Available for sale: January 1, 2013
Sold Until: December 31, 2013
Program Access Available: January 1, 2013-July 15, 2014

The program is composed of the eight courses listed below which can be completed online in 1 - 2 hours each, and a comprehensive multiple-choice exam. Each course contains a lecture, required reading, a quiz and some include case studies, practical exercises, and reference materials. There are opportunities for interaction with faculty and other participants using the program discussion boards.

• Administration
• Communication
• Connectivity and Information Technology
• Education and Training
• Instrument Selection and Validation
• Policies and Procedures
• Quality Management
• Regulation

You can earn 13 ACCENT® continuing education credits for completing the entire program. To receive the POC Specialist certificate, you must successfully complete all eight courses and pass a comprehensive multiple-choice examination by the program end date.

Certificates are awarded online upon successful completion of the program. Graduates are recognized at the AACC Annual Meeting and are listed on a register located on the certificate program web page and the AACC Critical and Point-of-Care Testing Division web site.

The AACC Critical and Point-of-Care Testing Division has developed this comprehensive online program to prepare point-of-care specialists for their critical role and to promote standardized best practices in near patient testing. The curriculum is scientifically sound and reflects current recommended practice.

After completing this program, participants can expect to:

• Discuss regulations, accreditation, standards and guidelines related to Point of Care
• Discuss the many aspects of testing, quality improvement processes and safety considerations
• Learn the differences between policies and procedures, and know the importance behind documentation and standardizing procedures
• Understand the requirements for system validation and how to select instrumentation
• Understand concerns related to Point of Care connectivity and technology
• Explore the leadership, educational and training needs for a POCT program

The following individuals developed the Point-of-Care Specialist Certificate Program and contributed to content in this course:

• Marcy Anderson, MS, MT (ASCP)
  Chair, CLSI, Wayne, PA
• Barbara Goldsmith, PhD, FACB
  Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
• Sheila Coffman, MT(ASCP)
  QAS Inc, San Antonio, TX
• Christine Cursio, BS
  Toronto Medical Labs, Toronto, Canada
• Corinne Fantz, PhD, DABCC, FACB
  Emory Crawford Long Hospital, Atlanta, GA
• Pam Green, MBA(HCM) MT(ASCP)
  Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ
• Kerstin Halverson, MS, BA
  Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
• Angie Hildebrand, MT(ASCP)
  Oregon Medical Labs, Portland, OR
• Sharon Norman, MBA, MT(ASCP)
  Seattle VA Puget Sound, Seattle, WA
• Elizabeth Porter, BS, MT (ASCP)
  Quest Diagnostics, Cincinnati, OH
• Kelly Warnberg, BS, ASCP, NCA
  Tricore Reference Labs, Albuquerque, NM
• LouAnn Wyer, MS, MT, ASCP
  Sentara Laboratory Services, Norfolk, VA
• Marcia Zucker, PhD
  Response Biomedical, Vancouver, BC

This program is sponsored by the Critical and Point-of-Care Testing Division and is supported by Abbott Point of Care.

Open Enrollment: January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013
Program Access Available: January 1, 2013-July 15, 2014

• 13 ACCENT® continuing education credits
• Eight online courses in the program
• Fee: $250 AACC Member/$500 Non-member
• Course Number: 7741
• If you purchase the program over the telephone, the online access information will be emailed within 1 week of enrollment.  If you purchase the program online, the login information will be on your confirmation page. If you have not received your access information, please contact AACC Customer Service.
• If you purchase the program via mail or fax, please allow 2 weeks for processing.
• Participants can begin their course work on January 1, 2013, but it is not available prior to that.

ACCENT® credit will be offered. AACC is an approved provider of continuing education for clinical laboratory scientists in the states of California, Florida, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.