What AAPACN does

AAPACN (American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional association headquartered in Denver, Colorado, serving nurses, directors of nursing, administrators, and interdisciplinary team members working in skilled nursing facilities and post-acute care settings. Founded in 1999 as AANAC and reorganized under the AAPACN parent brand in 2016 with a full merger of AANAC and AADNS in 2021, the organization provides a comprehensive professional ecosystem built around five registered certification programs (RAC-CT, DNS-CT, QCP, RAC-CTA, and the newly launched NHA-CT), continuing education courses, practical tools and guides (MDS Toolbox, PDPM Game Plan, QM Survival Guide, Survey Preparedness Program, among others), live and on-demand webinars, podcasts, and a peer community platform (AAPACN Connect). Its technology layer includes the Ava AI-powered virtual assistant built on the Bettybot platform for 24/7 member support, plus a learning management system and member portal.

The organization generates revenue through a tiered membership and product model: individual memberships at $170/year or $310/two years, student memberships at $54/year, and a free 30-day trial; organizational memberships at $600/facility (Facility-Based) or $1,800/facility (OM Plus) with a 5-facility minimum; certification, education, and product sales (members receive up to 50% discount); business partner sponsorships with healthcare technology and service companies; and the annual conference plus virtual events. Distribution combines self-serve digital channels for individuals with a field sales team for enterprise facility accounts, supported by content marketing, podcasts, social media, webinars, and a refer-a-friend program. AAPACN reports serving roughly 20,000 individual members across 6,100+ facilities, with 100+ companies covering 7,000+ facilities under organizational membership, and independent research showing 11.9-15% higher CMS Star Ratings and 80.74% occupancy (vs 76.88%) for certified facilities.

Name

AAPACN

Legal name

American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN)

Website

https://aapacn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AAPACN is a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional association serving roughly 20,000 post-acute care nurses and leaders across 6,100+ U.S. facilities through registered certifications (RAC-CT, DNS-CT, QCP, NHA-CT), continuing education, practical tools, organizational memberships, and a peer community platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for individual nurses and healthcare professionals. Individual membership at $170/year or $310 for two years. Student membership at $54/year. Provides access to education, certifications, resources, community, and tools.
2. Organizational Membership Fees: Annual fees for facility/organizational memberships. Facility-Based OM at $600/facility (min 5 facilities), OM Plus at $1,800/facility (min 5 facilities). Provides team-wide access to education, certifications, and resources.
3. Education and Certification Programs: Revenue from certification programs (RAC-CT, DNS-CT, QCP, RAC-CTA, NHA-CT) and educational courses. Members receive 50% discounts. Non-members pay full price.
4. Business Partner Sponsorships: Partnership program with healthcare technology and service companies. Partners gain access to post-acute care leadership, qualified leads, and long-term relationships.
5. Conference and Events: Annual AAPACN Conference (e.g., 2026 in Orlando, 2027 in New Orleans) and virtual conferences. Solution provider exhibitors and sponsors.
6. Products and Tools: Sale of professional tools, guides, and resources for post-acute care nursing. Members save up to 50% on all AAPACN products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AAPACN is a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional association that delivers membership, education, certification, and resources for nurses and healthcare clinicians working in post-acute and long-term care settings. Core offerings include five industry-standard certifications (RAC-CT, DNS-CT, QCP, RAC-CTA, NHA-CT), live and on-demand educational courses, professional tools and guides for MDS 3.0, PDPM, QAPI, and survey preparedness, plus the AAPACN Connect member community and Ava AI virtual assistant.

Product overview

AAPACN (American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing) provides a comprehensive professional ecosystem for post-acute care nursing professionals through education, certification, resources, community, and AI-powered services. The core offerings include five certification programs: RAC-CT (Resident Assessment Coordinator-Certified), DNS-CT (Directors of Nursing Services-Certified), QCP (QAPI Certified Professional), NHA-CT (Nursing Home Administrator-Certified), and RAC-CTA (Advanced). The education portfolio features live and on-demand webinars, in-service training, and certificate programs including ICD-10-CM Coding. A suite of practical tools and products supports daily operations: MDS Toolbox, PDPM Game Plan, QM Survival Guide, Survey Preparedness Program, NAC Competency Evaluation, Therapy Toolbox, Documentation Toolkit, and Staffing Tool. AI-powered services include Ava (a virtual assistant trained on AAPACN resources) and The Executive Playbook (AI strategies webinar series). The organization serves members through the AAPACN Connect community platform, podcasts (LTC DON Chat, LTC NAC Chat), career center, annual conference, and access to government source documents including the RAI Manual. Membership tiers include Individual, Organizational (with Facility-Based and OM Plus options), and Student memberships. The AAPACN Education Foundation provides scholarships for advancing nursing education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RAC-CT (Resident Assessment Coordinator-Certified)
• DNS-CT (Directors of Nursing Services-Certified)
• QCP (QAPI Certified Professional)
• NHA-CT (Nursing Home Administrator-Certified)
• RAC-CTA (Resident Assessment Coordinator-Certified Advanced)
• ICD-10-CM Coding Certificate
• MDS Toolbox
• PDPM Game Plan
• QM Survival Guide
• Survey Preparedness Program
• Documentation Toolkit

Quantifiable outcome

• 11.9% higher CMS Star Ratings for AAPACN-certified facilities vs non-certified peers
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Chamberlain UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2025Partnership announced at AAPACN 2025 Conference to develop a practice-ready course focused on post-acute care. Aims to expand the post-acute care workforce through education collaboration.
• LTC 100coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on nurse retention and turnover survey. Released joint survey findings at LTC 100 Leadership Conference showing that workplace culture and leadership drive retention decisions.
• Dobson DaVanzo & AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare economics consultancy conducted research demonstrating value of AAPACN certification. Study shows certified facilities have higher CMS Star Ratings, better occupancy, and lower turnover.
• PointClickCaremajorTechnology or IntegrationBusiness partner - EHR/technology provider for skilled nursing facilities. Part of AAPACN's ecosystem of business partners supporting post-acute care.
• MatrixCaremajorTechnology or IntegrationBusiness partner - EHR/technology provider for long-term care. Part of AAPACN's business partner ecosystem.
• Pathway HealthmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBusiness partner - consulting and education services for clinical reimbursement needs. Director of Reimbursement and Education Scott Heichel is affiliated with Pathway Health.
• PsychUminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner program providing special resources and benefits to AAPACN members through PsychU platform.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• MedBridge: Healthcare professional education platform for physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, and other clinicians. Comparable to AAPACN as a continuing education and certification provider for healthcare professionals, though MedBridge operates across multiple disciplines rather than specializing in post-acute care.
• HCPro / Simplify Compliance: Provider of regulatory compliance training and resources for healthcare professionals including nursing. Comparable to AAPACN in delivering regulatory and reimbursement-focused education (e.g., MDS, PDPM-adjacent content), though it serves a broader healthcare audience including acute care.
• Relias: Large healthcare workforce education and compliance training platform. Comparable to AAPACN as a healthcare professional training provider but operates broadly across acute, post-acute, behavioral health, and home health; AAPACN's niche specialization in post-acute care nursing is its key differentiator.

Direct peers

• LeadingAge: National association representing nonprofit aging services providers including skilled nursing, assisted living, and senior housing. Directly comparable to AAPACN in serving the post-acute/long-term care mission-driven provider community with workforce education, certification, and policy advocacy.
• NADONA (National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long Term Care): Professional association specifically for directors of nursing in long-term care. The most direct peer to AAPACN's DNS-CT and QCP certification programs, serving the same DNS persona with comparable certification and education offerings.
• AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine: Medical society for physicians and practitioners in post-acute and long-term care. Comparable to AAPACN in serving the post-acute care professional community with clinical education, certification (CMD), and advocacy, though it focuses on medical directors rather than nurses.
• American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA): Professional association for long-term care administrators that offers the Certified Nursing Home Administrator (CNHA) credential. Most directly comparable to AAPACN's newly launched NHA-CT certification, both targeting the nursing home administrator persona.
• American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL): The largest national trade association representing skilled nursing and assisted living providers. Directly comparable to AAPACN because both serve the post-acute/long-term care ecosystem with education, certification, advocacy, and conferences, though AHCA/NCAL targets operators and administrators rather than individual nurses.

Emerging players

• Curaport: Online continuing education platform for post-acute care professionals. Comparable to AAPACN's webinar and on-demand education business with a focus on home health, hospice, and skilled nursing; smaller scale but overlapping content and audience.
• Pathway Health: Consulting and education services firm specializing in clinical reimbursement for skilled nursing facilities. Directly comparable to AAPACN in serving SNF reimbursement and clinical operations needs; Pathway Health's director Scott Heichel sits on the AAPACN board, indicating ecosystem overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AAPACN
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCia91jLRluKmOfStL1uCsoA
• Facebookfacebook.com/AAPACN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aapacn
• Instagraminstagram.com/aapacn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AAPACN