Empower and Advocate
Elevate Your Impact with Board Certification.Lead the Way in Patient Wellbeing with our Globally Recognized Patient and Healthcare Advocacy Credential.
PACB Board Certification for Professional Patient and Health Care Advocates
Earning the Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) credential is a testament to your unwavering commitment to the patient and healthcare advocacy profession. This certification also signifies your dedication to lifelong learning and professional growth. If you are a healthcare advocate at any stage of your career, you can benefit from this certification, which reflects your adherence to the rigorous standards set by the Patient Advocate Certification Board (PACB).
What Does a Patient or Healthcare Advocate Do?
In the complex world of healthcare decisions, a patient or healthcare advocate is the supportive companion everyone needs. They ensure the client, patient, or family fully grasp the crucial issues, understand their rights, and feel emboldened to voice their own perspectives.
As a Patient or Healthcare Advocate, your role is pivotal in:
1. Amplifying Your Client’s Voice: Empowering your clients to ensure their concerns and opinions are not just heard, but also given the weight they deserve in decision-making processes.
2. Safeguarding Their Rights: Vigilantly protecting and promoting your client’s rights within the healthcare system.
3. Honoring Their Values: Ensuring their values and wishes are genuinely considered, fostering a shared-decision making environment that respects their individuality and autonomy.
By obtaining the BCPA credential, you not only advance your career but also contribute to the broader profession’s growth and credibility. Elevate your advocacy journey with us and make a difference in the lives of those navigating the healthcare system.
Who are patient and health care advocates, and what do they do?
Annual Shine Lecture: ‘Making the Case for Patient and Health Care Advocates’
Join us for an enlightening exploration with Heidi B. Kummer, MD, MPH, BCPA, in the annual Cathy Shine Lecture hosted by Boston University School of Public Health’s Center for Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights.
This prestigious event pays tribute to Cathy Shine’s unwavering commitment to the rights of those requiring care. For this year’s lecture, we had the honor of hosting Dr. Kummer, an esteemed authority in the field. As the founder of the independent practice 3C Patient Advocacy and the serving President of the Patient Advocate Certification Board since 2021, Dr. Kummer brought her extensive expertise and unique insights to the event.
Dive into the video of this comprehensive lecture to learn about the evolution and importance of patient advocacy in today’s health care landscape.
Presenter
Heidi B. Kummer, MD, MPH, BCPA
President, Patient Advocate Certification Board
Moderator
George J. Annas, JD, MPH
William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor, Boston University; Director of the Center for Health Law, Ethics & Human Rights, Boston University School of Public Health.
The Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) credential signifies more than an accolade—it’s your passport to professional growth. Data indicates that certified professions possess higher earning potential. PACB’s mission is to elevate patient and healthcare advocacy as a recognized profession, bolstering your career trajectory.
Our Equivalent Experience eligibility pathway opens doors for diverse backgrounds to join the patient advocate ranks. Earning the BCPA credential signifies not just your competence, but the richness you bring to our vibrant community of advocates.
Holding the BCPA designation is a testament to your dedication. You are advocating for your clients, your profession, and setting an elevated standard for the entire field. This commitment reinforces your knowledge, skills, and competence.
Earning the BCPA certification sets you apart in a competitive job market. Disciplines with certification programs are often preferred, sometimes even mandated for job opportunities. PACB is steadfast in enhancing the recognition and respect your credentials deserve.
As a BCPA holder, you’ve demonstrated your mastery in patient advocacy. The Equivalent Experience pathway ensures diversity and provides a platform for continuous learning and evolution, enriching the entire field.
As a BCPA, you’re leading the change in healthcare, carving out the indispensable role of patient advocacy. In this evolving professional practice, it’s both an honor and responsibility to demonstrate our value as key members of any healthcare team.
BCPA Certification Pathways
Congratulations! You have made the important decision to pursue the Board Certified Patient Advocate credential.
Determine your eligibility pathway.
- Eligibility requires a combination of education and experience; however, candidates who are seasoned practitioners may request eligibility based on experience only. Refer to Eligibility for detailed eligibility information.
- All candidates must complete the self-assessment quiz – The self-assessment quiz is only a guide to assist in determining readiness to test. Your score is required only as data collection for PACB and does not factor into your eligibility.
Eligibility Pathways:
1. Education Pathway: Bachelor’s Degree or higher (or the international equivalent)
2. Equivalent Experience Pathway: (paid or volunteer) submitted as written documentation (see https://www.pacboard.org/eligibility/ for an example of acceptable documentation.
Get Certified Now in three easy steps
STEP 1 – Establish Eligibility
STEP 2 – Gather documentation and complete application
STEP 3 – Pay application and exam fee and Submit
Blog Entries
First Exam Report and Availability of Results
As of last Saturday, March 17, the first advocates sat for the Patient Advocate Certification exam. A huge step! We have received feedback from a handful of exam takers and the consensus seems to be that the test is a good test of competencies, standards, and ethics....
Prepping for the PACB Exam: Some Last Minute Advice, and Sample Question #4
If you have registered to take the March exam, but have not yet paid, you still have until tomorrow, March 16th to pay for the exam. Find all registration and payment details here. Last Minute Advice Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes early for your exam. We also...
Prepping for the PACB Exam: Payment Deadline, and Sample Question #3
If you have registered to take the March exam, but have not yet paid, you still have until March 16th to pay for the exam. Find all registration and payment details here. For those taking the upcoming certification exam, we offer some sample questions to help you...
Prepping for the PACB Exam: Registration Deadlines, and Sample Question #2
Today, Thursday March 1, is the deadline for registration for our inaugural PACB exam. As long as you have registered on time, you still have until March 16th to pay for the exam. If these March dates did not work for you, the exam will be administered again in...
Prepping for the PACB Exam: Sample Question #1
For those taking the upcoming certification exam, we offer some sample questions to help you understand how they were developed, and why one answer choice will be better than the others, even if the others seem plausible. This is the first in a series of sample...
Answering Your Questions About Certification
The members of the Patient Advocate Certification Board (PACB) recently learned of questions surrounding the launch of the first national certification for Patient Advocates. We hope this clarification will help you better understand the rationale to become a Board...
Podcast Available: Ask the PACB: Prep for the First Exam
The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates hosted a teleconference call-in January 31, 2018 entitled Ask the PACB: Prep for the First Exam. You can find a link to the podcast of the call here. (43 minutes) Callers were encouraged to reference the exam page here on...
Registration is Now Open for the Inaugural Patient Advocate Certification Board Exam!
The Patient Advocate Certification Board is pleased, proud, and excited to announce the opening of registration for the inaugural examination for professionals involved in the practice of patient advocacy. The certification will allow professionals to achieve the...
Helping You Plan for the PACB Exam: Dates and Details
The PAC Board has been working diligently to prepare for both the launch of registration and for the exam, too. To aid in your planning, here are dates you should be aware of: Exam Dates: The first exam will be offered between March 17 and March 31, 2018 at your...
Update: An Addition Has Been Made to the PACB Competencies List
For many months now, the PACB has been developing the exam which will measure an advocate’s skills, abilities, and competency to be awarded the certification, BCPA (Board Certified Patient Advocate.) As we have publicized previously, the standards to be measured by...