the national institutes of health is a federal agency that is responsible for
National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research, founded in the late 1870s. It is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services with facilities mainly located in Bethesda, Maryland. It conducts its own scientific research through its Intramural Research Program (IRP) and provides major biomedical research funding to non-NIH research facilities through its Extramural Research Program.
National Healthcareer Association The National Healthcareer Association (NHA) is a national professional certification agency for healthcare workers in the United States.[3] Granting credentials in more than 8 allied health specialties, it is an organizational member of the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA).[4] The National Healthcareer Association partners with educational institutions nationwide with over 350,000 certified individuals. It is one of the largest certification and continuing education providers.[5] The National Healthcareer Association works with health training institutions, hospitals, unions, and the US Defense Department through DANTES; it has approved over 2400 training/testing locations throughout the US and in several countries. These institutions offer allied health programs and use the national certification as their "End Of Program Credential." Healthcare professional certification is different from a license such as a Registered Nurse, or a licensed practical nurse. Although certification is not state mandated and/or regulated in all 50 states, most employers and industry organizations prefer their employees to be certified.[6]