Overview of the
Certified in Public Health (CPH)
Program
USPHS Scientific & Training
Symposium
Public Health Leadership: The Key to a Healthier Nation
Richard S. Kurz PhD
Terry L Dwelle MD MPHTM FAAP CPH
June 20, 2011

Learning Objectives
1.
Describe the Certified in Public Health (CPH) process
2.
Explain the eligibility and the maintenance of certification requirements
3.
Provide examples of institutionalization of the
CPH process

 NBPHE is independent non-profit organization
 incorporated in 2005
 includes representatives from a broad range of partner organizations
 Staff:
Executive Director
Molly Eggleston, MPH, CHES, CPH

NBPHE partner organizations

Purpose of the
Certified in Public Health exam
To ensure that students and graduates from schools and programs of public health accredited by the Council on
Education for Public Health (CEPH) have mastered the knowledge and skills relevant to contemporary public health practice

Academic eligibility criteria
 Alumni from CEPHaccredited school or program; completed all degree requirements by
December 30, 2011.
 Student at CEPHaccredited school or a program who has completed or is concurrently enrolled in 21 credits on 12/30/11.

Exam Development
NBPHE contracted with the National Board of
Medical Examiners ® to develop the exam, including:
 Training of test item writers




Editing and validation of items
Test form development
Administration of the exam through the
Prometrics network
Analysis of test results

Strong Psychometric Properties
2008
2009
2010
2011
Items
Deleted
19
15
9
12
Mean item
Difficulty (P value)
.68
.66
.67
.65
Mean item discrimination
.31
.34
.30
.29
Reliability
Coefficient
KR20
.91
.93
.90
.90

Why did I take the exam?
 Test my knowledge base
 Identify gaps
 Accountability

Why maintain the CPH credential
Maintenance of
Certification =
50 hours of Continuing
Education / 2 years
Re-assessment /10 years

Richard J. Cohen, PhD
President, Public Health Management
Corporation (PHMC)
The PHMC, as a public health institute, supports the exam and maintenance fees of all eligible employees. Our CPH professionals demonstrate their leadership and provide essential and effective services to our community.

Bruce Dixon, MD, Director,
Allegheny County Health Dept.
In pursuit of our mission to assure quality public health services in an urban county, the
Allegheny County Health Department will provide the initial registration fee for any employee to become Certified in Public
Health. A well-trained and up-to-date workforce, such as CPH professionals, is essential to the effective delivery of public health services.

1 st Lt. Andrew B. Wallace, CPH,
U.S. Air Force
I am happy to say I am recently CPH certified! I enjoyed studying for the test and have encouraged many of my peers to sit for the exam.

Adewale Troutman, MD, MPH, MA, CPH,
Director, S. Fla’s Public Health Practice
& Leadership Institutes
The CPH provides evidence that we as public health professionals have attained a nationally recognized level of expertise to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy. I believe that everyone eligible who is in the field should take the exam.

Visit the National Board of Public Health
Examiners at booth #308 in the exhibit hall
Join the ranks of CPH professionals!
1-866-514-7569 http://www.nbphe.org/

Overview of the
Certified in Public Health (CPH)
Program
USPHS Scientific & Training
Symposium
Public Health Leadership: The Key to a Healthier Nation
Richard S. Kurz PhD
Terry L Dwelle MD MPHTM FAAP CPH
June 20, 2011

Learning Objectives
 Identify the benefits of the CPH examination
 Identify why the examination is needed now
 Describe the examination process and its outcomes
 Describe the spread of the examination among public health organizations

Benefits of CPH for the Field
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Advances the field by promoting education
Increases our credibility with other professionals
Responds to the call of public and private employers for a credential to certify currency in the field
Provides a mechanism for and encourages continuing education and currency among public health professionals
Puts graduates of all programs on an equal footing
Helps to build a professional community
Enhances marketability on individual and field levels
Demonstrates competence and enhances portability

Why certify now?





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Evolution from public health solely being a supplementary degree for physicians and other health professionals
Increase in geographical diversity of CEPH-accredited schools and programs
Increase in number of graduates from CEPHaccredited institutions
Heightened societal requirements for professional accountability
Further development of core public health curriculum
Greater responsiveness of academic public health to public health practice
Marketing efforts and national attention to prevention

Overview of the
CPH Examination
 Computer based examination
 Proctored testing center (Prometric)


200 items; all single best answer, multiplechoice
4½ hour standard time form

Examination Results
Examination Year
2008
2009
2010
2011
Pass Rate
84%
74%
88%
86%

Examination Results
 Students performed well overall on the 2010 and 2011 exams, although with somewhat lower total scores than alumni.
 First-takers are typically better performers than repeaters. The difficulty of the examination is comparable across years.

What does the examination cover?
Core & Cross-cutting domains
1.
Biostatistics
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Environmental
Health Sciences
Epidemiology
Health Policy and
Management
Social and
Behavioral Sciences
Cross-cutting competencies

CPH Exam is graded pass/fail

When is the examination offered in my area?
 Any day 2/3 – 27/12
 Use Prometric
 Book your choice with the Scheduling
Permit
 Appointments on a first-come, firstserved basis.

What study resources are available from NBPHE?
1.
2.
3.
Sample tutorial
18 sample questions
ASPH MPH competency set www.publichealthexam.org
FREE

Evidence of Institutionalization of the CPH Process
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Allegheny County HD
American Legacy
Foundation
American Public Health
Association
Army Nurse Corps Incentive
Special Pay
Association of State &
Territorial Health Officials
California State University,
East Bay
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention






Cherokee Nation Healthy
Nation
Clinical Connexion
Denver Health Medical
Center
Richmond Behavioral Health
Authority
University Hospital at
UNMDJ
U.S. Department of
Veteran’s Affairs

Visit the National Board of Public Health
Examiners at booth #308 in the exhibit hall
Join the ranks of CPH professionals!
1-866-514-7569 http://www.nbphe.org/