The Nebraska Credentials Verification Organization The Nebraska Credentials Verification Organization, a program under the Metro Omaha Medical Society,, began its service in 1991. The majority of entities in Omaha, Lincoln and Council Bluffs, along with various surrounding communities, now utilize the NCVO. The goal of a comprehensive credentialing program is to ensure that participating providers meet specific standards of professional qualification. The verification of a practitioner's credentials is a distinct labor-intensive process which NCVO performs, and acts as a “clearinghouse” for the collection, verification and distribution of the practitioner's information for its contracted entities. The verification processes, the mechanisms used and the confidentiality and security measures are documented in NCVO Policies and Procedures.

Both programs, Initial Staff Appointment/Membership and Reappointment, follow the Joint Commission and NCQA standards for primary source verification. Major Nebraska State organizations have endorsed the Universal Provider Application for Initial Staff Appointment, which was created through NCVO, as well as the  “universal” Provider Reappointment Application, Initial Allied Health Professional application and Reappointment Allied Health Application. These application forms include the core data elements essential for hospital and managed care credentialing which the accrediting bodies require.

NCVO only gathers information and provides verification of the practitioners' credentials - no value judgment or evaluation is made of the information collected or documented. The entities receive true and exact copies of the information gathered through a method of transmittal agreed upon between the parties.  In the credentialing process, the services provided by NCVO are not intended to replace or substitute for the role of the health care entity, which is to evaluate applicants, make recommendations and award membership or privileges.

All parties involved benefit from the centralized approach to credentials verification –

• practitioners complete one uniform application
• offices deal with one source, NCVO
• health care entities streamline their credentialing process and save time otherwise spent verifying and collecting the applicant’s information
• and, the verification sources are relieved from multiple inquiries for the same information.