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Candidacy Status Application Process

Timing: Program assesses readiness for application for accreditation.

Digital Health Professional/Leader (DHP/DHL) Only:

Program Leadership: Have hired a permanent Program Director that meets the minimum qualifications in the Standards for program leadership. The position must be full time throughout the application process.

Institutional requirements: The sponsoring institution is accredited by a regional or national accrediting institutional organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to offer a degree or the sponsoring institution accredited by a national accreditor with USDE provisions their Grant for Accreditation for establishing eligibility to participate in Title IV programs. Upon request, the applying campus program must provide the OPEID number assigned by the U.S. Department of Education as proof of participation for financial aid. State Board of Education approvals must also be completed.

Certificate Accreditation Timeline

  • Self-assessment (2 months)
  • CAHIIM initial review (2 weeks)
  • Programs response to CAHIIM’s initial review (2 weeks)
  • Industry Reviewers (1 month)
  • Program’s response to industry review (2 weeks)
  • Industry review of response (1 month)
  • Board approval (next meeting)

Step 1: CAHIIM Accreditation Application Requirements

1. Syllabus (1)


Programs must submit a sample syllabus for one of the courses in the certificate program.

2. Synopsis of Curriculum


List all required courses in the certificate curriculum (general education and the professional course) for each specific quarter/trimester/semester within the total curriculum sequence.  Please use the Certificate Synopsis of Curriculum Form, found below.

3. Profile Page

The profile page is an Excel document which provides CAHIIM with general information about the program.

Digital Health Professional/Leader (DHP/DHL) Only

4. Curriculum Vitae for the Program Director

Current employment must be up-to-date.

Step 2: Staff Review of Application

The application will be reviewed upon receipt of all application requirements.

CAHIIM senior staff reserves the right to make final administrative decisions of a program's application status with CAHIIM.

Candidacy Status Decision and Description 

Denied: An application may be rejected if it does not meet the conditions for application or there are documented issues of non compliance with the Standards at anytime.

Accepted: Accepted into CAHIIM Candidacy Status.

CAHIIM Candidacy Status Description - An application stage while the Candidate program is allowed to complete the Self Assessment information and documentation in the online system.

An applicant program allowed into Candidacy Status is:

1. assigned a CAHIIM Educational Program Code (EPC)

2. assigned a Self Assessment Due Date

3. assigned a Candidacy Status expiration date

4. Sent Invoice for the Candidacy Status Fee

Self-Assessment Stage: Program Submits information based on the Standards

During this stage, candidate certificate programs will complete a self-assessment in the CAHIIM Accreditation System (CAS), designed to evaluate program compliance with the required standards.

CAHIIM Review

A formal staff review and assessment of the information submitted. An assessment will be provided, and a request for clarification or additional information may be requested.

Peer Review

The peer review of the program verifies the accuracy of documentation submitted by the program. After the peer review is concluded, the program will receive a Peer Review report.

Program Response

A formal response to the peer review results is requested from the program director.

Board Review

An accreditation recommendation and accreditation decision is provided to the program at the next available meeting.