There is still time to obtain your CLIA Waiver!
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REC-1 is under contract to assist schools and school districts with obtaining a CLIA Certificate of Waiver to perform Point of Care (POC) CLIA Certificate of Waiver tests on-site. Under this contract, the REC-1 will

  • Obtain the waiver, and participating sites will be included as authorized testing centers;
  • Hold the master certificate of waiver for any school or school district wishing to participate.
  • Conduct the site review necessary to receive the waiver.
  • Communicate with the regional school health advocate for assistance with testing protocols.

REC-1 endeavors to make this as easy as possible for participating schools and districts. Initial visits will be virtual—so not disruptive to your students and staff!

If your school will be providing testing and does not have a certificate of waiver, reach out to De Anna Davis, REC-1 CLIA Coordinator, at ddavis@nmrec1.org.

Benefits to Schools

  • Provide testing services for Covid, Influenza A & B, and Pregnancy
  • Keep students and staff in schools
  • Provide a critical service to your school community
  • Save money: No application process or fees, no submission requirements
  • Identify health conditions early

Eligible School Types

  • Public school districts
  • Public charter schools
  • Non-public (private) schools
  • BIE / Tribal-controlled schools

CLIA Sites

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Do We Need a Waiver?

All schools conducting Point of Care (PoC) tests need to have a valid CLIA Certificate of Waiver. (PoC tests are diagnostic tests performed at or near the place where a specimen is collected.)

A CLIA Certificate of Waiver allows you to carry out these low-complexity PoC tests outside of the traditional clinical laboratory setting. CLIA Waivers are required for each location where PoC waived test are being conducted.

Once you are included in the REC-1 CLIA waiver of certificate, your regional School Health Advocate (SHA) will assist you with any information and requirements for administering the tests. We will help you connect with your regional SHA.

For Interested Schools:

Step 1 Complete the Site Information Form. (click here)
Step 2 Sign and return the MOU to be included in the REC-1’s Umbrella CLIA Certificate of Waiver.  (sample MOU) – An official MOU will be sent for your signature.
Step 3

Download the site review checklist and required forms, complete the forms as appropriate. (download)

Note: We will use the first form, the Lab Site Visit Review Checklist, when we do the on-site visits. You will need to print and complete the remaining forms in the download file.
Step 4
 Collaborate with the REC-1 CLIA Coordinator to schedule your virtual site visits: De Anna Davis, ddavis@nmrec1.org
Step 5
 Work with your regional School Health Advocate to complete requirements for testing administration.

Information and Resources

CLIA SITE TRAINING VIDEO
full screen view is recommended
 MANUFACTURERS TRAINING INSTRUCTION AND VIDEOS

Information about accessing and using school COVID funding.

HIPAA Security Risk Assessment Tool for determining your school’s compliance with HIPAA requirements.

School Laboratory CLIA Standard Operating Procedures (required download for participating sites)

CLIA Combined Site  Forms

School Site Training Presentation  (view the Webinar)

CLIA Certificates of Waiver and On-site Testing (Remember, you can get your certificate through REC-1)

CDC’s Ready-Set-Test Booklet (All about performing waived tests – VERY IMPORTANT read!)

SimpleReport for reporting Covid test results (registration required)

REC-1 CLIA Certificate FAQs

No. If you obtain your waiver through REC-1, you will be part of the application we submit.
No. If you obtain your waiver through REC-1, we pay the fee, not you.
No. If you obtain your waiver through REC-1, we will contact your regional School Health Advocate on your behalf for additional assistance with testing protocols.
No. If you obtain your waiver through REC-1, we will contact you to schedule the virtual visits when it’s convenient for you. Visits will occur about every 90 days.
Yes. The sign-up period is through January 2023 to make sure we have time to conduct the required site visits during the year. When you're ready, contact us.
No. At this time, the waiver will only cover Covid, influenza types A and B, and pregnancy testing. (Others may be added next year.)
2 years, from the date of the REC-1 waiver approval.
No. Lab-based testing where samples are collected on-site and mailed to a lab for processing does not require a CLIA Certificate of Waiver.
  1. You sign and return the MOU.
  2. You submit the required information on the School Info Form (linked above).
  3. We contact DHI to add your site to our certificate.
  4. We send you a letter confirming your status as an associated site, with the Waiver number. Post this in the testing site.
  5. We send you a copy of our Waiver Certificate. Post this in the testing site. (This might be delayed depending on when we receive our official copy.)
  6. Site visit is scheduled and conducted.
  7. We report findings to DHI.
  8. If everything goes well, we'll see you again in 90 days!