Requirements for HFMA Fellowship

FHFMA Application / Duplicate Certificate Request
Complete the following requirements to be a Fellow of HFMA (FHFMA) and  submit an application to attest to the following:

Fellowship Application

Apply for HFMA Fellowship (Print the document, complete it, have it notarized, and submit it with the fee as indicated at the end of the form.)

Certification

Be currently certified as a CHFP. HFMA National verifies this.   

Membership

Be an active member in good standing (Regular or Advanced Member) of HFMA for at least five years.  (Student membership does not count toward the membership requirement.)  These do not need to be five consecutive years.  HFMA National will verify your membership status.  You must be a current member to retain your designation.

References

Provide favorable reference from either a Fellow in HFMA or from an HFMA chapter leader.  References complete a section on the FHFMA application.

Exam

There is no examination to become a Fellow, however successful completion of the CHFP examinations is required.

Volunteer Activity

Volunteer in HFMA and/or the industry and complete one of the following:

• Earn the HFMA Follmer Bronze award by earning 25 Founders points (for HFMA volunteer activity) under the current Founders Point system.
• Volunteer in the chapter. Fulfillment of the service requirement is determined as follows: Using the current Founders point criteria, earn a minimum of two points per year in three years preceding submission of the FHFMA Certification application. Founders Award points are earned for completing HFMA activities and in accordance with the listed criteria.
• Volunteer service for two years in a healthcare industry organization such as a state hospital association committee or task force; a local, state or federal government healthcare committee or task force; a professional association (e.g. ACHE, MGMA, etc.) committee or task force. A written report of the activities and verification are required. This volunteer activity must be completed within three years of submitting the FHFMA Application.

Education

A minimum of BA or BS or 120 semester hours from an accredited college or university is required. Accredited institutions are those accredited by the US Department of Education (DoE) and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Provide evidence of completing this requirement by having the registrar’s office at the institution from which you graduated send a transcript of your grades to HFMA National, or send a photocopy of your diploma to HFMA National.

Affidavit

Your signature and the seal of a notary public are required. The original application must be mailed to HFMA. Photocopies and/or faxes are not acceptable.

Fees

The one-time, non-refundable $125.00 processing fee must accompany the Fellow Application. If the application is not accepted, HFMA will return the application fee.

Announcement of Fellowship Application Results

Processing of FHFMA applications take sixty (60) to ninety (90) days after it is received by HFMA National.  If the application is incomplete, the candidate will be contacted by HFMA National.  If it requires review by the Board of Examiners, it will be reviewed at their next regularly scheduled meeting.  Certificates for members achieving Fellowship status are given to Chapter Presidents for presentation. Certificates are notmailed directly to the candidate. 
The name on the candidate’s certificate is the name in the candidate’s HFMA member profile. The candidate is responsible for ensuring accuracy of information in their HFMA member profile.

Announcement of Certification Designation

If you would like to announce to your CEO, colleagues or others your newly earned FHFMA designation, a sample letter is available here.

Requesting a Duplicate Certificate

Request for Duplicate CHFP or FHFMA Certificate
Candidates requesting a duplicate or replacement certificate will be charged $25 per certificate to cover the expense of the certificate and folder, postage, and administrative resources. An application with fees must be submitted.

Maintaining your Designation

Your are required to show evidence of maintaining your designation every three years as described here.
For more information about the HFMA Certification Program:

• Send an email to certification@hfma.org
• Call 1-800-252-4362, ask for certification