Hello! Going through the VA onboarding process, it's as challenging as I've been warned it would be, hoping to be near the end. My credentialing packet is complete and awaiting signatures. Does anyone have any experience on how long that takes or what the process is once a packet is complete? Thank you!
VA Credentialing
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It took a bit for me. Whole process around 6 months, I believe credentialing was about half of that.
Naive to this process but curious: does this happen before someone’s start date? Or after they have started working and getting paid? If the latter, what does one do on a daily basis while in limbo and not fully credentialed yet?
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If being hired from outside you would not start until credentialing is complete (I believe). If you are internal they might keep you doing what you are doing until you are credentialed to shift you to the position requiring credentialing.
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It’s a long process if you’re an external applicant and there are countless stories of how a VA will lose a quality candidate because the process took too long and that person either changed their mind or found another job.
The biggest factor in length of time is probably how efficient and/or behind various depts such as the Credentialing and Privileging Office are since they also re-credential every currently licensed provider on a scheduled basis and some are struggling with staffing levels.
Then you have things like whether your completed packet will be ready during the monthly hospital credentialing review board meeting as Shiori mentioned so if you miss that, it’s more time added on.
I think that’s usually the final step in the process so then it gets kicked back to HR and the hiring department to identify a firm start date and send the firm final offer, which again can be delayed if HR is bad/behind or your hiring manager/dept procrastinate.
Good luck! Hopefully I’m not too off base since this is just what I’ve gleaned from my own VA experiences of being hired on and transferring within the VA.
The biggest factor in length of time is probably how efficient and/or behind various depts such as the Credentialing and Privileging Office are since they also re-credential every currently licensed provider on a scheduled basis and some are struggling with staffing levels.
Then you have things like whether your completed packet will be ready during the monthly hospital credentialing review board meeting as Shiori mentioned so if you miss that, it’s more time added on.
This kinda sounds like they are just waiting on that review board to meet again and have that interdisciplinary board rubber stamp it (I doubt there’s much pushback at these meetings).
I think that’s usually the final step in the process so then it gets kicked back to HR and the hiring department to identify a firm start date and send the firm final offer, which again can be delayed if HR is bad/behind or your hiring manager/dept procrastinate.
Good luck! Hopefully I’m not too off base since this is just what I’ve gleaned from my own VA experiences of being hired on and transferring within the VA.
Sanman
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Welcome to Dante's first circle of hell.
Once you have completed your packet and they have verified your references, etc. it goes to your dept chief for signature, then the professional standards board, then to the front office for the chief of staff and hospital admin. The process is slightly different depending on if in house or outside hr staff are processing the documents. Dept chiefs are usually quick. Professional standards board varies. Some convene monthly others more quickly. Front office is usually the slowest. They usually only meet monthly and if your HR rep is slow to get everything ready for the meeting, your app sits on a pile for another month. The summer is coming up, so add in vacations and some canceled meetings into the process. This may add a month or two of wait time. Good luck.
Once you have completed your packet and they have verified your references, etc. it goes to your dept chief for signature, then the professional standards board, then to the front office for the chief of staff and hospital admin. The process is slightly different depending on if in house or outside hr staff are processing the documents. Dept chiefs are usually quick. Professional standards board varies. Some convene monthly others more quickly. Front office is usually the slowest. They usually only meet monthly and if your HR rep is slow to get everything ready for the meeting, your app sits on a pile for another month. The summer is coming up, so add in vacations and some canceled meetings into the process. This may add a month or two of wait time. Good luck.
