The CHIME Certified Healthcare CIO (CHCIO) program is the first certification program exclusively for CIOs and IT executives in the healthcare industry.

A CHCIO demonstrates the commitment, knowledge and experience required to master the core skills inherent to successful healthcare CIOs and IT executives. CHIME members who have been in a healthcare CIO or equivalent position for at least three years and want to enhance their professional stature are eligible to become certified.

Becoming a CHCIO makes it easy for you to distinguish yourself as a leader within the healthcare IT industry. The CHCIO Program is the first healthcare industry credential developed for CIOs by CIOs. By enrolling in the CHCIO Program, you can earn the distinction of CHCIO, recognizing you for your knowledge and experience as a leader in healthcare IT.

Who is Eligible to participate in the CHCIO program?

 

• To participate in the CHCIO program an individual must be a current CHIME member in good standing. Once an individual meets the requirements of membership and becomes a member of CHIME they are eligible to enter the CHCIO program.

• Be a CHIME provider/payer member

• Possess a baccalaureate degree or be enrolled in a baccalaureate program

• Have minimum 3 years of professional experience in a healthcare CIO or equivalent role within the past 6 years

• Equivalent experience: To be eligible for CHCIO status, equivalent experience must meet current CHIME CIO membership criteria within the allotted time frame required. For healthcare executives that do not carry the CIO title but hold the CIO role, equivalent experience is met. For clinical positions or those that fall under or lateral to the CIO position, additional information will need to be submitted using our Equivalent Experience Survey.

• For those not having met the full experience requirement of three (3) years or completing their baccalaureate degree will earn CHCIO-Eligible status until this is fulfilled. A credential holder should not assume when they have reached this status. Instead, confirmation will be provided on behalf of CHIME to validate this transition.

• To be issued the initial credential, candidates must complete 25 qualifying Continuing Education Units (CEUs) within either 12 months before or 12 months after passing the certification exam. A minimum of 12.5 CEUs must be earned through CHIME-related events.

 

Program enrollment is active for 6 months.

The CHCIO Exam will need to be completed within those 6 months.

The CHCIO examination consists of 125 multiple choice questions, including scenario-based and independent questions. The examination will be taken without the aid of study guides or other resources. The exam must be completed within 2.5 hours. The CHCIO examination is offered at CHIME in-person events and through CHIMEU.  Becuase the CHCIO examination tests one's experiance, rather than recalled information, it is important to note that program enrollment does not include teaching components.

Online Exam

Remote Testing: Testing in the convenience of your office or home office is available through CHIMEU.

Exam Study Materials

Upon enrollment into the CHCIO program you will receive a link to the CHCIO exam study materials. These materials include the CHCIO reading materials divided by domain, CHCIO practice exams with rationales and the CHCIO blueprint.

CHIME is responsible to its members, candidates and the profession for ensuring the integrity of all certification programs. As part of the application process, all candidates must agree to the Certification Professional Standards of Conduct.

An individual pursuing the desired certification credential are to uphold the following professional standards of this program:

Be truthful in all communications related to the application

Abide by the rules and regulations for taking the examination

Do not participate in activities that may be unethical or jeopardize the integrity of the exam or violate an honest assessment

Abide by the eligibility rules and regulations governing the program

An individual awarded the desired certification credential agrees to conduct himself/herself in an ethical and professional manner. Certified individuals agree to uphold the following professional standards of this program:

Conduct professional activities with honesty, integrity and respect that reflects well on the program

Uphold the image of the CHCIO, CHISL, or CDH through positive interaction with others

Be truthful and timely in all communication as it relates to the renewal of the credential

Accurately report time spent on professional development activities

Do not falsify documents

Abide by the eligibility rules and regulations governing the program

Avoid conflicts of interest

Do not participate in activities that may degrade the credibility of a peer

Honor professional confidences

Do not misrepresent the credential if not eligible for recertification

Individuals found to be in violation of these standards may have their credential revoked and/or renewal denied. Some violations may be considered grounds for revoking CHIME or CHIME Foundation membership. Such cases will be forwarded to the governing committee for further review.

 

 

 

To maintain/renew your CHCIO & CHCIO-Eligible status:

• Complete 45 hours of Continuing Education Units (CEUs), of which 50% must be CHIME activities*. These 45 CEU hours must be completed over your 3 year credential renewal cycle.
• Submit renewal/maintenance fee of $199
• Adhere to the CHIME Professional Standards of Conduct
• To maintain CHCIO-Eligible status, candidates must hold an active CHIME membership continuously until they are awarded full CHCIO certification.

*In lieu of submitting CEUs, one may sit for the CHCIO exam. If you have completed at least 80% of your CEUs within three years, you may apply for an extension to complete the remaining credits.