Department
of Health
Division of Medical Quality Assurance
Licensee CE Compliance Audits
Starting April,
2006, the Department of Health will begin to conduct 100% audits of Department
licensee’s continuing education credits through the new continuing education
compliance determination system (CE Broker). The Department currently audits
2% of health care licensee’s continuing education records and those licensees
found lacking in their mandated CE requirements are sent to the appropriate
regulatory Board for discipline.
Under the new plan,
the Department of Health will analyze the CE hours which are in CE Broker for
100% of the individual licensees. If a licensee does not have the required number
and type of hours listed in CE Broker, the licensee’s record will be
flagged and placed in a second audit pool. The second audit will then be performed
by a vendor contracted with the Department of Health. The vendor will take the
audit pool consisting of licensees who do not appear to have their mandated
CE credits and randomly select 50% of those licensees for a complete audit over
the next biennium. In short, 25% of the non-compliant licensees will be audited
each year. If this second audit concludes that a licensee failed to get their
CE credits for the preceding licensure period, that licensee’s name and
information will be forwarded to the appropriate Board for discipline.
Department of Health
Continuing
Education Compliance Determination System
Frequently Asked
Questions
1. What
is CE Broker and why was it developed?
CE Broker is the
name of an electronic tracking system developed for the Department of Health
to help track and facilitate audits of continuing education (CE) credits earned
by Florida’s health care practitioners. The Department of Health was
mandated by law to implement an electronic tracking system.
2. How
does CE Broker affect my license renewal?
CE Broker or the
electronic tracking system has no effect on your ability to renew your license.
3. If
I, as a licensee, do not have the necessary CE credits reported in CE Broker
to meet the CE requirements, will the licensee be disciplined?
If an audit (electronic)
indicates you failed to meet your CE requirements, you will be referred for
possible action against your license. This process includes an opportunity for
you to submit, manually or electronically, proof of your compliance with the
CE requirements and thus avoid further action against your license. Only if
you cannot prove compliance with your CE requirements will you be subject to
further action against your license. Discipline will be conducted according
to the licensure rules which govern your profession.
4. Will
my license be renewed if at time of renewal any or all of my required CE course
credits have not been reported to CE Broker?
Yes, your license
will be renewed as compliance with your CE requirements is not linked to renewing
your license and data in CE Broker is not used during renewal.
5 How
will the information in CE Broker be used by the Department of Health?
The information
collected in CE Broker will allow for the enhanced auditing of licensees by
verifying which licensees have completed their required CE hours, in accordance
with the laws and rules governing their profession, by the last day of the licensure
biennium.
6. Can
I self-submit a course completion report to CE Broker?
Yes, you may self-report
course hours not otherwise reported, if allowed by your profession’s
rules, by accessing the CE Broker website, at no cost.
7. When
does the data in the electronic tracking system apply to me?
The tracking of
data relating to your CE course credits begins with your first biennium licensure
period after January 1, 2004.
8.
Is my CE information in CE Broker a public record?
Yes.
9. Must
I subscribe to CE Broker?
Subscription with
CE Broker is completely voluntary and is not required to self submit CE credits.
10. Will
I be exposed to a greater risk of CE audit if I do not subscribe to CE Broker?
No, all licensees
will be audited by the Department of Health approximately three months after
renewal regardless of whether or not you subscribe.
11. Will
a subscription to CE Broker affect the way I am currently regulated, audited,
inspected, monitored or discipline by the Department of Health?
No, the Department
of Health will have no knowledge of who subscribes or doesn’t subscribe
to the services offered by CE Broker.
12. What
advantages would I, as a licensee, gain by subscribing to CE Broker and paying
the subscription fee?
A subscription
with CE Broker gives you 24/7 online access to view your CE transcript and compliance
determination, view your chronological course history, search for courses that
fulfill the CE requirements for your profession including times and locations,
view how a course will count towards meeting your CE requirements, provide notices
and reminders for your CE requirements, and provide you access to frequently
asked questions about your specific CE requirements. Please visit the CE Broker
website at www.cebroker.com for more information
on the advantages of subscribing.
FSRC
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