Certification Renewal

Top reasons to renew your certification

Get the most out of your investment
You've devoted time, energy and resources to earning your CAHIMS, CPHIMS, or CPDHTS credential.

Retain professional prestige
Your credential helps you remain competitive in a tough job market.

Demonstrate your commitment and competence
Show employers and potential employers that you are committed to remaining current in the rapidly changing world of healthcare IT.

Take advantage of networking opportunities
The credential opens doors, allowing you to network with peers who share your level of expertise.

Maintain your credential
If you do not renew, you must cease to use your credential after when it expires.

Maintaining Your Certification

CAHIMSSM, CPHIMSSM and CPHIMS-CASM credentials renewal cycle is every three years. The CPDHTSSM credential renewal cycle is every two years. To renew your certification, you can either retake and pass the examination or follow the renewal process outlined here. 

Earn

Earn Continuing Education Credits

Continuing Education Requirements

CAHIMS & CPHIMS

Obtain 45 CEs during your renewal cycle. A minimum of 25 of the 45 CEs must be obtained from HIMSS or HIMSS-Approved Provider activities. A minimum of two (2) hours of continuing education that is related to ethics or conflicts of interest is also required.

CPHIMS-CA

In addition to the above requirements for CPHIMS, you must also obtain an additional 15 CEs specific to Canadian healthcare information and management systems. A minimum of 10 of the 15 additional CEs must be obtained from Digital Health Canada's activities. A minimum of two (2) hours of continuing education that is related to ethics or conflicts of interest is also required.

CPDHTS

Obtain 30 CEs during your two year renewal cycle.  A minimum of 15 of the 30 CEs must be obtained from HIMSS-Approved Provider activities.

Special Circumstances: Waivers & Extensions

The HIMSS Professional Certification Committee may grant an extension of time to complete the number of CE hours required for a renewal cycle. An extension of time shall not relieve the individual of the responsibility for completion of the CE requirements.

To request a waiver or extension, please submit a written request to the HIMSS Professional Certification Committee for consideration at certification@himss.org.  

Requests for waivers or extensions must be made no less than 3 months prior to your scheduled renewal date.

Document

Track Your Progress

Individuals are responsible for tracking their own continuing education hours earned during a renewal cycle. Log into your HIMSS account, and start documenting your continuing education hours through the new HIMSS online tracking certification application.  Now, you can record your continuing education hours online anytime, anywhere!

How to track your online continuing education hours to meet recertification requirements:

Log in to your HIMSS Account

  1. In the upper right hand corner of HIMSS.org, click “Sign In”   
  2. Hover your mouse over your name in the toolbar and click “My Account” from the drop-down menu.   
  3. On your account dashboard, click “Certifications” from the “My Involvement” drop-down menu.

Adding Continuing Education Hours

  1. Under “My Certifications”, click the Edit” icon.
  2. Click the orange “Add New Transcript” button.
  3. A pop-up box will appear. Fill out the fields in the pop-up box to add your qualifying continuing education hour(s). 
  4. Don’t forget to click the “Save” button.
  5. Edit or remove continuing education credits as needed.

You may report your continuing education hours to HIMSS as soon as the first month after your last certificate expiration date.   

Report & Pay

You may renew and pay for your recertification online as early as six months prior to, but no later than, the expiration date on your certificate by:

Logging into your HIMSS Account

  1. In the upper right hand corner of HIMSS.org, click “Sign In”  
  2. Hover your mouse over your name in the toolbar and click “My Account” from the drop-down menu.  
  3. On your account dashboard, click “Certifications” from the “My Involvement” drop-down menu.   

Submit Your Renewal

  1. On your dashboard, locate the “Submit Transcriptions” button.  You may add or manage your transcripts any time during the certification period, the submission period is the time when you can submit and apply for recertification.  Review the “authenticate and attest” statement.  Click “yes” or “no”. Follow the recertification fees instructions and click to pay.
  2. Enter your address, city, state and country in the fields, and click the “Save Address” button.
  3. Enter payment information and click the “Complete Your Order” button.
  4. Review Order Confirmation: Review your summary of order number and billing address.
  5. Receive a confirmation email and payment receipt for the recertification.

Failure to Renew

If you fail to apply for renewal by your renewal date, your certification status will be revoked and you will no longer be able to use your credential. You must re-take and pass the certification examination in order to reinstate your credential.

Renew

The Renewal Process

  • When HIMSS receives your renewal application, it will be reviewed and processed. Please allow up to one week to process your application.
  • When your payment has been processed, you will receive an emailed receipt.
  • An updated copy of your certificate can be printed from your HIMSS>My Account>Dashboard.

The HIMSS Certification renewal program ensures that certified professionals demonstrate ongoing competence in the content areas in which they are certified through maintenance activities. For the purposes of renewal, the HIMSS Professional Certification Committee further defines maintenance activities as follows:

Completion of educational programs that provide updated training and skills to allow continued competence in healthcare information and management systems by earning the required number of continuing education (CE) hours in any of the CAHIMS, CPHIMS, CPHIMS-CA and CPDHTS content domains.

The Audit Process

In order to ensure high standards of competency and continuing education, your renewal application may be randomly selected to participate in an audit. 

While HIMSS does not require that you submit documentation, if your renewal application is audited, you must submit documentation of all your qualifying continuing education hours within 30 days of written notification. You are responsible for documenting your own continuing education hours during the renewal cycle.

If you are unable to provide documentation within 30 days, your certification will be revoked.

If your documentation is complete, you will be notified that your renewal is valid and will be issued an updated certificate within six weeks. If it is determined that some continuing education hours are not applicable, HIMSS may allow additional time for you to submit or earn additional replacement continuing education hours.

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Published on March 1, 2020