HealthStream Is Making the End of a Credentialing Review More Explicit

What changed 

HealthStream's September 2026 Credentialing Monthly Notifications include a change to the way Appoint review processes can be closed. HealthStream explains that an Appoint review may contain several reviewer steps, but not every reviewer action necessarily represents the true end of the process. 

Organizations can now configure a reviewer line item as an End of Process. When that setting is enabled, completing the designated review fully closes and locks the corresponding provider Appoint record. HealthStream also identifies related audit-trail information, including reviewer assignments and reviewer-uploaded images retained after the record is closed. 

The September update also includes changes involving organization and location verification, enrollment and payer-contract workflows, and roster generation. HealthStream additionally announced a NAMSS PASS Validate plug-in for CredentialStream, allowing users to verify hospital affiliations using NAMSS PASS. 

Why it matters for your practice 

The important change here is not simply a new software setting. It is the distinction between a review being completed and the credentialing process actually being closed. 

Credentialing workflows can contain multiple review stages. If the system does not clearly identify which stage is the final one, a record may appear complete to one person while remaining open from an operational perspective. HealthStream's End of Process setting provides a defined point at which the organization can close and lock the record. 

The related enrollment and roster changes also show how credentialing systems are connecting the provider record with organization and location information, payer contracts and downstream roster work. 

What to do — and what not to do 

• If your organization uses CredentialStream, review which reviewer step should actually represent the end of each Appoint process. 
• Configure an End of Process only where that step genuinely represents completion under your organization's workflow. 
• Make sure staff understand what happens when that final step is completed, particularly because HealthStream says the record is then fully closed and locked. 
• Do not designate a reviewer step as the final point simply because the setting is available. The system configuration should match the organization's actual credentialing process. 

A credentialing record needs a clearly defined finish line. HealthStream's new End of Process setting makes that endpoint explicit rather than leaving “complete” open to interpretation.

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