Frequently Asked Questions

Do the Directors of the ABCP get paid?
Who are the Directors of the American Board?
How many Directors are on the Board?
What are the roles of the Directors (What do they do)?
Can you give an example of what one of the committees typically does?
May I submit an examination question to the ABCP?
What is the Board’s view on Simulation?
Who are the helpful staff members in the ABCP office?
How can my employer verify my certification status?
How can I get my ABCP ID or Password for use on the Online Filing System (OFS)?
How do I change my name on my records after marriage or divorce?
Are cases performed on a voluntary basis for mission trips acceptable for recertification reporting?
Sometimes, I cannot get a case (or meeting) to record on the Online Filing System (OFS): Does this mean the system is not working?
What cycle am I in? Do I need to file the Professional Activity Report this year?
After July 1, why does the OFS still display the reports for the current year?

Do the Directors of the ABCP get paid?
No. Each Director donates a minimum of three weeks of his/her time, without compensation, to write and review new examination questions; and to analyze and evaluate examination items for statistical reliability, validity and relevance. In addition, the Directors volunteer many hours throughout the year to serve on ABCP committees that provide services to the perfusion community, such as the following: reviewing and awarding CEUs to continuing education programs; reviewing credentials for ABCP examination applicants; reviewing and investigating alleged ethical violations; researching current perfusion technology; serving as ABCP representatives to the Accreditation Committee for Perfusion Education (AC-PE), the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Conjoint Committee on Accreditation of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA); and representing the ABCP on various perfusion liaison committees and educational forums. These activities require many hours of research, conference calls, email correspondence and travel.

Who are the Directors of the American Board?
Each director is a practicing Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) with a minimum of five years’ experience as a practicing CCP. Directors are chosen from those CCPs who meet the eligibility and scope of commitment requirements established by the ABCP.

How many Directors are on the Board?
The ABCP is comprised of from eight to fourteen directors depending on the current work load. The number of directors is set each year in anticipation of the impending year’s workload. Directors serve four-year terms up to a maximum of three terms. No Director may serve more than twelve years on the ABCP.

What are the roles of the Directors (What do they do)?
The primary purpose of the Board, and therefore its most essential function, is protection of the public through the establishment and maintenance of standards in the field of cardiovascular perfusion. To achieve this objective, the Board has established qualifications for examination and procedures for recertification. Its requirements and procedures are reviewed and modified periodically as necessary. The primary role of the ABCP Directors is to design, implement, and administer the credentialing process. Additionally, the role of the ABCP Directors is to support and stimulate innovative educational activities and promote ethical professional development.
To accomplish these roles, each of the Directors sits on multiple ABCP committees and when requested serve as liaisons to other perfusion and perfusion-related organizations.

Can you give an example of what one of the committees typically does?
The recertification committee is responsible for reviewing and awarding continuing education points for meetings that are perfusion education. The committee also reviews petitions and appeals from CCPs who request reconsideration of actions or decisions made by the ABCP concerning recertification and makes recommendations to the full board concerning the request. The recertification committee in conjunction with the forms committee recently introduced a new form making it easier to submit meetings to request for CEUs.

May I submit an examination question to the ABCP?
Yes. Examination questions should be relevant to the field of perfusion and supported by two current scientific peer-reviewed references. Questions can be submitted through the ABCP website. Each question will be reviewed during the ABCP annual examination meeting which is held each summer.

What is the Board’s view on Simulation?
The ABCP is actively evaluating simulation for the recertification process. The Board has recently passed a policy that allows CCPs to receive CEUs for simulation training and education. This policy will go into effect for the July 1, 2011- June 30, 2012 cycle.

Who are the helpful staff members in the ABCP office?
The National Office of the ABCP is staffed daily by Ms. Pat Kirkland, Administrative Assistant for the National Office and by Ms. Felicia Keyes, Secretary for the National Office. Other part-time assistants serve in the National Office during busy times. The Executive Co-Directors are Beth Richmond, Ph.D. and Steve Oshrin, Ph.D. The Associate Executive Director is Casey Turnage, Ph.D. The National Office staff welcomes your telephone calls, emails and requests for information. It is the role of the National Office to encourage and support certification and recertification for those who are eligible and to make those processes as efficient as possible.

How can my employer verify my certification status?
The National Office staff can verify certification status by telephone or mail. The ABCP website has a current listing of all CCPs; this list is continuously updated. Many employers and hospitals use the website as the primary verification site.

How can I get my ABCP ID or Password for use on the Online Filing System (OFS)?
If you have forgotten or do not have access to your ABCP ID or Password, you may call the National Office to get this information.

How do I change my name on my records after marriage or divorce?
The CCP may call or mail the National Office with the changes, and we will make the changes on the database; however, the CCP will be requested to make the changes on the profile page of the Online Filing System (OFS).

Are cases performed on a voluntary basis for mission trips acceptable for recertification reporting?
Yes, if the case is documented and can be verified, it is allowed.

Sometimes, I cannot get a case (or meeting) to record on the Online Filing System (OFS): Does this mean the system is not working?
No, the system is working. The reason that a case or meeting does not appear is that the date of the case or meeting is not within the reporting period.

When a case or meeting is entered, the OFS records it into the reporting year appropriate to the item. For example: A person entering cases for the 2011 Clinical Activity Report (CAR) must report cases performed between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011. If the CCP enters “July 31, 2011,” instead of July 31, 2010, that case will go into the 2012 report because the new reporting period begins July 1. (Remember, reports always begin July 1 and end June 30.)

Information recorded for the Professional Activity Report (PAR) accumulates during the three-year reporting period until the PAR is due. (Please see Cycle question.) If a meeting which occurred in July 5, 2011, is recorded on the file of someone in Cycle 1, while the 2011 reports are showing, the meeting will disappear into the 2012, 2013, and 2014 reports because it does not fit into the 2011 PAR and the next report (for Cycle 1) is due in 2014. The Professional Activity Report is not transmitted when the CAR is transmitted unless BOTH reports are due for that year, so you may save CEUs as you earn them and they will record into the correct report.

What cycle am I in? Do I need to file the Professional Activity Report this year?
The cycle is assigned at the time of initial certification and never changes. Cycle 1 must file in 2011, 2014, 2017 etc. Cycle 2 must file in 2013, 2016, 2019 etc. Cycle 3 must file in 2012, 2015, 2018 etc. The cycle number is printed on all correspondence to the CCP and is available on the OFS.

After July 1, why does the OFS still display the reports for the current year?
The OFS defaults to the reports due during the current calendar year. You may access reports due during another year (past or future) by using the “Set Report End Date” button and selecting the year’s reports you wish to view. You may save information for future reports from the current year’s display and the system will put them into the correct report.