Issu e E le ven , Late Su mm er 2015
T h e l e a d i n g r e s o u r c e f o r m a n a g i n g s u c c e s s f u l p a t i e n t a c c e s s s e r v i c e s .
Cert
N A H A M ’ s P r o f e s s i o n a l C r e d e n t i a l R e s o u r c e
We’ve made some changes at NAHAM, and want to make sure you’re in the loop! Effective July 1, 2015, NAHAM requires all recertifying CHAMs to obtain a minimum of ten (10) NAHAM-provided certification maintenance hours out of the sixty (60) total hours needed to recertify. These hours will be required to be reported starting in the 2017 CHAM Certification Maintenance Cycle
(July 1, 2015 through May 31, 2017).
As a credentialing body, we’ve instituted this requirement in part because the knowledge and skills you need to maintain your competency as a Patient Access professional are available through various offerings at NAHAM, such as organizing activities at your facility during Access Week , attending a webinar , and joining us for the NAHAM Annual Conference .
NAHAM offerings not only offer you ways to stay current within the field, but more opportunities to connect with fellow CHAMs, exchange best practice outcomes and ideas throughout the year.
Contact Hour Guide
An updated list of qualifying activities for NAHAM Approved hours is available here . Please note that there are no changes to the activity requirements for the remaining fifty (50) hours required for CHAM maintenance. Visit our website to learn more. Please remember that NAHAM audits 10% of all recertification applicants, so it is very important to save any hard copies of certificates of completion you obtain during these two (2) years.
This is a very exciting time for the CHAM Credential Program, adding value to your credential and all NAHAM educational programs that provide learning objectives.
For more information please visit www.naham.org or call 202.367.1125
Changes to CHAM Contact Hours: P.1
Certification Preparation/Social Media: P.2
Certification Central: P.3
Facility in the Spotlight: P.4
2015 Conference Overview P.5
Dates to Remember: P.6
NAHAM 2025 M Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 367 -1125 info@naham.org

C HAM & C HAA
Be sure you have carefully reviewed the CHAM Examination Outline provided online.
The CHAM Study Guide reviews key information related to the various functions of patient access services throughout the access continuum. The study guide includes the CHAM Examination Content
Outline, sample test questions, a glossary of terms, and more.
Be sure you have carefully reviewed the CHAA Examination Outline provided online.
The CHAA Online Certification Preparation Course is an Internet-based program designed to help you assess your knowledge of the CHAA exam content and identify areas in which additional study is necessary before you take the exam. The Prep course will address specific areas that will assist you in knowing what the CHAA Examination is, how to take multiple-choice examinations, understanding test-taking strategies, addressing your learning style, and developing and implementing a complete study plan.
Additional Tools
In addition to the above educational self-preparedness tools and study aids, NAHAM also encourages the formation of study groups to assist in examination preparation. For more information, reference the Certification Study Groups Handbook.
Please read the Candidate Guide to Certification before signing up for either Examination.
C
C
Annemarie Mariani, CHAM, Chair
St. Luke’s University Health Network
Bethlehem, PA
Connie Longuet, CHAM, MBA, MHA
University of Texas MD Anderson
Cancer Center
Houston, TX
Gina McKenna, CHAM
Baylor Health — Grapevine
Baylor, TX
Christopher Horton, CHAM, CHAA
WakeMed Health & Hospitals
Raleigh, NC
Katie Harwood, CHAM
The University of Utah Medical
Center
Salt Lake City, UT
Kerrie West, CHAM, CHAA
Bay Medical Center Sacred Heart
Hospital System
Panama City, FL
Bob Thalls, Public Member
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, IN
Facebook is your avenue to view all things NAHAM including reminders on certification deadlines, next steps towards maintaining your certification and membership notifications.
Follow the NAHAM account to get updates on policy changes, healthcare acts, industry technology changes, certification/membership reminders and updates with links to our
NAHAM BlogSpot and Newsbrief.
Our new YouTube Channel includes a CHAM & CHAA promotional video, as well as a promotional membership video. Submit videos from your facility and we’ll add them to our channel!
Stay on top of NAHAM’s industry efforts by signing up for the NAHAM BlogSpot. Weekly updates provide new insight to the way our industry is seen on the Hill and what we can expect moving forward.
LinkedIn profiles NAHAM updates as well as industry questions from other NAHAM professionals and industry experts. Get answers fast and post your inquiries any day, any time!
NAHAM 2025 M Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 367 -1125 info@naham.org

C e r t i f i c a t i o n C e n t r a l
D a t e s t o R e m e m b e r
In December 2011, NAHAM launched Certification Central; your one-stop shop to apply for and maintain your credential. From direct emails into your applicant home inbox to all past and future Certification
Maintenance dates, Certification Central has taken all things NAHAM Credential related and put them in a single individualized dashboard, available 24/7 for any and all certification-related needs.
H elp employers match job requirements with your qualifications and skills; completing a certification program shows that you can acquire new knowledge and skills quickly and easily, enabling you to grow at the speed of new technologies. Start your journey toward becoming a Certified Healthcare
Access Manager (CHAM) or Certified Healthcare
Access Associate (CHAA) today!
Thoroughly review our Candidate Guide to
Certification and then consider applying for our
October examination window!
How to Enroll:
First Timers - Signing up in Certification Central (for non-members and non certificants only)
Go to NAHAM's home page www.naham.org
1. Go to right side of the page under "Sign in” and click "haven’t joined yet”
2. Scroll to the bottom and click "non-member”
3. Enter your first name, last name, select your region and enter preferred username (usually email address).
4. From there you will fill out your contact information and create a password, which will be stored to your profile in Certification Central.
You are logged-in to Certification Central after you submit at step #5. You may go directly to https:// certification.naham.org/ and be logged-in there as well!
For a full overview of the process in PDF form please click here.
For the complete Webinar, complete with voice over, please click here .
Please contact NAHAM with any questions by emailing info@naham.org
or calling 202.367.1125.
C ongratulations to the over 1,700 CHAMs and
CHAAs that successfully recertified their credential(s) in the designated April and June 2014 recertification months! Don’t forget, you may upload your earned hours at any time by logging into your dashboard in
Certification Central.
Quick Facts:
- Minimum 30 (thirty) contact hours are required for the CHAA, 60 (sixty) for CHAM (10 must be NAHAM provided).
- CHAA Certification Maintenance fee is $25.
- CHAM Certification Maintenance fee is $50 for members and $100 for non-members.
- C HAA certified Associate Members of NAHAM recertify free of charge but must report their
CEU’s.
- Organizations may still pay with group checks.
- You will need to keep hard copies of everything in case of an audit.
- You will be participating in the 2016 certification maintenance cycle if you earned or renewed your credential in 2014 or an even year before that.
Once logged in, your home screen/dashboard will let you know once you have enough hours input to submit your renewal application; please note you are only able to submit your application starting on the first day of the renewal cycle ; which is April 1st of the CHAA maintenance year and June 1st of the
CHAM maintenance year.
You may view our Certification Maintenance Tutorial at any time for a step-by-step walk-through of the process.
Aren't sure what you can report or how many
Contact Hours your professional development activities are worth? Please refer to the NAHAM
Contact Hour Guide for guidance.
NAHAM 2025 M Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 367 -1125 info@naham.org

F a c i l i t y S p o t l i g h t :
Texa s H e a l t h Re s o u rc e s
T e x a s H e a l t h : A l l e n , A l l i a n c e , A r l i n g t o n M e m o r i a l , A z l e ,
C l e b u r n e , D a l l a s , D e n t o n , F t . W o r t h , H E B , P l a n o , K a u f m a n ,
S W F t . W o r t h , S t e p h e n v i l l e
Texas Health is one of the nation’s largest faith-based, nonprofit health care delivery systems. THR includes more than 20,500 employees working in 24 acute-care (13 wholly-owned) and short-stay hospitals that are owned, operated, joint-ventured or affiliated with THR. Texas Health Resources is proud to serve 16 counties in the Dallas-Fort
Worth area of north central Texas, home to more than 6.2 million people
Thanks to Patti Consolver, CHAM, Director, Patient Access and
D. Scott Philips, CHAM, Sr. Director, Patient Access, for their contribution to this article.
What drew you to the NAHAM credential program?
NAHAM was one of the first associations to offer a credentialing program for management of patient access and soon after for front line staff.
What are the benefits to your employees?
Becoming certified and maintaining that certification allows the front line staff member to staff current on the ever changing role of patient access.
How is the patient access healthcare profession changing?
The position is no longer an entry level front end data clerk position. More is being asked of this role as it impacts so many different areas.
What benefits does certification bring to your hospital?
Certified, knowledgeable patient access staff ensures staff is committed to the role, are current on changing regulations, and stay current with their CEU’s.
How do you believe having credentialed professionals will benefit your hospital?
Certified Management leadership shows an investment in their profession and sets the tone with the staff of the importance of continuing education.
Do you believe having credentials will help employees adjust to changes in healthcare?
For sure, because they are vested in this knowledge base, they retain the information and share with peers more freely .
Do you see credentialing as being mandatory for hospital patient access workers in the future?
It may not be mandatory, but it certainly will play a large part in tiers of the position.
How do you believe having credentialed professionals will benefit the healthcare industry?
Having the leadership team actively involved in the credentialing program ensure patient access has a voice in the healthcare continuum.
Additional comments:
It is important for leadership to be aware of the recertification process and which of their staff members this may impact. While it is the employees responsibility to maintain their certification, it is the leaders responsibility to ensure the financial commitment that the healthcare system has invested in the employees continuing education is met
CREDENTIALING FACTS…
Texas Health Resources (THR) employs 701 patient access staff members—31% are CHAM or CHAA certified throughout the 13– facility hospital system.
In addition, THR has a centralized patient access intake center that handles pre-service activities in a centralized environment for all 13 hospitals. Certification is an extremely important piece of staff development and has contributed to changing the environment to encourage excellence. The patient access intake center department leaders are all certified and over 60% of the department is certified.
NAHAM 2025 M Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 367 -1125 info@naham.org

N A H A M C e l e b r a t e s t h e
S t a r t i n g L i n e o f P a t i e n t A c c e s s
Attendees at NAHAM conferences develop their knowledge of key issues and trends that will make their hospitals more effective and efficient. They also take advantage of multiple networking opportunities. We hope NAHAM 41st
Annual Conference attendees came away with an appreciation for the profession, as well as the history of the association and a glimpse into what the future holds!
We were pleased to offer a selection of Learning Labs presented by guest speakers and patient access services professionals from across the nation. These sessions addressed critical issues in patient access services and taught what you need to know to drive improvements in your department, grow as a professional in your field as well as your network of colleagues, and record the new ideas and innovative processes to share with your staff back home.
Thank you for joining us and for being a part of this vital organization; we’ve paved an exciting road, here at The
Starting Line of Patient Access , and together we will continue to grow as individuals and as an association!
NAHAM 2025 M Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 367 -1125 info@naham.org

Have a special date you want to see in CertAlert?
Send the information to info@naham.org or give us a call at (202) 367-
1125.
D a t e s t o R e m e m b e r …
• September 17, 2015 aIPAM Patient Access Fest,
Rosemont, Illinois
• September 18, 2015
AAHAM & NAHAM Revenue Cycle Meeting,
Portland, Maine
• October 8 - 9, 2015
GNHAMA/WHAMA Fall Conference,
North Bend, Oregon
• October 14 - 16, 2015
TAHAM Annual Conference,
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
• October 19 - 16, 2015
Northeast Regional Conference,
Mahwah, New Jersey
NAHAM 2025 M Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 367 -1125 info@naham.org