At a recent meeting at Red Cross headquarters, a DHA leader reported that their decision to switch saved the MHS more than $23 million in 2022 and $25 million in 2023. Even more important, the transition saved 830,000 student and instructor training hours in 2022 and nearly one million hours in 2023.

National Recognition

Red Cross resuscitation certifications are accepted by:

• The Joint Commission
• The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)
• The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
• Commission on Accreditation for Prehospital Continuing Education (CAPCE)
• The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT)
• The EMS agencies of all 50 states
• The Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA)
• The DHA and MHS

ACEP POLICY NOTE

ACEP Believes You Exceed the Need for Short Course Merit Badges, Offers Cards

ACEP believes that certification by ABEM or AOBEM supersedes the need for so-called “merit badge” short courses. Such courses are generally designed for a broad spectrum of clinicians including non-emergency physicians and non-physicians. These are sometimes required for medical staff privileges.

Scan or click to get your cards.

Many credentialing bodies, however, still require emergency physicians to produce evidence of completion of the short courses.

For emergency physicians required to have a card, ACEP offers its members a set of personalized cards online, which attest that they are currently Board Certified by ABEM or AOBEM and have expertise in Procedural Sedation, Cardiac Resuscitation, and Trauma.

More than three million Red Cross BLS, ALS, and PALS certifications have been issued to health care personnel working in thousands of facilities, including some of the largest governmental, nonprofit, and for-profit health care systems in the U.S.

Benefits of Dual Acceptance

Health systems and educational institutions have every right to train their staff using the curricula they like best. Still, all academic programs and health care organizations should recognize both American Red Cross and AHA certifications. Those that do can onboard new hires without requiring them to retake time-consuming coursework. Dual acceptance allows health systems to “test drive” the other organization’s approach without conflicting with their policies or creating confusion at the bedside. When it comes time to renew a training contract, those who accept both organizations’ certifications are in a stronger negotiating position than those who do not.

The Bottom Line

Red Cross BLS, ALS, and PALS courses convey the same clinical and scientific content as those of the AHA. Health system experience suggests that Red Cross blended and adaptive learning is less costly and burdensome with no decrement in clinical performance. Health care systems can choose which organization they want to work with, but all should recognize both organizations’ certifications.