STUDENT CHECKLIST TO PREPARE FOR PPE

Please read this entire Checklist carefully, as it contains important information pertaining to your PPE requirements.

1. Clinical Contract
Once the organization agrees to accept you for the PPE, and WGU begins contract negotiations, you can begin preparing for the PPE. The PPE Manager will inform you about any special requirements from the organization at which you will be doing your PPE. (For example, some require TB test, others do not; some sites require an orientation session prior to start, etc.) If there are no special requirements, following is a list of those required by our WGU contract.

2. Professional Liability Insurance

https://www.proliability.com Students are required to have professional liability coverage while attending the PPE. Professional liability insurance can be acquired through Marsh, Inc. Their website is at the URL above and costs $35 as a student and member of the AHIMA. In the student drop down list you will find in the application, you choose health information management for the type needed. The policy is valid for one year. It may take a week or two for you to receive your proof of liability insurance, so plan accordingly. **see the last page of this document for instructions on how to turn in this portion of your packet**

3. Criminal Background Check

You are required to have a criminal background check. Verified Credentials, Inc. found at http://scholar.verifiedcredentials.com/?organization=wgu How it works:

1. Enter this code located above the Get Started button the right side of the page. Our WGU code is: WXDCX-93293 2. Create an account 3. Enter all required information 4. Provide supporting documentation 5. Track your progress If you have any questions, the Client Services Team is ready to assist you. Their toll free number is 800.938.6090. Their email address is ClientServices@verifiedcredentials.com The cost for the background check is $75.00 Verified Credentials, Inc. is aware of the type of information required for HIIM students in clinical experiences. They will perform a county criminal record search (in New York a state search is required); check the National Criminal Database, which includes the Terror Watch list and sex offender registry; identification search; and a search that would locate any activity in Medicare/Medicaid fraud. If there are any other special requirements by the healthcare organization, the BSHI program coordinator will make you aware of those requirements. The background check will take approximately one week. Another site you may use is at www.wgucompliance.com and its name is American Data Base. The difference between the Verified Credentials site and this one is that Verified Credentials charges the same fee for all students, where as American Data Base has separate charges based on where you live now, how many counties you have lived in, and if they need to check more than one name. Their base price is $42, but there may be additional charges based on where you live. You may want to check out American Data Base first, to see what the cost would be, and then compare it with Verified Credentials. American Data Base has set up their site for WGU Nursing students, and for you, listed as Health Informatics Tech. The criminal background check takes approximately 7-10 days between the time of your application and receipt of your results. **see the last page of this document for instructions on how to turn in this portion of your packet **

4. Understand the Work Service Agreement

There is language in the WGU clinical contract that describes what is known as a 'service work agreement.' One of the requirements by the Commission for Accreditation in Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM) is that you will participate in unpaid clinical experiences or internships. This also means that if you are participating in a PPE at the same facility at which you work, but in a different location or department, you may not be paid for the

time you are participating in the student role: being paid would be considered a breech of the WGU clinical contract and a violation of the CAHIIM standards.

5. Immunizations and Health Insurance

If you attend a PPE at a healthcare organization, you may be required to obtain specific immunizations and in some cases a drug screen. This will depend on clinical site requirements. The cost for immunizations and drug screen is the responsibility of the student. The cost will vary, depending on requirements. The PPE Manager will make you aware of the types of immunizations you will need. You will be responsible for providing the immunization information to the PPE site, either through email or by taking a copy of immunizations with you. Since this is your personal health information, WGU asks that you share this via a secured website, and please keep a copy for yourself until you have completed both PPE requirements. **see the last page of this document for instructions on how to access the secure website for your documents **

All students are responsible for their own healthcare expenses. Some sites require that you show proof of your health insurance, in order to show that you have medical coverage in the event you need medical care while at the clinical site. **see the last page of this document for instructions on how to turn in this portion of your packet** Important: Neither the PPE organization nor WGU are responsible for a students healthcare expenses incurred while attending the PPE.

6. Photo for Health Informatics Student I.D.

You will be required to wear a WGU Health Informatics Student I.D. when at the clinical site. Please upload a head-shot photo. The badge will be made and it will be mailed directly to your home. (No cost to you) Make sure that the address in your WGU Degree Plan is correctthat is the address your badge will be sent to. This process takes approximately 10-14 days. **see the last page of this document for instructions on how to turn in this portion of your packet**

7. Receive your PPE Evaluation Sheet and Time Log

The PPE Manager will send your Clinical Mentor the PPE Evaluation Sheet and Time Log, and will also send a copy of these two documents to you. These are provided to you so that you may review the different areas upon which you will be evaluated, and also begin on the first day, tracking the time spent at the facility. Your Clinical Mentor will need to initial the Time Log,

and after you complete the PPE, the Time Log and the Evaluation will be emailed to the Course of Study Mentor for her review.

8. Prepare a brief resume

Students are required to prepare a brief (one-page) resume of your professional work experience, education, and courses completed in the BSHI program. This will help the Clinical Mentor to develop an experience for you to take you beyond your current comfort level and challenge you. It also helps the Clinical Mentor place you in projects or areas where you may have some expertise, in order to see how you apply those skills in their environment. **see the last page of this document for instructions on how to turn in this portion of your packet**

9. Open the Tasks in Task Stream for the PPE

The first PPE has three Tasks found in Task Stream, and the second PPE has four. When you begin the PPE, open the Tasks in order to begin working on them while you are at the PPE. The Tasks require information which you will gather while at the PPE; even if you dont submit the Tasks into Task Stream while performing your clinical hours, you will need to gather information at the site. If you have any questions about the Tasks for the PPE, contact the Course of Study Mentor.

** Submitting documentation:
Once you have collected all documents, log in or create and account on the following website: https://qualifiedfirst.verifiedcredentials.com/authentication/logon Upload your documents: Click on the My Profile tab. You may upload all your documents as Miscellaneous Information or you can pick a more appropriate category if you wish for each document separately. Click on the + symbol to the right of the category you select, and then click on the Add button. Add a title that describes what the document is. For Date Expires, enter 6 months from todays date. This will ensure that WGU can prove that you have everything in order for your PPE site as legally obligated in the contract the entire time you are there.

Click the Browse button and find the file on your computer, and upload. Click Save.

Sharing: Next click on the Sharing tab at the top of the screen. Click Add to Share List to the right of every document you just uploaded. If you used Verified Credentials to do your background check, it will automatically appear for you. If you used American Data Bank, make sure to upload and share along with the rest of your documents. Click the green Next button to review what youve selected. You might need to toggle to the Profile Information tab in the middle of the page to be able to see all of your documents. Click the green Next button again. Share your portfolio by email to eamador@wgu.edu. You may also be required to share this information with the PPE site, you will be instructed to do so if required. In the message box, just type in your name. Click send invitation as e-mail and a code will be emailed to WGU to see these documents for the specified time frame. If you forget to upload a document, go back and do so, then share all of the documents again. This will give WGU another code and access to all of the documents at once and be easier to track. If you have any questions about this process, feel free to email the PPE Manager, Liz Amador, at eamador@wgu.edu or you may call her directly at 801-428-5289.