The National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ®) Celebrates 40th Anniversary of the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality® (CPHQ)

Milestone Commemorated with Savings for Prep and Exam Purchases

CHICAGO, March 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ^®) is proud to announce the 40th anniversary of the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ^®), marking four decades of setting the gold standard in healthcare Quality certification. With its first certification being awarded in 1985, the CPHQ remains the only accredited certification in healthcare Quality.

Since the credential's inception, NAHQ has awarded over 40,000 CPHQ certifications, validating the competency of healthcare Quality professionals against the industry standard, NAHQ's Healthcare Quality Competency Framework™. The CPHQ is more than an esteemed credential; it signifies a commitment to excellence, career advancement, and becoming a true champion of Quality in healthcare. 

NAHQ peer-reviewed research demonstrates that CPHQs work at higher levels of competency compared to non-CPHQs across all eight domains of NAHQ's Healthcare Quality Competency Framework™.
They are also more likely to hold higher job titles than those without a CPHQ.

"This anniversary and the serendipitous alignment of '40,000 CPHQs in 40 years' is a testament to the value this credential brings to our discipline," said Jennifer Pitts, Vice President of Programs, Products, and Certification at NAHQ. "With all the challenges in healthcare, we are proud to provide an accredited certification – a true badge of honor – that demonstrates one's dedication to providing better Quality & Safety in healthcare."

To commemorate this significant milestone, NAHQ is making the valuable certification more accessible with a variety of offers:

• Savings of $100.00 on an individual CPHQ Prep Package, a comprehensive suite of exam preparation resources developed by the creators of the CPHQ exam directly from the Exam Content Outline. The prep package includes an on-demand interactive online review course, the HQ Solutions textbook and a pre-test including 130 sample questions with answer rationales.
• Savings of $100.00 on the purchase of an individual CPHQ exam, valid whether the exam is taken in person or online with a live remote proctor.
• Savings opportunities for groups of ten or more people to participate in CPHQ team training as well as to take the exam. A growing number of organizations require Quality & Safety leaders to hold the CPHQ because they know CPHQs have the commitment and competencies to excel in their roles and when teams are all CPHQs, they have the common knowledge they need to be aligned and coordinated.

"It's amazing to see the growth and impact of the CPHQ credential. I sincerely celebrate the 40,000 in 40 years and look forward to the future careers of the next 40,000," reflected Stephanie Mercado, CEO of NAHQ.

About NAHQ

The National Association for Healthcare Quality^® (NAHQ) is at the forefront of elevating the profession and advancing the discipline of Quality & Safety across the continuum of care. We set the industry standard through our expert-created, twice-validated Healthcare Quality Competency Framework™ and help individuals and organizations achieve it through educational programming, industry leading data-driven intelligence, and the only accredited certification in healthcare Quality, Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality^® (CPHQ). NAHQ also serves as a welcoming membership community and a trusted partner to 150+ organizations helping build Quality infrastructures, workforce planning and professional development programs and Quality cultures. Learn more at NAHQ.org.

Media Contact:
Evelyn Warren
Director, Public Relations and Communications
National Association for Healthcare Quality
[email protected]

SOURCE National Association For Healthcare Quality