In response to industry demand, the Convention Industry Council (CIC) is using its leadership in the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) program to launch what it says is the industry's first healthcare meetings certification, it announced yesterday.
Development of the new certification will begin in the next 60 days in partnership with the International Medical Meeting Professionals Association (IMMPA), members of which will provide detailed subject matter expertise that will form the basis of certification.
"The once niche area of healthcare meeting management is growing and CIC is prepared to meet the demand with the creation of a healthcare certification," said CIC CEO Karen Kotowski. "Over the next year, CIC will undertake a rigorous development process that includes an in-depth job analysis, assessment of professional qualifications, selection of continuing education requirements and the creation of an examination."
The new healthcare meetings certification — which coincides with the opening of the Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center in 2013 — will be a subspecialty of the CMP program. As such, candidates interested in pursuing the exam will have to first obtain their CMP, which requires completing an application and a written examination, not to mention at least 25 hours of industry-specific continuing education or a meeting management internship.
"Meeting professionals in the healthcare segment face the stiffest and most complex government regulations of any industry," said IMMPA Founder Pat Schaumann. "With required reporting and transparency, understanding compliance is critical for anyone involved in healthcare meeting management. Certification for healthcare meeting professionals provides a number of benefits including career enhancement, professional recognition, personal satisfaction and professional opportunities."
According to CIC and IMMPA, more information on qualifications and exam dates will be available in early 2013, once the development process is well underway.