Earning the Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP) Designation

Special Incentives for HFMA Certified Healthcare Financial Professionals

In addition to the professional benefits discussed later, there are several incentive offerings from HFMA national and from your Colorado chapter.

• Ten percent off major Colorado chapter conference fees for certified or fellow members (annual, fall rural or compliance conferences).
• Most exam takers prepare by ordering the on-line study materials. The chapter will order the on-line material license for you at a 10% discount. Contact the certification Chairs, Chip Davis or Chad Krcil, to place your order.

The HFMA Colorado chapter has two designated certification chairs, Chip Davis and Chad Krcil. Contact them if you have any questions.

Changes to Certification

Effective January 1, 2011, the certification requirements, exam and exam study materials are changing.

• The exam will be given at, and proctored by, Castle Worldwide exam sites (vs. proctored by chapter members). There are 12 sites in Colorado: 11 in the Front Range, from Pueblo to Ft. Collins/Greeley, and one in Durango.
• The exam will be comprehensive, covering six areas: revenue cycle; disbursements; budgeting and forecasting; internal control; financial reporting; and contract management (vs. the historical core and specialty exams). The exam will be 150 questions over 4 hours.
• Registration for the exam is through Castle Worldwide (via the certification section of HFMA website). Eligibility to register for the exam is 3-5 years financial management experience and a current member of HFMA (no longer a 2-year membership requirement to sit for the exam).
• Upon passing the exam, you are immediately certified. Castle Worldwide will send you your certificate (no longer required to apply for certification at HFMA after passing exams).
• The study materials are purchased and accessible through the internet for a period of 12 months. There is no longer a hard copy addition available and the internet version is not printable.
• The exam is $395 and the study materials are $195. The total of $590 to take the exams and be certified is $385 less than previous years ($125 for the study materials for each exam, $325 to sit for each exam and $75 to apply for certification, totaling $975 prior to 2011).
• The exam and study materials plan to be updated annually, on January 1 (vs. every 2 years).
• The coaching course will be a facilitation of case studies (vs. teaching of facts and figures). The coaching course will be provided by the chapter at the annual and fall rural conferences, as in the past.

Obtaining the Fellow of the HFMA (FHFMA) requirements has not changed.

Certified Healthcare Financial Professional

The HFMA Board of Examiners has restructured the CHFP certification program. The CHFP (Certified Healthcare Financial Professional) certification is designed for mid-level healthcare finance professionals who aspire to the executive level or desire confirmation of financial management expertise. The changes took effect in January 2011. Under the new certification model the requirements are: 

• a minimum of 3-5 years healthcare financial management experience
• successful completion of the CHFP certification examination
• current HFMA membership

Download Certification Brochure

Download the 2011 CHFP program FAQ document

NOTE: The exam and study materials are planned to be updated annually (January).

2011 CHFP E-learning Study Materials

Please note that HFMA is no longer providing certification preparation materials in printed form. These materials have been updated and are now available only as an e-learning experience and are not printable. You can access CPE Link self-study materials online 24/7. This will enable you to study at your own pace.

The Healthcare Finance Core Curriculum online study preparation for the new 2011 CHFP examination is now available for purchase. The cost for study materials is $195 (10% off through the chapter by contacting certification chairs Chip Davis or Chad Krcil; else, $295 for non-members). The materials are available for one calendar year from date of purchase. CHFP study materials are recommended but not required for CHFP testing candidates.

Coaching course

The course is offered through the chapter at the annual (April) and fall rural (September) conferences. They will be structured as facilitated case studies, instead of the historical instruction of facts and figures for the core exam. Sign up through the conference registration. If you have any questions, please contact Chip Davis or Chad Krcil.

HFMA Sample CHFP Certification Exam

Are you interested in HFMA certification but unsure about the certification exam? You have heard that the examination is delivered via the Internet but have you wondered what the exam actually looks like and how it functions? Learn more and take a sample examination.

2011 CHFP Online Examination Registration

The new 2011 examination is delivered via the Internet by Castle Worldwide. Registration and all scheduling arrangements will be handled through Castle Worldwide's website, including payment for the exam. Note: The 2011 CHFP certification costs are $395. This includes all application, testing, and processing fees. Should you not pass the examination, the retest fee is $200 and requires a 90-day wait period before retaking.

Castle Worldwide Testing Centers

View a listing of the cities, states and zip-codes in which Castle Worldwide sites are available. When registering, candidates will be able to view the exact address for their selected testing site prior to confirmation. The majority of Castle Worldwide sites are open for testing Monday through Saturday during normal business hours. Exam candidates may select a date and time based on site availability during exam registration (online via Castle's website).

Castle Worldwide has sites in the following Colorado cities (by zip code):

• Centennial, 80112
• Colorado Springs, 80906
• Denver, 80204
• Denver, 80221
• Durango, 81301
• Ft. Collins, 80526
• Ft. Collins, 80523
• Greeley, 80639
• Greenwood Village, 80111
• Lakewood, 80228
• Littleton, 80160
• Pueblo, 81004

CHFP Examination Candidate Handbook

This handbook outlines all the policies and procedures for the certification exams that exam candidates agree to abide by as part of the CHFP exam application process. Details for registering for the exam, scheduling the date and location, procedure for receiving your exam score and Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP) certificate, etc., are included in this handbook. Download the handbook.

Certification Inquiries

For more information about the HFMA Certification Programs, send an e-mail to certification@hfma.org or call 1-800-252-4362 and ask for Certification. You may also review the 2011 FAQ documentation.