COACH and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) announce a collaboration for and launch of the combined Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS) and Canadian Credential for Canadian health informatics (HI) professionals. This collaboration will help both organizations meet the growing need for objective measures of skills and knowledge in healthcare information and management systems for Canadian professionals.
COACH is creating the supplemental exam in partnership with HIMSS. Health information professionals, those working at the intersection of clinical, IM/IT and management practices to achieve better health, who meet the eligibility requirements can write the well-established CPHIMS Exam plus the Canadian Supplemental Exam that COACH is currently developing. The combined credential will be available next spring. Meanwhile, candidates can opt to write the CPHIMS Exam portion in advance at a designated AMP Assessment Centre and apply to COACH to write the Canadian Supplemental Exam in spring 2009. “This certification opportunity is a vital and long overdue resource for both the Canadian healthcare system and Health Informatics professionals” said COACH President Linda Miller. “The combined credential says loudly and clearly, This professional has the skills, behaviours, knowledge and ongoing continuing education commitment to perform safely and effectively in a broad range of practice settings according to both globally recognized norms and requirements that are specific to Canada. This validation will result in more consistent HI skills and improved patient safety while providing concrete evidence to the public, patients, healthcare organizations and governments that they are dealing with a competent professional. The combined credential will be particularly valuable because it builds on widespread industry recognition of and respect for the CPHIMS credential offered by HIMSS.”
