Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education

Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
Name	Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
Formation	2000
Type	Nonprofit accreditation body
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Leaders	Board of Commissioners

Contents

Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education is a specialized accreditor for graduate and undergraduate programs in healthcare management and administration in the United States and internationally. It evaluates programs offering degrees such as Master of Health Administration and Master of Business Administration with healthcare concentrations, aligning curricular content with industry expectations from organizations like American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, World Health Organization, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The commission interfaces with academic institutions, professional associations and regulatory bodies including Council for Higher Education Accreditation, U.S. Department of Education, Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, Network for Excellence in Health Innovation, and National Academy of Medicine.

History

The commission was established at the turn of the 21st century to address programmatic standards for healthcare management pedagogy amid evolving needs raised by stakeholders such as American College of Healthcare Executives, Healthcare Financial Management Association, Joint Commission, National Institutes of Health, and Kaiser Permanente. Early activities involved consultations with universities including University of Michigan, Harvard University, University of Minnesota, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania to adapt curricular competencies influenced by reports from Institute of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Commonwealth Fund, Truman Commission initiatives, and accreditation models used by Association of American Medical Colleges and Council of Graduate Schools. Over time the commission expanded international recognition through partnerships with institutions in regions represented by European Federation of Healthcare Management Associations, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, Canadian Institute for Health Information, Singapore Ministry of Health, and World Bank health programs.

The commission's mission focuses on assuring quality in healthcare management instruction and preparing graduates for roles in organizations such as Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Mount Sinai Health System, Ascension Health, and HCA Healthcare. Standards encompass domains reflected in competency frameworks from Competency and Credentialing Institute, Project Management Institute, American Nurses Association, Health Information and Management Systems Society, and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Criteria address curricular content, assessment methods, faculty qualifications drawn from institutions like Columbia University, Duke University, and Northwestern University, experiential learning partnerships with Veterans Health Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and outcomes measurement paralleling metrics used by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and Pew Charitable Trusts.

Programs seeking accreditation undergo a multi-stage process involving self-study, site visits, peer review, and decision-making by a board comparable to processes used by Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, New England Commission on Higher Education, and WASC Senior College and University Commission. Applicant institutions submit documentation of program objectives, student learning outcomes, faculty credentials spanning ties to George Washington University, Yale University, Stanford University, and Emory University, and evidence of continuous improvement referencing standards from ISO, Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, and National Quality Forum. Site teams often include reviewers from Practice Management Institute, Society for Human Resource Management, Association of University Programs in Health Administration, and former executives from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Decisions are made publicly and subject to appeal processes similar to those at Higher Learning Commission.

Accreditation has been awarded to a range of programs at public and private universities such as Arizona State University, University of Southern California, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Tulane University, and Boston University. Accredited curricula span traditional Master of Health Administration, dual-degree programs with Columbia Business School, and undergraduate offerings connected to Pennsylvania State University and University of Central Florida. Internationally, partnerships and recognition extend to schools in collaboration with entities like National University of Singapore, University College London, University of Melbourne, McGill University, and University of Toronto.

The commission is governed by a Board of Commissioners composed of academics, healthcare executives, and public members drawn from constituencies represented by American College of Healthcare Executives, Healthcare Financial Management Association, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, National Association of Health Services Executives, and State University systems. Operationally it coordinates with staff for accreditation services, policy development, and outreach, and aligns ethical and conflict-of-interest policies comparable to those of Association for Institutional Research and Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. The commission engages standing committees and advisory panels with experts from Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, RAND Corporation, and Commonwealth Fund-affiliated scholars.

Supporters cite improved program quality, employer confidence among hiring organizations like Sutter Health, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Providence Health & Services, and clearer career pathways endorsed by Healthcare Leadership Alliance and National Association of Professional Women. Critics argue standards may privilege established research universities such as University of Chicago and Cornell University over nontraditional providers including competency-based programs from entities like Southern New Hampshire University and proprietary schools, echoing debates involving Department of Education policy, Federal Trade Commission scrutiny of accreditation markets, and concerns raised by think tanks including Cato Institute and AEI. Ongoing discussion addresses globalization, interprofessional education with American Public Health Association and Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, and measurement of graduate outcomes in light of analyses from National Bureau of Economic Research and Pew Research Center.