Office of Rural Programs

Credentialing

Letter of Good Standing | Health and Disability Insurance | HIPAA Training | Hospital Privileges | Immunizations | Universal Precautions

The University of Washington School of Medicine provides written confirmation to the WRITE Sites regarding liability coverage prior to the start of the on-site portion of the program.

The University’s Office of Risk Management has documentation which states that students have professional liability coverage while enrolled in the School of Medicine. The University’s faculty, staff and students are covered for professional liabilities arising from negligent acts and omissions occurring in the course and scope of their University duties. This coverage is provided through a self-insured program established pursuant to RCW 28B.20.250 et.seq. and governed by the Standing Orders of the Board of Regents. The professional liability program provides the stated coverage on a per-occurrence basis as stated in the Affiliation Agreement between the WRITE Site and the University of Washington.

This insurance covers School of Medicine students engaged in approved educational activities. It will not cover students when “moonlighting”, i.e., paid directly by a facility or volunteering to provide services that are not approved by the University as part of an educational program. As a general rule, if a student is not registered and paying tuition for an educational experience they should question whether there is professional liability coverage. It is recommended that if an activity or experience is in question, the student should call their WWAMI Regional Dean to get additional information before proceeding.

Letter of Good Standing (LOGS)

The UWSOM Registrar’s Office provides every student a letter of verification/recommendation 6 weeks prior to the start of the WRITE rotation.  The letter will be uploaded to the student’s eValue profile and will include:

    • The school’s certification of the WRITE curriculum at that WRITE Site.
    • The medical student’s academic standing at the school.
    • Compliance with the OSHA regulations regarding AIDS education.
    • The malpractice insurance information.
    • Evidence of HIPAA Training (see below).


Health and Disability Insurance

Students are strongly encouraged to maintain health insurance, whether it is purchased through the University or from another insurance carrier. There is an allowance in the student financial aid budget for the inclusion of insurance as an allowable expense. The student will want to be certain that they have insurance that will cover them outside the Seattle area and it is recommended that the student purchase a policy that will provide coverage for a 12-month period. There are specific times during the year when enrollment is allowed. Please refer to the M.D. Program Handbook for current information.

In light of family responsibilities, the cost of education, and the risks associated with practicing medicine, students are strongly encouraged to consider disability insurance. The University of Washington has information on plans specifically for medical students.

The student should be aware of the hospital protocol for handling on-the-job injuries. The physician caring for the student may choose to provide his/her services at a reduced fee (this should not be expected); however, any costs such as hospitalization, x-rays, blood work, etc. will not be waived.


HIPAA Training

The Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA, Title II) require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health plans, and employers. It also addresses the security and privacy of health data. Adopting these standards will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation’s healthcare system by encouraging the widespread use of electronic data interchange in healthcare.

WRITE students will have had HIPAA training utilizing the HIPAA Compliance Modules at the University of Washington School of Medicine prior to arriving at their WRITE Site. As HIPAA training is site-specific, WRITE Sites will have the option of accepting the student’s prior training from the UWSOM or of having the student take the WRITE Site-specific training.


Hospital Privileges

Some medical institutions contain a section related to medical student credentialing in their bylaws; hospitals use credentialing/privilege forms to document student information that they require and to list policies that must be adhered to by the student. If it is determined that credentialing/privileging is required by a WRITE Site’s hospital, the WRITE student will be sent hospital privilege forms by the WWAMI Regional Office. These forms are to be completed by the student and returned with the requested documentation, before the start of WRITE, to the WWAMI Regional Office. These forms will then be sent to the hospital(s) at the WRITE Site so that the hospital can then approve the student’s presence in their institution.


Immunizations

The UW School of Medicine requires that every student be up-to-date on his or her immunizations before going to a site, as stated in the Affiliation Agreement.  Please refer to the M.D. Program Handbook for current information.


Universal Precautions

All students enrolled in the School of Medicine complete a program on Universal Precautions and the appropriate handling of blood, tissues, and body fluid during their first-year orientation program and again at the UWSOM required clerkships’ orientation sessions. As part of the student’s professional development, they are responsible for incorporating these precautions into their routine in patient-care situations and must become knowledgeable of what is available at each hospital at their WRITE Site.

The student should speak to the WRITE preceptor about the Universal Precautions process that the UW expects them to use and become familiar with their WRITE site’s process. In the event that a student has contact with blood, tissue, or body fluids, information about what to do can be found here.