Certification
Q: Will the UCNS continue to offer NCC certification examinations now that the ABPN is offering a NCC certification?
A: The UCNS has been offering certification for physicians in the subspecialty of NCC since 2007. The UCNS is committed to its continued support of the subspecialty and will continue business as usual including offering a
2021 UCNS Neurocritical Care Certification Examination, which will include the practice track pathway of eligibility.
Q: Can I continue my UCNS NCC certification?
A:
All UCNS diplomates, including those certified in NCC, will continue their UCNS certifications through the new
continuous certification (C-cert) process that launches in 2020. The
transition to C-cert is underway with all diplomates needing to meet the
CME transition requirements and then completing the simple online attestation. After the CME requirements are met and the online attestation is completed, no future CME tracking or reporting will be required as part of the C-cert process. UCNS diplomates will no longer be required to take a high-stakes recertification examination to maintain certification. Time-limited certificates will be replaced with certificates that don’t expire as long as the annual C-cert requirements are met. Certification status will be updated on an annual basis.
Q: I am currently UCNS-certified in NCC. Will I need to certify in NCC again once the new ABPN examination is completed?
A: Current UCNS NCC diplomates may continue their current certification through the UCNS C-cert process.
UCNS NCC certification will not automatically transfer to the newly created ABPN NCC subspecialty certification. Anyone seeking certification through that certifying body will need to take the high-stakes ABPN NCC examination. The sponsoring boards that
applied for the new NCC certification (ABPN, American Board of Anesthesiology, American Board of Emergency Medicine, and American Board of Neurological Surgery) have established primary specialty eligibility criteria for the ABPN’s NCC certification and it is now published on the
ABPN website.
Q: Who is responsible for writing the UCNS certification eligibility requirements, certification examinations, and C-cert quizzes?
A: The Neurocritical Care Society and the American Academy of Neurology’s Emergency Neurology and Critical Care Section are the sponsoring organizations that are responsible for the subspecialty-specific initial certification eligibility criteria and training program accreditation standards. They have an ongoing active role as the source for providing expert volunteers who serve on the
UCNS NCC Certification Examination Committee and nominating the subspecialty’s representation on the
UCNS Board of Directors.
Q: Will ABMS certification result in better reimbursement than UCNS certification?
A: No. Reimbursement is not tied to certification. Reimbursement is tied to taxonomy codes that are approved by the National Uniform Claim Committee. The UCNS and the American Academy of Neurology were successful in obtaining a taxonomy code approved for NCC (2084A2900X) in 2016.
Q: Will my institution continue to recognize my UCNS certification?
A: UCNS certification has been the recognized certification for NCC since 2007. The UCNS will continue to uphold the high standards of its certification examinations and the peer oversight of the process. Educate your institution, department chairs, chief medical officers, and credentialing committees about UCNS certification through distribution of the UCNS Certification Recognition Document found with the
certification promotional resources on the UCNS website. If additional information is needed, please
contact the UCNS and we are happy to speak directly to the appropriate individual(s) at your institution.
Q: How can I find out more about the ABPN certification requirements?
A: As final requirements are developed and announced, the details will be available on the
ABPN website.
Q: Who should I contact at the UCNS if I have additional questions relating to UCNS NCC certification?
A: Information can be found on the UCNS website or contact Todd Bulson, Senior Manager, Certification at (612) 928-6067 or
tbulson@ucns.org.