How to Attain Fellowship in Central Service
 

IAHCSMM Fellowship Program

The International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management, in order to give recognition to the competence of its members, and to provide them with a measure of achievement which will be meaningful to those outside the organization, has developed a Fellowship Program.

This program allows members to achieve Fellowship status after completion of requirements as previously listed. Recognition of Fellowship status will be made at IAHCSMM meetings and seminars by special presentation of a certificate. This allows the addition of Fellow after your name.

Upon award of Fellowship, all papers become the property of IAHCSMM and will not be returned. Papers may not be changed or altered in any way without the express written permission of IAHCSMM

How to Attain Fellowship in IAHCSMM

  • Have responsibility for direction of a Central Service Materiel Management Department of a  healthcare facility or have an interest by virtue of practice.
  • Must be, or have been an IAHCSMM active member in good standing with at least one or  more of the following certifications: CRCST, CCSMC, or CHMMC.
  • Submit a processing fee of $50.00 along with a completed Fellowship Application. Upon approval of the Fellowship Application, the applicant will receive an acknowledgement to proceed with formation of the Fellowship paper. The applicant may then submit a paper for Fellowship following the rules set forth in "Fellowship Standards for Acceptance of Written Documents Suitable for Publication". Deadline for applications is annually on March 1st.
  • Upon approval, applicant will sit for an interview with the Fellowship Approval Committee.

    FELLOWSHIP STATUS MUST BE UPDATED EACH FIVE YEARS.

Fellowship Standards for Acceptance of Written Documents Suitable for Publication

All documents will be evaluated by the Fellowship Approving Committee of IAHCSMM. To be considered acceptable, the project submitted must meet the following guidelines (guidelines are not subject to negotiation):

Content and Organization of Paper

  1. Explain in detail how this document affects the hospital or profession. Provide enough detail so the document will be understandable.
  1. The document must detail the participants' experience in the Central Service Materiel Management Department.
  1. Length. The document submitted must be 8-10 typed and double spaced pages. All pages are to be 8½ x 11 inch heavy white paper. Do not use half sheets or strips of paper glued, taped, or stapled to the pages. All pages are to be the same size. 

    Type. Use type that is similar to the type used throughout these guidelines. Please, no cursive or artistic print. This can be difficult to read. To estimate how long the document might run in printed pages, count every written page (including the title page and text pages, tables, and figures) and divide by 3 (i.e., 1 printed page = 3 written pages).  

    Headings. Carefully consider your material and the sequence and levels of importance of the ideas you wish to present. Headings help a reader grasp the document's outline and the relative importance of the parts of the document. Use footnotes where applicable. The document should contain:

a. A Title Page – A title should summarize the main idea of the document simply and, if possible, with style. It should be a concise statement of the main topic and should be fully explanatory when standing alone.

b. Introductory Paragraph – The body of your document should open with an introduction that presents the specific problem or issue and describes the research strategy. Before writing your introduction, consider

  • What is the point of the document?
  • How does your research relate to the problem?
  • What are the implications of your study, and how does the research relate to previous work in the area? What other research ties into your presentation?

    A good introduction answers these questions in one to two paragraphs.

c. Body – The body of your document should flow smoothly with each paragraph developing on the previous, keeping the main idea, concept, project as the main focus. Your body, once the foundation has been established through your introduction will educate the reader. The body should be written with the help of a well thought out outline where one idea or concept or subsection develops and builds from the previous. It is here you will support your ideas and research with well thought out graphs, tables, and pictures. Properly placed, these pictorials will help solidify and grab the reader. Giving a visual should help the reader understand a specific subsection of your works.  

d. Concluding Paragraph – The final paragraph of your document should guide the reader to understanding 

  • What was the author's purpose or contribution to the subject matter?
  • How has this article helped identify or resolved a plaguing issue in the industry?
  • What conclusions or ideas can the reader draw from my research that has not been established before?
  1. Graphs, Tables, and Illustrations – must directly relate to the project and be clearly understandable.
  1. References – Just as data in your document support interpretations and conclusions, so reference citations document statements made about the literature used. Authors should choose references judiciously and must include only the sources that were used in the preparation of the document. The author must take care that each source referenced appears in both the document as well as on the reference list. The standard procedures to be utilized (see attached examples) for references ensure that the references are accurate, complete, and useful to the readers.
  1. All written documents submitted to the Fellowship Approval Committee become the property of IAHCSMM and will not be returned.
  1. Strategies to Improve Writing Style – Three approaches to achieving professional and effective communication are (1) writing from an outline; (2) putting aside the first draft, then rereading it after a delay; and (3) asking a colleague to criticize the draft for you. It also helps to read other articles—looking at style rather than content.

    Writing from an outline helps identify main ideas, defines subordinate ideas, disciplines your writing, maintains continuity and pacing, and points out omissions.

    Rereading your own copy after setting it aside for a few days permits a fresh approach. Reading the paper aloud enables you not only to see faults that "were never there" on the previous reading but to hear them as well. When these problems are corrected, give a polished copy to a colleague-preferably a person who has published but who has not been close to your own work—for a critical review.

    These strategies, particularly the latter, may require you to invest more time in the document than you had anticipated. The results of these helpful hints, however, may be greater accuracy and thoroughness and clearer communication.
  1. Grammar – Incorrect grammar and careless construction of sentences distract the reader, introduce ambiguity, and generally obstruct communication. When you develop a clear writing style and use correct grammar, you show a concern not only for accurately presenting your knowledge and ideas but also for easing the reader's task. Spelling errors should go without saying but, proofreading your document and the use of spell check on your word processor should eliminate all misspelled words. Papers that contain these errors will not be accepted.
  1. Order and Numbering of Document Pages – Number all pages consecutively. Arrange your document as follows:
    • title page with title, author's name.
    • table of contents (separate page, number 1).
    • text (start on a new page, numbered page 2).
    • references (start on a new page).

     

  2. Cover Letter – Finally a cover letter should accompany your document. In your cover letter you should identify the purpose of your undertaking and what motivated you to pursue this particular subject matter. The second paragraph should briefly describe your background and education giving the Fellowship committee a quick snapshot of the author and making the reading a little more personal. Your final paragraph should include your phone number where the author can be reached should there be any questions raised by the committee members.

Reference Examples:

Order of references shall appear in the order that they are used throughout the document. Once used, the reference only needs to be documented on the reference list once then identified in the document as necessary.

Examples of references to periodicals

  1. Journal article, one author

    Streifel, A. (1998). Hospital Air Quality Monitoring for Infection Control. Infection Control Today, 2, 40-43.
    • Identify the author beginning with the last name, followed by the initial of the first name. Should multiple authors be associated with the article, follow order as listed in the article separated by commas.
    • Identify the year of publication in parentheses, (1998).
    • Capitalize only the first word of the title, do not underline the title or place quotation marks around it.
    • Give the journal title in full, in uppercase and lowercase letters; underline the title.
    • Give the volume number and underline it. Do not use "Vol." before the number.
    • Give inclusive page numbers. Use "pp." before the page numbers in references to newspapers and magazines, but not in references to journal articles.
    • Use commas to separate the parts of this element.
    • Finish this element with a period. 

    2.  

  2. Elements of reference to an entire book

    Ninemeier, J.D. (Ed.). (1998). Central Service Technical Manual (5th Ed.). Chicago: International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management.
    • See elements of a reference to previous example for author.
    • In a reference to an edited book, place the editors' names in the author position and enclose the abbreviation "Ed." in parentheses after the last editor.
    • Date of publication is same as previous example.
    • Capitalize only the first work of the title and any proper names; underline the title.
    • Enclose additional information necessary for identification and retrieval (e.g. 5th ed.) in parentheses immediately after the title.
    • Do not use a period between the title and the parenthetical information.
    • Finish the element with a period.
    • Give the city and, if the city is not well known for publishing or could be confused with another location, the state where the publisher is located.
    • Give the name of the publisher in as brief a form as is intelligible. Spell out the names of associations and university presses.
    • Finish the element with a period.

  1. Elements of a reference to an article or chapter in an edited book

    Dorrell, L. (1998). Field of Central Service. In J. D. Ninemeier (Ed.), Central Service Technical Manual (5th Ed.) (pp. 1-10). Chicago: International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management.
    • See elements of a reference to previous example for author.
    • See elements of a reference to previous example for date.
    • See elements of a reference to previous example for chapter title.
    • When an editor's name is not in the author position, do not invert the name; use initials and surname.
    • Give initials and surnames for all editors, regardless of the number of editors.
    • Identify the editor by the abbreviation "Ed." in parentheses after the surname.
    • Finish the element with a period.
    • Give exclusive page numbers of the chapter in parentheses after the title.

     

Guidelines For Updating Fellowship Status

  1. Fellowship updating will be required at five year intervals.
  1. Criteria:

    Must:
    a. Hold Fellowship status in IAHCSMM for five years.

    b. Payment of membership dues must be current.
  1. Six C.E.U.’s (60 educational credit hours) must be accumulated over a five-year period and at least three C.E.U.’s (30 educational credit hours) must be from programs and seminars sponsored by IAHCSMM and three C.E.U.’s (30 educational credit hours) from other program sources, i.e., local chapter, area or state sponsored programs or other quality educational programs.

    What is a C.E.U.?
    a. C.E.U.’s are made up of contact hours. A contact hour is the actual time committed to learning, excluding breaks, introductions, and other functional work necessary to running a meeting.

b. Each contact hour is equal to .1 C.E.U. It takes 10 hours to make one whole C.E.U.

Failure to meet the preceding criteria for updating of Fellowship will cause a member to lose their Fellowship status. If Fellowship is not fulfilled, the entire program must be reinstated. (Ask for information from the headquarters office.)

The Fellowship Committee members would like to wish every applicant the best of luck in their pursuit of earning their fellowship status. Should the applicants have any questions regarding these guidelines they may be addressed with the Executive Director, IAHCSMM at Headquarters, (800) 962-8274. .

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