Attention: AHCA Clearinghouse Legacy Applications Downtime

AHCA Clearinghouse Legacy Applications Downtime

The background screening Clearinghouse Results Website will undergo scheduled maintenance as part of the ongoing efforts to update systems. Please make note of the following important information:

Downtime Schedule:

The Clearinghouse Results Website will be down from Friday, November 8th at 5:00 PM to Monday, November 18th at 8:00 AM. During this period, the system will be inaccessible for regular use as AHCA deploys the new system. This downtime could mean delays for applicants who get a LiveScan screening November 8 and thereafter.

Technologist


Click on the appropriate tab below to see the Initial & Upgrade Licensing Requirements, Fees, Statutes and Administrative Rules for a Technologist.

Licensure Requirements – All applicants for a Technologist license must satisfy the requirements for High Complexity Testing under CLIA Amendments.

The requirements for licensure as a Clinical Laboratory Technologist are as follows. Applicants must:

  • Be a Florida licensed doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy, or doctor of podiatric medicine.

OR

  • Have earned a doctoral, master’s, or bachelor’s degree in a chemical, physical, biological or clinical laboratory science, or medical technology from an accredited institution.

OR

  • Have earned an associate degree in a laboratory science or medical laboratory technology from an accredited institution, or education and training that is equivalent.

Applicants must also meet additional requirements for their specialty area(s). Review the matrix found in Rule 64B3-5.003, F.A.C. to ensure that you qualify for your intended specialty.

It is your responsibility to understand the responsibilities of a Clinical Laboratory Technologist. Please carefully read Rule 64B3-13.003, F.A.C. to review these responsibilities.

Education Equivalency Requirements for Non-U.S. Graduates

Applicants who were educated outside the United States must have their education evaluated to determine U.S. equivalency. Evaluations are acceptable from an accredited U.S. college or university on an official transcript or a credentials evaluation service.

Bachelor’s degrees from Puerto Rico and the Philippines do not need a credentials evaluation; however, official transcripts must be submitted from the institution.

  • All graduates who were educated outside the U.S. who intend to utilize credit earned in colleges or universities outside of the United States to qualify for licensure will need to provide evidence of U.S. equivalency of such credit hours.
  • The credentials evaluation must be performed by one of the acceptable credential evaluation services and include a breakdown of all college level courses by subject. Board accepted providers can be located at: https://floridasclinicallabs.gov/resources/.
  • Credit hours must be listed in semester hours.
  • The credentials evaluation should be sent directly to the board office from the evaluator. Please request that the evaluator include the transcript with the evaluation sent to the agency.
  • If transcripts cannot be ordered from the non-U.S. education institution, certified copies of the original documents used in the evaluation must be submitted to the agency.

Applicants with Health History

If a “Yes” response is provided to any of the questions in the health history section, provide the following documents directly to the board office:

A letter from a Licensed Health Care Practitioner, who is qualified by skill and training to address the condition identified, which explains the impact the condition may have on the ability to practice the profession with reasonable skill and safety. The letter must specify that the applicant is safe to practice the profession without restrictions or specifically indicate the restrictions that are necessary. Documentation provided must be dated within one year of the application date.

A written self-explanation, identifying the medical condition(s) or occurrence(s); and current status.

Applicants with Discipline History

Applicants with prior disciplinary actions are required to submit the following:

Board Actions – Certified copies of document(s) relative to any disciplinary action taken against any license. The documents must come from the agency that took the disciplinary action and must be certified by that agency.

Self-Explanation – A detailed description of the circumstances surrounding your disciplinary action and a thorough description of the rehabilitative changes in your lifestyle since the time of the disciplinary action which would enable you to avoid future occurrences. It would be helpful to include factors in your life, which you feel may have contributed to your disciplinary action, what you have learned about yourself since that time, and the changes you have made that support your rehabilitation.

Applicants with Criminal History

Applicants with prior criminal convictions are required to submit the following:

Final Dispositions/Arrest Records – Final disposition records for offenses can be obtained at the clerk of the court in the arresting jurisdiction. If the records are not available, you must have a letter on court letterhead sent from the clerk of the court attesting to their unavailability.

Completion of Probation/Parole/Sanctions – Probation and financial sanction records for offenses can be obtained at the clerk of the court in the arresting jurisdiction. Parole records for offenses can be obtained from the Department of Corrections or at the clerk of the court in the arresting jurisdiction. If the records are not available, you must have a letter on court letterhead sent from the clerk of the court attesting to their unavailability.

Self-Explanation – Applicants who have listed offenses on the application must submit a letter in their own words describing the circumstances of the offense. Include in your letter the date of the original offense, the charge, and the jurisdiction where it occurred.

Health Care Fraud; Disqualification for License, Certificate, or Registration

Effective July 1, 2012, Section 456.0635, Florida Statutes (F.S.), provides that health care boards or the department shall refuse to issue a license, certificate or registration and shall refuse to admit a candidate for examination if the applicant:

  1. Has been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a felony under Chapter 409, F.S., (relating to social and economic assistance), Chapter 817, F.S., (relating to fraudulent practices), Chapter 893, F.S., (relating to drug abuse prevention and control) or a similar felony offense(s) in another state or jurisdiction unless the candidate or applicant has successfully completed a drug court program for that felony and provides proof that the plea has been withdrawn or the charges have been dismissed. Any such conviction or plea shall exclude the applicant or candidate from licensure, examination, certification, or registration, unless the sentence and any subsequent period of probation for such conviction or plea ended:
    1. For the felonies of the first or second degree, more than 15 years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
    2. For the felonies of the third degree, more than 10 years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
    3. For the felonies of the third degree under section 893.13(6)(a), F.S., more than five years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
  2. Has been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a felony under 21 U.S.C. ss. 801-970 (relating to controlled substances) or 42 U.S.C. ss. 1395-1396 (relating to public health, welfare, Medicare and Medicaid issues), unless the sentence and any subsequent period of probation for such conviction or pleas ended more than 15 years prior to the date of the application;
  3. Has been terminated for cause from the Florida Medicaid program pursuant to section 409.913, F.S., unless the candidate or applicant has been in good standing with the Florida Medicaid program for the most recent five years;
  4. Has been terminated for cause, pursuant to the appeals procedures established by the state or Federal Government, from any other state Medicaid program, unless the candidate or applicant has been in good standing with a state Medicaid program for the most recent five years and the termination occurred at least 20 years before the date of the application;
  5. Is currently listed on the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s List of Excluded Individuals and Entities.

Submit your completed application and fees to the board office. To apply online select the “Apply Online” button above.

If you prefer, you may apply using the paper applicationTo download the paper application, click the “Resources” tab above and select the application for the appropriate licensure level from the “PDF Applications” drop-down menu.

Please download, print, and complete the paper application. Submit your application along with the required fees to:

Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel
P. O. Box 6330
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6330

Within 7-14 days of receipt of your application, the board office will notify you of the status of your application and any remaining required documentation that needs to be submitted.

Florida law requires that all initial licensure and adding specialty applicants have taken the following Florida board-approved courses prior to licensure: one hour in HIV/AIDS and two hours of the prevention of medical errors education.

The following documentation is required to complete your application:

  1. Official Final Transcript- Have your official final transcripts mailed directly from your college or university to the board office at:

Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel
4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin # C 07
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3257

  1. Official License Verification- If you are licensed or have ever held a license in another state, contact that state’s licensing office and request for license verification to be sent directly to the Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel.
  2. National Certification- Contact the national certification agency and request that certification be sent directly to the board office.
  3. If you responded “Yes” to any of the Health History questions on the application, submit a letter to the board office. The letter must provide relevant dates and circumstances of your treatment and/or addiction and include the names and addresses of the medical practitioners or hospitals that provided your treatment.
  4. If you responded “Yes” to any of the Discipline History questions on the application, contact the state board where the discipline occurred to request that certified copies of the board order and any other related documentation be submitted directly to the board office.

You must also submit a letter in your own words describing the circumstances of the offense(s). Your letter must include the date(s) of the original offense(s), the charge(s) and the jurisdiction where it occurred.

  1. If you responded “Yes” to any of the Criminal History questions on the application, contact the Clerk of the Court in the jurisdiction in which the offense occurred and request that a certified copy of your final/official court disposition be mailed directly to the board office. If the records are unavailable, you must have a letter on court letterhead sent from the Clerk of the Court attesting to their unavailability.

If applicable, request the following documentation to be sent directly to the board office: a certified copy of your completion of probation and documentation showing that you have paid all fines. If the records are unavailable, you must have a letter on court letterhead sent from the Clerk of the Court attesting to their unavailability.

You must also submit a letter in your own words describing the circumstances of the offense(s). Your letter must include the date(s) of the original offense(s), the charge(s) and the jurisdiction where it occurred.

Note: All applications with Criminal History, Discipline or Health History will be presented to the board for review. Board staff will notify you of the date that your application will be presented in the event you would like to attend.

Technologist Initial & Upgrade Licensure Level:

Application Fee: (non-refundable)$50.00
Licensure Fee:$45.00
Unlicensed Activity Fee:$5.00
TOTAL FEE:$100.00

Make certified check or money orders payable to the Florida Department of Health, or pay by credit card when applying online.

Click on Chapter or Section Number to View

Florida Statutes

Chapter 483, Part III: Clinical Laboratory Personnel
Chapter 456: Health Professions and Occupations: General Provisions
Chapter 120: Administrative Procedure Act

Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.)

Rules: Chapter 64B3: Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel