by NAACLS Karen A. Brown, MS, M(ASCP), MLS(ASCP)^CM, NAACLS Board of Directors, President-Elect

NAACLS is pleased to announce the launch of a new accreditation avenue. The pathway is Biomedical Scientist (BMS). Several different professionals are encompassed under the NAACLS-defined umbrella of BMS. The BMS professional is qualified by academic and applied science education to provide service and/or research in existing or emerging professions outside traditional clinical laboratory environments. Examples may include clinical embryologists or nanotechnologists. The specific scope of practice and entry-level competencies will vary depending on each unique profession, and these professionals may work in industry or specialty clinics and laboratories. Note that BMS programs, as defined by NAACLS, should not be confused with the international Biomedical Laboratory Science (BLS) course of study.

This novel BMS avenue is for programs that grant a bachelor’s degree or higher. However, the BMS route is not designed to replace the traditional Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) accreditation pathway. While the BMS pathway is not expressly for MLS programs, emerging discipline programs that award a master’s degree may consider this route as an accreditation option.

Unique Standards for BMS programs have been adopted and specify requisites for program administration (Standard VII) and curriculum requirements (Standard VIII). Although many programs may fall under the BMS umbrella, the unique Standards VII and VIII have been developed to allow flexibility in program types. Program administration requirements in Standard VII parallel those of other established accreditation pathways. Curriculum specifications in Standard VIII simply address laboratory services for all major areas practiced in the contemporary field and level of practice for a particular BMS discipline.

Because BMS programs may not be from what are considered traditional clinical laboratory settings, the accreditation process for a BMS program begins with submission of the Preliminary Potential Partnership Questionnaire (PPP). NAACLS uses the information from this form to understand a program and to determine the next steps. After review of the PPP, the accreditation process for this new pathway is the same as for all programs currently accredited by NAACLS. A program seeking accreditation should first download an Accreditation Application Packet from the NAACLS Website or request it from NAACLS Staff. All requests listed in the packet must be satisfied before the process continues. These include providing an intent letter signed by an appropriate administrator, completing the application form, paying an application fee, and submitting a Preliminary Report (as defined in the Standards Compliance Guide), which will ask for additional information beyond that submitted in the PPP.

Once all these preliminary requirements have been completed and submitted to NAACLS, volunteers will review the application packet and determine if the program has the potential to become a NAACLS Accredited program. The program is encouraged to begin preparation of the Self-Study Report while the Accreditation Application Packet is being reviewed. However, the program cannot submit their self-study until the Accreditation Application Packet is approved. The Self-Study Report is normally due within three months of the first graduating class or current cohort to ensure the students who have successfully completed the program would be eligible for a certification exam, if a certification exam is recognized for the field of practice. After receipt of the Self-Study Report, the program reaches Serious Applicant Status and the appropriate fee is assessed. After submission of the self-study, NAACLS Volunteers evaluate the program’s Self-Study Report. The program must respond to this evaluation and the program is scheduled for a site visit. The program must also respond to the Site Visit Report from the site visitors. Additional steps by NAACLS are included in the accreditation process as all documents pertaining to the program are assessed by the appropriate review committee, the NAACLS Quality Assurance Committee evaluates the review committee’s recommendation, and finally, the NAACLS Board of Directors determines whether to award or withhold accreditation of the new program.

Through this rigorous process, NAACLS is dedicated to ensuring only high-quality programs are granted accreditation.

For questions about the BMS accreditation pathway or to request an application packet, contact Michele Giannosa at [email protected].