I took my first CPHIMS certification exam on October 10, 2012. I will be sharing my experience with you in a series of three blogs starting with this one. This blog examines what prompted me to take the exam in the first place. The next blog will talk about how I prepared for it. The third blog will replay the events on my exam day. Hope you will find this helpful if you are planning on getting CPHIMS certified.
Why Healthcare IT Certification?
I have an MS degree in Computer Science, 20+ years experience in Information Technology (IT) of which 3+ years are in Healthcare. I have worked on several healthcare projects involving solution design and implementation. However, I always wanted to know more about the business and forces that are shaping this industry. I also wanted a reputed Healthcare IT (HIT) organization to validate what I know about the industry. Healthcare in the US is heavily driven by regulation, accreditation, and standards. I did not see a similar strong standards push, in form of must-have industry certification(s), for HIT professionals. I could not find any objective data showing any significant (up/down) trend in HIT certifications (HITC – I just made up this brand new Healthcare acronym!). I found doubts about its value [1] and advice against using it in job postings [2].
So why bother with certification at all?
My primary reasons (as I said earlier) were two – gaining industry knowledge and getting it validated by a reputed party. These should give me a head start to comprehensively understand the Healthcare industry. I was not looking for a job in Healthcare. When I considered these aspects HITC still made good sense to me.
Why CPHIMS?
Once I decided to get a certification, I created the following list to pick the right one,
1. Should give me a solid introduction to the overall US Healthcare environment i.e. should not be limited to a specific area like EHR, HIE, HIPAA etc.
2. Should be within the following constraints
a. Unpredictable schedule
b. Available time of 10-15 hours/week
c. Total cost of $700 or less
d. Time-to-completion of 4 months or less
I explored the possible certification options on the Internet for a couple of weeks. I found the following two major choices,
1. A degree/certificate program at a university
2. Certification from a professional organization
There were pros and cons of each option. I ruled out the first option because of longer completion time, cost that was way over my budget and my unpredictable schedule. For the second option, I narrowed my choices down to two certification options – CPHIMS from HIMSS and CHCIO from CHIME. When I read through CPHIMS Candidate Handbook, I had a feeling that I can make it. However, it was a different story for CHCIO. I felt that it demands more advanced healthcare knowledge that I simply do not have at this time. I also did not meet its professional experience requirement of a healthcare CIO or its equivalent. I had to, therefore, let go CHCIO for now. I have every intention to revisit CHCIO when I am ready.
Once I picked CPHIMS, I started checking out its “reviews” on the Internet. For example, I found [3] to contain positive testimonials from healthcare executives about the value of CPHIMS. I also found [4] had good argument against getting CPHIMS certification.
All the way, I kept asking myself, “Is CPHIMS really worth it based on my objectives?”
Slowly and gradually, my positive vibes about CPHIMS took over my doubts and vacillations.
I finally said to myself, “Let’s go for it!”
Timeline – One and half months
I seriously started thinking of getting an HITC around mid-April, 2012. I completed my research and decided on CPHIMS at the end of May, 2012.
What do you think?
Now it’s your turn to share your opinions on CPHIMS or any other Healthcare certification. Let’s all learn from each other.
Hi,
Thank you for sharing your experience. I do not have enough experience for CPHIMS, but I I do qualify for CAHIMS (associate certification).
I am interested in adding to my knowledge of healthcare IT, so I am looking for certification programs. Please let me know of your thoughts on the associate certification.
Thanks
Nimesh, I do not recommend CAHIMS. You should go for CPHIMS. CAHIMS is new and I am yet to see credibility for this certification from the marketplace. Think about it. People question the value of CPHIMS all the time. What do you think they will say about CAHIMS? Yes, CPHIMS is not exactly easy. But preparing for it will force you learn about Healthcare. If you fail the exam, that’s the risk you must take. Do not settle for anything less.
I am a business analyst in software organization; planning to shift to healthcare domain. I think that certification in healthcare domain will help me out to get initial break.
when i checked over various courses like AHM, CPHIMS etc. I found CPHIMS value addition. However, i am NOT eligible for CPHIMS but eligible for CAHIMS.
will CAHIMS help me in my objective? if not, as you have mentioned earlier that go for only CPHIMS, please suggest how can i take exam of CPHIMS when i am not eligible for the same?
Please suggest. Also, if you think that other certifications like AHM, HIPPA etc. will be more value addition for me to become business analyst in healthcare domain
Thanks for the great article and for responding to Nimesh’s question, I too was considering the CAHIMS as I believed it would upgrade to the CPHIMS once the experience was completed, but it looks like that is incorrect. I will just wait until I have one mroe year of HIT experience and can qualify for the CPHIMS exam.
Sachin, Thanks! If you are planning to stick with a Healthcare IT Business Analyst (BA) career, them CPHIMS is ok. However, that said, I have not seen a single job ad that has asked for a particular Healthcare certification as mandatory. Therefore, look at *any* Healthcare certification as a support not a core requirement to influence your potential employers. Avoid specific certification topics like HIPAA. HIPAA is more of a guideline than a rigorous structured process (think Project Management and PMI certification) that demands certification to qualify potential employees. So most of the vendors are making a quick buck by offering a day or two day long courses which I do not think have any job related value (unless of course mandated by your Healthcare employer, but then you are already employed in Healthcare!).
I do not think CAHIMS will add huge value. Start preparing yourself for CPHIMS now. Get a membership in professional organizations like HIMSS. Then take part in the local chapter activities. That’s a great way to learn and build your network. This is ultimately the best “certification” you can hope to get.
Finally, take a look at a sample Healthcare BA job responsibilities at http://www.certifydatasystems.com/careers_healthcare_business_analyst.shtml
The key word is “hands-on” not certification.
Good Luck!
Sean, Thanks! Great idea! Meanwhile start preparing yourself for CPHIMS. Do not wait till you qualify. Think about getting a HIMSS membership. Take part in their local chapter activities. Read their newsletters. It has loads of good info.
Thank you very much for providing the information. It is the only article to provide comments/insights about CPHIMS certification. Is anyone passed the exam and regretted about taking the CPHIMS certification? For example: not seeing value added?
Thanks for this blog. It answered all my questions – who takes such CPHIMS & why & how much time should I invest & what is the value-add?
Our thoughts line up pretty well.
Sandip, Thanks for sharing your experience and thought. It is really helpful.
I am also planning to do some certification in healthcare domain but not decided which one I should pick. To appear in CPHIMS certification exam they need minimum graduate degree and 3 years of IT experience (with 2 years of healthcare domain experience). I do have more than 2 years of healthcare domain experience in IT company and hold 3 years of Bachelor degree and 2 years of Master degree from India. I am not sure whether HIMSS organization would count my degree equivalent to graduate degree of USA. Do you have any idea?
What type of information we received if we get HIMSS membership and take part in local chapter activities? Do they have online classes for each chapter?
Thanks!
Rohit, I have updated all three CPHIMS blogs. Please check these out for updated information. The experience and degree etc. that you submit for the application is based on an honor system. This means, as a professional, HIMSS honors your credentials and do not cross-check these. Mine never got checked.
Ankur, Thank you!
Leslie, I have passed the CPHIMS and got recertified recently. No regrets from my side. As I have mentioned in my first blog, I did not use CPHIMS to seek employment. I found out that the Healthcare IT professionals are aware of it. That alone can give you an edge if you are persistent. But I found an astounding lack of awareness in other folks. For example, professionals who sell to the Healthcare industry. They would not know if CPHIMS hit them in their face on a bright sunny day!
Your value will depend on your measures of value and who are you working with to make it happen. Persistence and common sense are always virtues.
Hi Sandeep!
Thanks for the above information. I am a healthcare professional and seeking a career in Healthcare IT, will it help. Does CPHIMS require more technical knowledge than CAHIMS. Which one will be appropriate for me?
Also, I came from India to USA on L2 visa can I write the exam from here and how much time it will require for fresher.
Huma, I am not familiar with your background, so I cannot comment. But I recommend that you go for CPHIMS. I am sure irrespective of the exam you select, you have to spend some serious time getting ready. So why not focus on the higher certification level? I am not aware of any limitations of people on L2 visa taking the CPHIMS exam. But it’s not a simple exam. It depends on how much background you have on Healthcare. I’d say a rule of thumb is 3-4 months of 5-8 hours/week would do it. However, depending on your knowledge and experience, this time can vary.
CPHIMS is not a guarantee of any kind to get you a job. But look at it this way. Say, if a hiring manager’s choice comes down to you (with CPHIMS) and three candidates with similar knowledge and skill set, CPHIMS can give you an edge over others. I did to learn about Healthcare. I have never regretted my decision.