initial Accreditation Process

If your organization is deemed eligible through the pre-application review process, you will be invited to continue with the initial accreditation process.  The MMS’ initial accreditation process is an opportunity for each applicant to demonstrate that its practice of CME is in compliance with the MMS’ accreditation requirements through three primary sources of data:

• Initial self-study report for MMS accreditation
• Evidence of performance-in-practice
• Initial accreditation survey interview

You will be required to submit the written self-study report and evidence of performance-in-practice.  Once all required information has been received, the MMS will schedule your accreditation survey interview. As a part of the survey the MMS surveyor team may attend a scheduled, live CME activity to evaluate the presentation content as well the level of compliance with regard to: attendance monitoring, faculty disclosure, evaluation, commercial support and exhibits. Routinely, the DME, CME Coordinator, members of the CME Committee and Medical Science Librarian (if applicable) will meet with the MMS survey team.  This interview may take up to two-hours.  During the interview portion of the survey, the surveyor team will ask questions to help determine the organization's level of compliance with the ACCME’s Accreditation Criteria and MMS Policies.

After the survey, the surveyor team members will write and submit a report with their findings to the MMS Committee on Accreditation Review (CAR). The CAR will review the report at its next scheduled meeting and a decision will be made about accreditation. At this time, an accreditation fee of $3,500 (as of 1/1/2016) will be due from the organization. The organization will be notified in writing about the results of the survey. The MMS will also notify the ACCME about the organization's new accreditation status, accreditation term and expiration date. The maximum term an initial applicant can receive is two years. After the initial term, the organization would be eligible for reaccreditation. If successful in reaccreditation, the organization would be eligible for a status of either Accreditation (with a four year term) or Accreditation with Commendation (with a six year term).