Independent AHA Instructor

You deliver the training; we handle certification, documentation, and quality control

The Independent Affiliate model lets you deliver AHA courses at your own clinic, at your workplace, or at a partner organization, while the issuance of official certification (eCards), record keeping, and quality control are handled through the MediClubGeorgia Learning Resource Center (MCG ITC). Under AHA rules, only an instructor aligned with an authorized Training Center may teach courses and issue certification. We are that Training Center.

Who this model works for

• Clinics and hospitals that need to certify their staff regularly and would rather not bring in an external trainer every time

• Simulation and training centers that already have the equipment and the audience

• Medical universities and colleges

• Institutions in the regions, for whom traveling to Tbilisi is logistically difficult

• Individual instructors who want to build their own teaching practice

Who does what?

Requirements for the training environment

The AHA requires every Training Center to set standards for the environment in which courses are delivered. Participants should feel safe and comfortable. Our requirements follow the AHA's recommendations:

• The venue must be non-residential (exception: a shared public area, such as the fitness room of an apartment complex)

• A smoke-free site, including the surrounding grounds, parking areas, and entrances

• A secure, access-controlled entrance to prevent outside intrusions

• A minimum of 3 participants at any given time, unless the course agenda allows for fewer

• Heating and air conditioning set to a comfortable temperature, taking the physical activity involved into account

• Clean tables, chairs and floors

• Adequate lighting

• No noise, odors or other outside distractions

• Start and end times scheduled in advance and adhered to

• Respect for local customs

Equipment and course materials

Equipment. Manikins with feedback devices, AED trainers, pocket masks and timers, and, for ACLS, additionally a rhythm simulator, a defibrillator trainer, airway management supplies, and practice medications. Quantities must match the ratios set out in the instructor manual for the discipline.

Equipment must be in working order, clean, and decontaminated according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Course materials. This point is often overlooked, and it is exactly what causes problems during an audit:

• Every participant must have their own manual of the current edition, available before, during, and after the course

• Maintaining a library of manuals to rent or lend out is prohibited by the AHA

• Use of current-edition video materials is mandatory in classroom courses and in the classroom portion of blended-learning courses

• Exams may not be altered and may not be posted on the internet or on an internal network

Documentation to be collected

After every course we need:

• The completed course roster

• Skills testing checklists and exam materials, particularly for participants who did not meet the requirements

• Course evaluations (originals or a summary). When eCards are used, participants can complete their evaluation online

• For blended courses: the certificate of completion for the online portion and the documentation for the skills session

• Confirmation that the mandatory fee disclaimer was used, if the course is a paid one

• In the event of any dispute or complaint: the relevant documentation

All rosters are entered into the AHA platform in a timely manner. We take care of that; all we need from you are correctly completed forms.

Territory and restrictions

A Training Center and its instructors may deliver courses only within the geographic territory defined in the center's agreement with the AHA.

If you want to deliver training outside that territory, you need prior written approval from the AHA ECC International department. The International Training Application must be submitted at least 6 weeks before the training begins, accompanied by a letter of support from your Training Center and copies of the cards of all participating instructors. Approval is not automatic.

The AHA gives preference to the local Training Center: if an authorized center already exists in that country, training is directed to it unless there is a compelling reason not to.

Quality control

Quality control is not bureaucracy; it is the reason an AHA certification is worth something.

• Periodic monitoring. Our faculty observes courses periodically. For Training Sites, a visit takes place at least once a year.

• AHA monitoring. AHA Regional Faculty or staff may monitor a course, either announced or unannounced. Refusing to allow monitoring is grounds for termination of a center's agreement.

• Participant evaluations. Low ratings call for review and, where necessary, remediation.

• Grounds for revoking status. Instructor status may be revoked for falsifying course records, failing to follow AHA guidelines and curriculum, issuing non-AHA certification, using non-AHA exams or breaching exam security, and for inappropriate conduct or harassment during a course.

The next step: becoming a Training Site

If your organization delivers training regularly and at scale, we can consider you for Training Site (TS) status. A Training Site is a unit aligned with a Training Center that has its own coordinator and administrator, manages its own rosters, and operates more independently.

A Training Site remains under the Training Center's oversight: the coordinator, or an authorized faculty member, visits and monitors the site at least once a year.

Fill in the form and our coordinator will contact you, assess your capabilities, and propose a specific model of cooperation.