How to start a school offering health care programs

For those who wish to start a school offering allied health care programs the approval process is often more approval-intense than other types of career schools because the school must not only seek approval as an institution from its State’s Approval or Licensure Authority but in many cases must also seek the approval/accreditation from the State’s Board of Nursing or Health Department for the particular programs that they may wish to offer.

In California for example:

Certified Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Licensing and Certification (L&C) Program, Aide and Technician Certification Section (ATCS), certifies nurse assistants (CNAs), home health aides (HHAs) and hemodialysis technicians (CHTs) and maintains a registry for these categories of health care workers. ATCS' responsibilities also include oversight of training programs, instructor qualifications and Competency Evaluation programs.

Even though each individual state decides licensing requirements, but most states do not at this time. California requires all phlebotomy technicians to be certified and have a state license by 2006. Upon completion of the program students should receive a certificate of completion and become eligible for certification in the State of California as a Certified Phlebotomist Technician level 1 through DHS, Field Services.

Employers prefer to hire experienced workers and may prefer certified applicants who have passed a national examination, indicating that they phlebotomy technician meets certain standards of competence. You should consider getting your Phlebotomy Technician Program approved by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

Although there is no state licensure for phlebotomists, those who obtain certification from national credentialing agencies such as the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel, American Society of Clinical Pathologists, and the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians will have a better chance for employment. To be eligible to take the certification exam, the student must complete one year as a part-time phlebotomist or six months as a full-time phlebotomist or successfully complete an accredited phlebotomy training program, including at least 100 documented successful venipunctures and 25 documented successful skin punctures. Continuing education hours are required every year to maintain certification.

Upon completion of a MRI Technology program, graduates should be eligible to sit for the American Registry of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists (ARMRIT) National Certification examination. www.armrit.org

According to the ARRT Radiologic technologist is a term that describes not only radiographers, but also radiation therapists, nuclear medicine technologists, sonographers, and MRI technologists. Upon completion of a MRI Technology program, graduates should be eligible to sit for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) examination http://www.arrt.org/

MRI Technology program should seek a programmatic accreditation by Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) 8-24 months for the accreditation process. http://www.jrcert.org

Although Ultrasound Technologists are not required to meet licensure requirements in California, employers may require credential(s) offered by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS). Graduates of Ultrasound Technology program may be eligible for ARDMS exams. For more information about the ARDMS exam requirements, visit http://www.ardms.org

The law does require individual Vocational Nurse be Board Of Vocational Nursing And Psychiatric Technicians BVNPT certified to work. To get the LVN license it′s required to pass a licensing examination after completing a State-approved Vocational Nursing program. Students will be eligible to take the NCLEX-PN licensure examination to become certified after completion of the program

The law DOES require Psychiatric Technicians to be BVNPT certified to work. To get the Psychiatric Technician license it′s required to pass a licensing examination after completing a State-approved Psychiatric Technician program that is approved by the BVNPT.

There is no national licensure examination for PTs. The BVNPT Board develops and administers a year-round computer-administered examination to approximately 1,000 applicants annually at 24 test centers. When a PT applicant is approved, a Notice of Eligibility and Candidate Handbook is mailed. The applicant is responsible for calling the toll-free number to schedule an appointment to test.

The law does NOT require Medical Assistants to be State certified to work. The certification is voluntarily. Graduates of a program should receive a certificate upon completion and would be eligible to sit for the Certified Medical Assistant exam sponsored by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)

The law does NOT require State certification to work Most municipalities require that you become licensed if you are going to practice in the Massage field. In California each country determines its licensure requirements.

No special license is required for surgical technologists; however, most hospitals require certification. Surgical technologists can become Certified Surgical Technologists (CSTs) by completing a CAAHEP-accredited surgical technology program and passing an examination given by the Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologists (LCC-ST). Surgical technologists must renew their certification every four years. They may participate in continuing education hours or retake the certifying examination.

The list goes on. I believe the best way to realize your vision is to write a thorough business plan. I have assisted many clients to formulate their business plans thereby making the task of applying for licensure a great deal easier. A well written business plan for a college or school will incorporate many of the items that are required for a successful application. If you need a business plan with sizzle or want to start the application to your State’s Approval Agency, please contact me or call me at 818-666-1333 and we can discuss the how to get started. I can help take your ideas and strategies and put them down on paper in a well thought-out road map for success.

A good business plan and/or application to your State’s Postsecondary Approval Agency can be seen as a using a development process. The point of using a development process is to succeed at “product development” or in this case establishing a vocational school. You should want to start a private career school that meets student’s needs in the field or profession you are targeting. You are also going to want to do this in the right time frame and at the right cost, in a way that maximizes your financial return on the venture. Since establishing a vocational school is inherently complex and often risky, and since the push for financial return often mandates speedy development, the process should geared to providing a framework and specific tools for efficiently and predictably reaching goals.

• Who will you serve and what will you offer that’s valuable and marketable?

• How will your operating procedures ensure that students are always informed and protected?

• How will you use graduate follow-up data (job placement) to improve your programs?

Organize the information for your business plan. Include information on you and your partners, the course outlines, the type of students that you would be targeting, an analysis of the area you want to establish the school, other schools of the same type in the area, qualifications of faculty needed to teach the courses you are intended to offer and potential risk.

Step 3:
Write an executive summary. This might be the first section of the plan, a description of all the elements covered in more detail later.

Step 4:
Describe your company. Spell out the purpose of your school. Write a mission statement. Talk about the skills you and your management team have.

Step 5:
Explain your program offerings. Detail how you will teach them. Analyze the costs associated with this process. List your supply sources for equipment and books etc.

Step 6:
Talk about the market you're entering. Discuss general trends in the industry. Include details about the market segment you are pursuing, the niche you are targeting and your target customer/student; provide demographics on your potential customers/students. Establish a need for the program by researching the demographics of the area and the job placement possibilities for your graduates. Analyze your competition.

Step 7:
Describe your admission/marketing plan. Explain how you will generate enrollment through advertising, promotion and public relations. Estimate all costs conservatively.

If you need a business plan with sizzle or want to start the application to your State’s Approval Agency or need advice about how to get started and which approvals you will require please contact me or call me at 818-666-1333 and we can discuss how to get started. I can help take your ideas and strategies and put them down on paper in a well thought-out road map for success.