15 Aug Career Spotlight: Three of the Most Beneficial Healthcare IT Certifications
The job market is booming for those in the field of healthcare IT. Job growth and high median salaries make these careers particularly desirable. In order to obtain one of the coveted healthcare IT positions, a candidate needs his or her resume to include the requisite training and/or experiences. In many cases, proper certification is required or highly preferred. Below are 3 of the healthcare IT certifications that are among the most beneficial in the industry.
CPHIMS and CAHIMS Certification
Two popular certifications, the Certified Associate in Health Information & Management Systems (CAHIMS) and Certified Professional in Health Information & Management Systems (CPHIMS), are offered through the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and are widely recognized in the healthcare IT field.
The CAHIMS is typically obtained by a candidate who is looking to break into the industry. Only a high school diploma or the equivalent is required to earn the certificate.
Certification is achieved via a 115 question and costs between $150 to $245 to sit for the exam at a virtual testing center. A host of review materials are available for the test through HIMSS.
The CPHIMS certificate is a means for a healthcare IT professional to establish his or her expertise in the field. Payscale.com associates the certification with positions such as Chief Information Officer and Information Technology Director and a median salary of approximately $104,000. In order to qualify for the certification, HIMSS lists the following degree and career requirements:
• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university plus five (5) years of information and management systems experience*, three (3) of those years in a healthcare setting.
or
• Graduate degree or higher from an accredited college or university plus three (3) years of information and management systems experience*, two (2) of those years in a healthcare setting.
Like the CAHIMS, the CPHIMS test has 115 questions, and it costs between $295 and $410 to take the exam at a virtual testing center. Review materials are available through HIMSS.
CHTS Certification
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) offers an industry-recognized certification option known as the Certified Healthcare Technology Specialist certificate (CHTS). The CHTS certificate is broken down into the following subcategories:
· The Clinician/Practitioner Consultant Examination (CHTS-CP)
· Implementation Manager Examination (CHTS-IM)
· Implementation Support Specialist Examination (CHTS-IS)
· Practice Workflow & Information Management Redesign Specialist (CHTS-PW)
· Technical/Software Support Staff Examination (CHTS-TS)
· Trainer Examination (CHTS-TR)
Eligibility for CHTS certifications relies on job experience rather than education, and does not require any specific training or degree. All exams cost $299 to take at a virtual testing center, though free vouchers are available to those who demonstrate financial hardship. The 3 hour exams consist of 125 multiple choice questions. AHIMA states that the passage rates vary between 62-76%, depending on the subcategory. Review materials and courses are not available through AHIMA, but the organization offers “exam blueprints” in order for the candidate to create their own study guide.
HCISPP Certification
The final certification identified in this post is the HealthCare Information Security and Privacy Practitioner (HCISPP) certificate offered by Inspire a Safe and Secure Cyber World ((ISC)²). Geared for professionals with experience in privacy and security within the healthcare sector, (ISC)² lists the eligibility requirements as:
- A minimum of two years of cumulative, paid work experience
- In one or more knowledge areas of the HCISPP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) that includes security, compliance and privacy
Individuals without the career experience can also complete the exam to achieve an Associate of (ISC)2 designation.
The HCISPP exam is a 3 hour, 125 question test completed at a Pearson Vue testing center. The cost of the exam varies as professional organizations can purchase vouchers to offer their employee candidates. (ISC)² offers a host of review courses available with a choice of in-class training and self-study.
Frequently cited as a high value certificate by healthcare IT and other business publications, individuals with the HCISPP certificate have an average salary of approximately $127,000, according to Infosec Institute. Professional titles with this certification include Information Security Manager, Information Technology Manager, Compliance Officer and Risk Analyst.
If you have one of the above certifications and are searching for the right position, let a top healthcare IT recruiting firm match you with a job that’s the right fit for your skill set. Contact 1st Solution USA today by calling 972-999-1677 or completing our contact form.