If you’re a Davin Healthcare employee, you’ve probably noticed that some of your fellow team members have the letters “CHP” next to their names in their email signatures.

Those three letters represent a greater understanding of the healthcare staffing field and a way to further your professional journey. We talked with Davin Healthcare Human Resources Generalist Nicole Evers, CHP, to break down what those letters represent and why you, too, should seek the CHP Certification.

What is a CHP Certification?
[Nicole] The Certified Health Care Staffing Professional program (CHP^®) offered by the American Staffing Association features rigorous content focused on employment and labor law at the federal level for health care staffing and recruiting professionals.[1] It is the essential credential for health care staffing professionals, certifying their expertise to work with both employees and clients within the bounds of federal laws and regulations.

 Since we are multi-state, and work directly with facilities and sub-contracted employees at times, it is important that all our staff (many people in depts such as Healthcare recruiting, HR, Payroll & Billing, Credentialing, Account Management, etc.) have taken the course!) are educated on the various issues such as:

• Malpractice issues
• Health care credentialing requirements
• ADA
• Issues related to required vaccinations
• Privacy issues/HIPAA
• Locum tenens
• Anti-kickbacks
• Affordable Care Act
• Pre-employment
• Candidate screening
• Immigration
• Substance abuse
• Family and medical leave
• Equal employment opportunity
• Wage and hour laws
• Workplace safety
• Co-employment issues
• Per diem rules
• Worker classification
• H-1B visas

How do you get the certification? 
It starts with self-study (Davin covers the cost of materials and the fee for the actual test, too!). Materials are ordered for people to begin studying and once they have worked through the written and online materials content, they are able to take Practice Exams prior to taking the actual exam itself.

How difficult is it to get a CHP Certification? 
It depends on where people are starting from. The self-study portion is up to the individual really. Most people start becoming interested in taking the course after being employed for approximately 1 year. Some sooner, some later. The self-study, on average, is about 3 months of time, but some have felt ready to take the test after 1-2 months, others longer. The practice exams are great because they give you a really good baseline on whether you are ready to take the test or need to study more. 

Why would you want to get it? 
It is not only a feather in that person’s cap; it is a nationally recognized credential and delivers critical knowledge, credibility, and encourages lifelong learning in their career. It also serves as a recognition component to our clients and business partners that the expertise in working within the bounds of federal laws and regulations is always at the forefront of our transparent culture. 

Are there any perks to having a CHP certification as a Davin employee? 
Yes! As a company, it has assisted us with keeping our staff up to date, and it also opens up the opportunity to participate in newer content as it becomes available. The American Staffing Association offers continuing education credit hours. And we offer an increase in the base pay for all who successfully complete the program- plus, we proudly purchase and display the accreditation plaque after completion.

For those working in the healthcare staffing field, the CHP Certification is a great way to expand your knowledge and have a fuller understanding of the field. If you are a Davin Healthcare employee, reach out today to your HR rep to start your journey towards achieving your CHP Certification and adding this feather to your cap.

[1] CHP^® is a registered trademark of the American Staffing Association.