HFMA certification provides a fundamental business service to our industry, namely HFMA certification offers:
- Assessment of job-related competency
- The opportunity for an individual to demonstrate skills and knowledge
- Independent verification of the skills and knowledge
- Confirmation that an individual is current in the practice field
The value of HFMA certification can be seen in several reported “value-adds”:
- Increased departmental cooperation
- Heightened self-confidence among participants
- Increased performance against selected metrics
- Verification of staff knowledge and skills
- Assistance in structuring career paths
HFMA is committed to being the indispensable resource that defines, realizes and advances healthcare financial management practice. As such, HFMA provides professional certifications to achieve this purpose in today’s business environment. This makes HFMA Certification a smart workforce investment strategy.
The process for application, testing and certification can be found on the HFMA.org website or for further information contact:
David Williams, Certification Chair
HFMA Reinvents the CHFP Certification Program
New Focus on Skills to Address Needs of Changing Healthcare Industry:
Business Acumen, Strategy, Collaboration, and Leadership
The CHFP program has been updated to provide the broad range of business and financial skills essential for succeeding in today’s high-value healthcare environment:
- Business acumen
- Collaboration
- Financial strategy
- Understanding future trends
The new CHFP is geared toward financial professionals, clinical and nonclinical leaders, and payers – all those whose jobs require a deep understanding of the new financial realities of health care. The new CHFP program includes two modules (both modules must be successfully completed to earn the CHFP):The reconfigured CHFP consists of two online modules:
- The Business of Healthcare: A big-picture overview of healthcare finance, risk and risk mitigation, new payment models, financial accounting and cost analysis, strategic financial issues, managing financial resources, and shifting payment models.
- Operational Excellence: The application of business acumen includes exercises that use a case study approach to understanding the business of health care.
The CHFP, which was first awarded in 1969, has long been seen as a must-have credential for healthcare finance professionals. The current program is highly technical and narrowly focused on accounting and finance skills. In June 2014, the HFMA Board of Examiners recommended that the program be reorganized. “We saw the need to focus on issues that reflect the contemporary healthcare environment,” said Cindy Price, FHFMA, Chief Executive Officer, Parallon Business Performance Group – Houston, and Chair of the National Board of Examiners. “We wanted the preparation to emphasize ongoing learning, which is critical for providing leadership amid today’s policy and economic shifts, and also to align CHFP with HFMA’s strategic vision, where providers, physicians, and payers must work together to ensure financial sustainability.” HFMA’s National Board of Directors affirmed the recommendation.
Click here for more information about the CHFP. For those of you who took the exam or were unsuccessful, or those who have conditional status by passing the CORE, you can still take the “old” exam.
