IMMPA Sells Healthcare Meeting Certification to MPI, Ceases Operations

As part of a larger effort to enhance its support of medical meeting planners, Meeting Professionals International (MPI) has acquired the Healthcare Meeting Compliance Certificate (HMCC) program from the International Medical Meeting Professionals Association (IMMPA), it announced yesterday.

As a result of the acquisition, IMMPA has discontinued operations, according to MPI, which has awarded current IMMPA members complimentary MPI membership through Dec. 30, created an MPI Advisory Council consisting of IMMPA board members and hired IMMPA founder Pat Schaumann — principal instructor of the HMCC program — as director of professional development, healthcare sector. In her new role, Schaumann will lead content development of new healthcare educational offerings and continue to manage the certificate program for MPI.

“MPI is committed to providing the best education for our members and the broader meeting and event community — whether through partnerships, developing new content or acquiring existing programs,” MPI COO Cynthia D’Aoust said in a statement. “We conducted an extensive audit of the HMCC program and believe the curriculum provides an excellent foundation for the growing healthcare meeting sector and its complex regulatory environment. Last year, we announced our strategic plan to provide education specifically for this segment of meeting professionals and the acquisition of the HMCC program is just the beginning.”

Introduced last year, the HMCC — which is accredited through Saint Louis University — is awarded to individuals who successfully complete a course that teaches the fundamentals of planning a medical meeting, including basic information about U.S. and global health care regulations and laws, the various types of health care meetings, and medical meeting risks and liabilities.

Going forward, MPI plans to offer the course during industry conferences, at Saint Louis University and via private sessions for companies and organizations. Under MPI’s management, the course will be extended from three hours to four hours, earning participants four clock hours instead of three upon completion of the class, which complements the healthcare subspecialty of the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) program offered by the Convention Industry Council (CIC).

“When CIC introduced the CMP healthcare sub-specialty last year, we knew there was an industry need for more resources and education,” said CIC CEO Karen Kotowski. “The addition of MPI's HMCC course creates additional opportunities for meeting professionals to learn and succeed in a changing healthcare climate. And it also paves the path for the CMP-HC exam. The hours spent pursuing the HMCC certificate qualify for a part of the required continuing education hours needed to sit for the CMP-HC exam.”