Enhance your career potential by becoming a Certified Healthcare Financial Professional

Enhance your career potential by becoming a Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP). HFMA’s certification program provides you an opportunity to earn this designation when you meet the following requirements:

• Be an HFMA member for a total of two years and be an current active member.
• Have two years of professional experience in the healthcare finance industry.
• Successfully complete the HFMA Core certification exam and one of the specialty exams – Accounting and Finance, Patient Financial Services, Financial Management of Physician Practices, or Managed Care Obtain a reference from an elected HFMA chapter officer and your CEO or supervisor All active members are eligible to take the certification exams.

The two requisite exams must be successfully completed within two years of passing the first exam. To prepare for the exam, you can use the corresponding self-study course available on the HFMA website contact Brian Romine at brian.romine@wakm.com for a set of study materials provided by the chapter.

Once you meet the requirements for becoming a CHFP, submit a CHFP application to HFMA National with a one-time fee. You will then receive a certificate through your chapter that you can proudly display and will be entitled to used the CHFP designation after your name.

As a CHFP, you are on your way to becoming a Fellow of HFMA (FHFMA) . Fellowship is available upon meeting the following requirements: 5 years of total HFMA membership, after meeting the other requirements --- be a member of HFMA for a total of 5 years, have a Bachelor’s degree or 120 semester hours of college credit , obtain required references, and demonstrate d volunteer activity in the healthcare finance field.

You will retain your CHFP or FHFMA designation as long as you remain an active member of HFMA and show proof of earning 90 professional education hours every three years. This maintenance requirement helps you remain current in your field and will also be an asset to your career. You can meet this requirement through participating in structured learning activities offered though HFMA National, your local HFMA chapter, your employer, or other professional organizations.

The Alabama chapter supports you efforts in becoming HFMA certified. We provide the study materials and will pay for your first sitting and any exam that you pass thereafter. It couldn’t be any easier.

Two exam dates are being scheduled in Birmingham. The first will be held on September 15, 2006 and the second will be held on March 16, 2007. Both of these exams will be administered at Warren, Averett, Kimbrough, and Marino just off I-459 on Acton Road. If you can’t make it to one of these dates and would still like to sit, we’ll make every effort to accommodate you with an individualized sitting. Just contact me.

We are also looking for a certified volunteer to proctor and exam date in south Alabama and north Alabama. Please contact Brian if you would be willing to administer an exam in these areas.

Members interested in taking the exam must complete and submit an exam application available online at:  http://www.hfma.org  
The application must contain the proctor's name and the date of the exam. 
Phone applications can not be accepted for exams.

FAQ’s on Certification

Just what does “certification” really mean? Let’s go right to the handy dandy Official HFMA Certification Brochure for the answer to that one: “As a CHFP (Certified Healthcare Financial Professional), you are more prepared for increasingly responsible positions in the healthcare industry. You also demonstrate your commitment to professional development and dedication to achieving a higher standard of excellence.” (Translation: You can climb that corporate ladder and be a most excellent dedicated professional at the same time!)

How do I know if I’m even qualified to be certified? Again we have only to go to the handy dandy Official HFMA Certification Brochure for the answer: “One requirement for certification is passing the Core exam and one of the specialty exams. All HFMA members are eligible to take the exams. You may take the exams prior to reaching the 2-year membership requirement for applying to become a CHFP. Did you get that – if you’ve been in HFMA for two years you are eligible today! All you have to do is pass the grueling core exam and one of the specialties. Which brings us to the next obvious question………

What are the specialty exams? The specialty exams you can choose from are the following: Accounting and Finance, Physician Practice Management, Patient Financial Services and Managed Care. All you have to do is pass one of these in addition to the core.

You know, I hate taking tests unless I have good study guide to go by. Can you help me out? Absolutely! Your Alabama chapter maintains a pool of all the current study guides. All you have to do to get a copy is to sign up for the exam……and ask!!

My company is all behind my taking the exam but they’re not too hip on paying the fee. Does HFMA have a reimbursement program if I need to pay on my own? Your Alabama chapter has you covered again, my friend. Your Alabama chapter board just approved a program whereby your first exam will be reimbursed, as will any subsequent exam you pass. So if you pass on the first time it won’t cost you a penny!!

OK, this is starting to sound pretty good. What’s my next step? If you’ve decided to take the plunge and go for the gold, all you need to do is contact  HFMA at 1-800-252-4362, and ask for certification, or send an e-mail to certification@hfma.org.

If I have any other questions, who should I ask? Your Alabama chapter contact is Brian Romine at 205-979-4120 ext 328 and at brian.romine@wakm.com.