What to know
- Accreditation is an indicator of quality programming.
- Accredited programs help the public health workforce maintain their licensure and certification requirements.
- CDC-funded trainings can get CDC’s help with accreditation. Non CDC-funded trainings have other options for accreditation.
Overview
Accreditation is a review process conducted by designated providers of continuing education (CE) to determine whether an educational activity meets the educational design standards of the accrediting body. Accreditation is a marker of quality programming and gives educational activities that offer CE a competitive edge.
Value of accreditation
During the accreditation process you will get helpful feedback that will improve the quality of your educational program. Accreditation lets learners know that you have met certain standards of quality required to receive accreditation.
Offering CE can help your trainings stand out to learners and serves as an incentive for your audience to participate in your activities. By offering CE, you can also help the public health and healthcare workforce maintain the licenses and certification they need to remain qualified health professionals.
When to start
Begin the accreditation process when you start to develop your training. You may need additional time to find a designated CE provider and complete the review process. These accreditation requirements will influence your overall training development process and timeline.
CDC-funded trainings
CDC is a designated provider of CE. If the training you are developing is funded by CDC in part or in full, please connect with us for more information and assistance. Visit CDC's Continuing Education page to learn how to get CE accreditation.
Non CDC-funded trainings
If you are developing a training that is not funded by CDC, you have several options for accreditation by connecting with other designated providers of CE. Consider reaching out to the following sources. This is not an exhaustive list of options for CE, but it can give you a place to start as you explore options.
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA) The FDA Consultation and Accreditation Team is a jointly accredited provider of CE educational and training activities for public health and healthcare professionals.
- Indian Health Service (IHS) provides educational services to healthcare providers nationwide through their Clinical Support Center (CSC). As a jointly accredited provider, CSC offers CE credit to an interprofessional audience of learners though a single, unified application process and set of accreditation standards.
- American Public Health Association (APHA) is accredited to provide CE for health educators and physicians and for those certified in public health. Additionally, APHA and its Public Health Nursing Section accredit activities for nursing.
- Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) train students and healthcare professionals in rural and underserved communities. AHEC supports the National Training Center (NTC), which facilitates national CE projects from the AHEC network. Find your local AHEC and connect with them for information about getting CE for your trainings.
- Universities with medical schools, nursing schools, or that are connected to a health system may offer CE to ensure that their staff are able to maintain their certifications. Reach out to your local university to find out if they are an accredited provider of CE and interested in working together.