Interruption of Nurse Aide Testing

TO:	Owners and Directors Nurse Aide Training Proprietary Schools
FROM:	Carole W. Yates, Associate Curriculum Unit
DATE:	November 25, 2002
SUBJECT:	CHANGE IN NURSE AIDE TESTING CONTRACTOR AND INTERRUPTION OF TESTING

The Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision (BPSS) has been notified by Diane Lenzner Cohen, Director, Bureau of Professional Credentialing, that the New York State Department of Health (DOH) has selected the Chauncey Group International (Chauncey), a subsidiary of Educational Testing Service (ETS), as the new contractor for the New York State Nursing Home Nurse Aide Certification Program. This includes the operation of the New York State Nursing Home Nurse Aide Registry, administration of the nurse aide competency examination, and processing of nurse aide certification and recertification applications. DOH has entered into a contract with Chauncey for these services effective January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2005. Assessment Systems, Inc. (ASI) will continue to serve DOH until midnight on December 31, 2002.

To facilitate the timely transfer of information between ASI and Chauncey, nurse aide competency testing will be suspended effective December 15, 2002. In addition, only those recertification forms received by ASI on or prior to December 14, 2002, will be processed. The NYS Nurse Aide Registry will remain operational, and verifications will continue under ASI through December 31, 2002. Recertification forms and certification forms received after that date will be mailed to Chauncey by ASI. All services will resume on January 1, 2003, under Chauncey.

Chauncey will distribute their application and recertification forms to nurse aide training programs, nursing homes, non-nursing home employers of certified nurse aides, and nurse aide evaluators on a date in the near future. In addition, Chauncey will be contacting you with dates for training seminars that will introduce your staff to their nurse aide registry, competency testing, certification and recertification procedures and fees. These seminars will be most helpful to your nurse aide training program staff.

Any questions should be directed to DOH's Nurse Aide unit at (518) 478-1060 or to Carole Yates at (518) 474-3969.

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