By Mark Enrico, ACSM-CEP, CCRP, FCSCR, FAACVPR | November 9, 2018

The 2018 Program Certification cycle has successfully come to an end. This year’s cycle was exceptionally special with the roll-out of the new CR/PR Performance Measures and application platform. These updates have enhanced the application process and redefined the meaning of AACVPR program certification.

From March to June, the program certification committee reviewed 648 applications! Of those applications, 395 achieved certification after an initial review, an inter-rater reliability review and a chair review process. For the remaining programs that did not achieve initial certification, the remediation process was offered to help correct any deficiencies on their applications. Two hundred and fifty applicants took advantage of the remediation cycle, with 246 successfully achieving certification in late October.

All of this tremendous work would not have been possible without the help of our 37 reviewers throughout the nation. These dedicated reviewers put in hours of service to ensure AACVPR certified programs are aligned with the latest evidence-based medicine, expert opinion, current regulations and measurement of individualized patient outcomes. A special thank you goes out to AACVPR staffers Heather Rich and Elizabeth Jones. They are the heart and soul of program certification and ensure that we have everything we need to be successful.

For those of you certifying in 2019, the start of the application cycle is right around the corner. Applications will be accepted from December 1, 2018, through February 28, 2019. For more information on the 2019 application, please click here. On behalf of the program certification leadership team and the AACVPR Board of Directors, I thank all of the applicants and committee members who made the 2018 cycle so successful.

Sincerely,

Mark Enrico, ACSM-CEP, CCRP, FCSCR, FAACVPR
Board Liaison to Program Certification