Best Healthcare Administration Certifications (2023-2024)

Professional certifications demonstrate that a job candidate is competent in a specific skill set. Healthcare administration is the nexus of technology, policy, business, and medicine. As each of those sectors evolves, the game’s rules and the pieces on the board change.

Professional certification in a particular area of healthcare administration not only proves that the holder is competent in a specialized area and shows one’s commitment to continued education, professional networking, and industry-recognized best practices. In addition, professional certifications are the best way to differentiate oneself as an exceptional healthcare administrator in a fast-growing and quickly-evolving field.

Each healthcare administration certification is slightly different and targeted to emphasize a particular focus. But a lot of overlap exists in the benefits. These certifications are resume-building and salary-boosting, opening the door to integration with the broader professional community.

Read on to look at the best healthcare administration certifications and how to get them.

The Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) offers the CHC designation through the Compliance Certification Board (CCB). This certification verifies a compliance professional’s dedication to staying up-to-date and taking a proactive approach to healthcare compliance.

Those interested in further specialization can look to the Certified in Healthcare Research Compliance (CHRC) and Certified in Healthcare Privacy Compliance (CHPC) designations, also offered through the HCAA.

• Eligibility: To be eligible, prospective CHCs must have either one year of full-time healthcare compliance work or 1,500 hours of direct compliance job duties in the last two years and 20 continuing education units (ten of which consist of live training) in the previous year.
• Testing: Eligible candidates for the CHC designation may sit for a 100-question, two-hour exam that covers seven critical areas: standards, policies, and procedures; compliance program administration; screening and evaluation of employees, vendors, physicians, and other agents; communication, education, and training on compliance issues; monitoring, auditing, and internal reporting systems; discipline for non-compliance; and investigations and remedial measures.
• Fees & Renewal: Exam fees are $275 for HCCA members and $375 for non-members. CHC holders must recertify every two years by completing 40 continuing education units (20 of which must come from live training).

The CPHRM designation, offered through the American Hospital Association (AHA), is the top certification in healthcare risk management and a prerequisite for many top jobs in the field. Testing for competencies across several areas of healthcare risk management, applicants may turn to the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) for assistance in preparing for the certification process.

• Eligibility: To be eligible, aspiring CPHRMs must have a bachelor’s degree or higher and five years of experience in a healthcare setting. Associate’s degree holders must have seven years of experience in a healthcare setting, and high school graduates must have nine or more years of experience in the healthcare industry. Additionally, all candidates must have 3,000 hours of healthcare risk management experience in the previous three years, regardless of education level.
• Testing: Once deemed eligible, candidates must pass the CPHRM exam, covering the core concepts of healthcare risk management: clinical/patient safety; risk financing; legal and regulatory issues; healthcare operations; and claims and litigation.
• Fees & Renewal: Exam fees are $275 for AHA members and $425 for non-members. CPHRM holders must renew their certification every three years by completing 45 continuing education contact hours.

Offered through the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), the CFHP is geared towards financial professionals, clinical leaders, and others whose jobs require them to have a deep understanding of the economic realities of healthcare. The credential verifies one’s knowledge of business, collaboration, financial strategy, and future trends in healthcare finance.

• Eligibility & Testing: Candidates may earn the CFHP credential by completing two modules. Module one is a self-paced course on the healthcare business, and candidates can expect to spend a minimum of 14 to 20 hours on finishing it and its 90-minute final exam. Module two is a three-hour operational excellence exam, consisting of eight case studies with seven questions each.
• Fees & Renewal: All prices for these modules are waived for HFMA members. CFHP holders can maintain their credentials by remaining active HFMA members in good standing and completing 60 contact hours over three years.

The CRCE designation is available through the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM) for all senior and executive leaders in revenue cycle management. Meant to demonstrate one’s mastery of the subject, earning a CRCE is, according to the AAHAM, akin to a lawyer passing the bar or an accountant getting their CPA.

• Eligibility: Eligibility requirements include AAHAM membership and four years of experience in a healthcare-related field (two of which may be substituted with an associate’s degree).
• Testing: Candidates must pass an eight-hour exam covering four sections: patient access; billing; credit and collections; and revenue cycle management with multiple-choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, essay, and quantitative questions. Candidates must pass each section with a 70 percent or higher to earn CRCE certification.
• Fees & Renewal: Exam fees total $299, including a CRCE study outline. CRCE holders must renew their certification every two years by completing 40 hours of continuing education (20 of which must come from AAHAM-sponsored events).

Offered by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), the CHFP credential gives professionals in-depth knowledge in four essential areas: business acumen; collaboration; financial strategy; and understanding future trends. This credential is ideal for those in finance and clinical and nonclinical healthcare leadership.

• Eligibility: To qualify for this credential, professionals must be HFMA professionals or business partners with an all-access membership, including student members.
• Testing: To earn the CHFP credential, HFMA members must complete two modules with an all-access membership subscription. Module I is titled Business Health Care and Module II is titled Operational Excellence Assessment.
• Fees & Renewals: Professional membership with HFMA costs $465 and is eligible to those working in healthcare delivery providers, such as hospitals, health systems, physician’s offices, and health plans.

Healthcare administrators wishing to prove their knowledge and ability in informatics can look to the RHIA certification from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

• Eligibility: All one needs to be eligible is a bachelor’s degree or higher in health information management from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). Alternatively, a two-year associate’s degree candidate may be eligible by holding AHIMA’s Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification.
• Testing: Once deemed eligible, RHIA candidates must pass a four-hour exam ranging from 170 to 200 questions. The exam is computer-based and focuses on four domains: data content, structure, and standards; information protection; informatics, analytics, and data use; and revenue management. Candidates must earn passing scores of 300 or higher.
• Fees & Renewal: Exam fees are $229 for AHIMA members and $299 for non-members. RHIA holders must recertify every two years by completing 30 continuing education units.

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is one of the largest and most active professional organizations for leaders in health informatics. Their CPHIMS designation is built to demonstrate that one meets international standards of professional competence in several areas of healthcare information and management systems.

• Eligibility: Eligibility requirements include: a bachelor’s degree and five years of information and management systems experience (three years of which must be in a healthcare setting); a graduate degree and three years of information and management systems experience (two years of which must be in a healthcare setting); or a minimum of 10 years in information and management systems, eight of which must be in a healthcare setting.
• Testing: Eligible candidates must pass a 100-question online exam to earn the CPHIMS designation. HIMSS offers a candidate handbook for exam preparation, and its Competency Gap Assessment helps candidates determine which areas they need to strengthen.
• Fees & Renewal: Exam fees are $399 for HIMSS members and $549 for non-members. CPHIMS holders must recertify every three years by completing 45 continuing education units (25 of which must be obtained through HIMSS) or retaking the certification exam.

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) offers the Certified Professional in Digital Health Transformation Strategy (CPDHTS) certification. This internationally-recognized certification program provides individuals with the knowledge and skills to effectively lead and navigate the complex digital landscape of the healthcare industry. The CPDHTS certification is highly regarded among healthcare employers, as it signifies an individual’s expertise and dedication to advancing digital health transformation.

• Eligibility: Candidates must have a bachelor’s or graduate degree, at least three to five years of healthcare experience (depending on the degree), and at least three years of experience in healthcare information technology or digital health transformation. Candidates who do not have a bachelor’s degree may also be eligible if they have 10 or more years or more of healthcare experience, with at least eight years of experience in a healthcare information technology setting.
• Testing: The CPDHTS exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions that applicants must complete within two hours.
• Fee & Renewal: The CPDHTS certification costs $1,579 for HIMSS Organizational Members. Certification is valid for two years; individuals must complete 45 continuing education credits. The renewal fee for HIMSS members is $299.

The American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) offers the gold standard of board certification for healthcare administrators through its FACHE program. Those who earn this designation have demonstrated an in-depth understanding of the fundamental competencies necessary to lead and excel in healthcare management.

• Eligibility: Aspiring FACHEs must have a master’s degree, at least one year of ACHE membership, five years of executive healthcare management experience, 36 hours of continuing education in healthcare management, two examples of community/civic engagement activities in the last three years, two examples of healthcare-related engagement activities in the previous three years, a character reference interview with a current FACHE-holder, and a character reference from a senior-level executive in one’s organization.
• Testing: Once deemed eligible, candidates may sit for the Board of Governors Exam, which is 230 multiple-choice questions, 200 of which are scored. Numerous resources for exam preparation are available on the ACHE website.
• The exam fee is $250. If passed, a candidate will earn the FACHE designation. Recertification is required every three years, during which a Fellow must complete 36 hours of healthcare management continuing education, 12 of which must be ACHE Face-to-Face Education. Those seeking re-certification must also demonstrate participation in two community/civic engagement activities and two healthcare-related engagement activities.

For those looking for a management certification that’s slightly less intense, the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management (PAHCOM) offers the CMM designation.

• Eligibility: While the eligibility requirements are laxer than some other certifications, the CMM exam is no cakewalk: candidates must be proficient in 18 different areas of medical practice management. Applicants will need two years of healthcare experience in a clinical environment or medical practice and 12 college credits in courses pertinent to healthcare or business management.
• Testing: Eligible candidates may sit for the three-hour, 200-question CMM exam. The exam covers domains of medical practice management such as revenue management; risk management; human resources; finance; contract management; business management; technology and data management; clinical performance reporting; and patient clinical education and practice marketing.
• Fees & Renewals: Exam fees are $385 for PAHCOM members and $770 for non-members. CMM-holders must recertify every two years by completing 24 hours of continuing education.

The CPHQ designation, offered by the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ), is the industry standard for certification in healthcare quality. Over 12,000 healthcare professionals hold the CPHQ designation, verifying their leadership, information management, quality measurement, and patient safety competency.

• Eligibility: While there are no strict eligibility requirements, it’s recommended that candidates have at least two years of experience in healthcare quality. Candidates can assess their level of readiness through NAHQ’s candidate handbook.
• Testing: The CPHQ qualifying exam is written with a two-year executive in mind, and it covers four main areas: organizational leadership; health data analytics; performance and process improvement; and patient safety.
• Fees & Renewals: Exam fees are $479 for NAHAQ members and $579 for non-members. CPHQ holders must recertify every two years by completing 30 hours of continuing education that conforms to NAHQ standards.

The National Association of Healthcare Access Management (NAHAM) offers the CHAM designation for patient access managers who meet the profession’s highest standards. It builds on the Certified Healthcare Access Associate (CHAA) designation and targets itself toward those looking to become leaders in the field.

• Eligibility: To qualify for the CHAM exam, candidates must have two years of management experience in healthcare or finance; a high school diploma or GED equivalent plus 90 contact hours earned in the past three years, or a bachelor’s degree in healthcare, business, or a related field; one signature from a current CHAM holder; and one signature from a supervisor or course instructor.
• Testing: Once deemed eligible, candidates must pass a 115-question, multiple-choice competency exam that covers three areas: pre-arrival, arrival, and access management. Candidates have two hours to complete the exam and may retake it at a discounted rate if they do not pass the first time.
• Fees & Renewals: Exam fees are $225 for NAHAM members and $425 for non-members. Every two years, CHAM holders will need to renew their certification by demonstrating completion of 60 contact hours (10 of which must come from NAHAM-approved sources) and 1,500 hours of relevant work experience.

Matt Zbrog

Writer

Matt Zbrog is a writer and researcher from Southern California. Since 2018, he’s written extensively about emerging issues in healthcare administration and public health, with a particular focus on progressive policies that empower communities and reduce health disparities. His work centers around detailed interviews with researchers, professors, and practitioners, as well as with subject matter experts from professional associations such as the American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) and the American College of Health Care Executives (ACHCA).