AAPACN
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
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.
AAPACN firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Where AAPACN is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
AAPACN business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Conference and Events: Annual AAPACN Conference (e.g., 2026 in Orlando, 2027 in New Orleans) and virtual conferences. Solution provider exhibitors and sponsors.
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual one-year membership |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Individual two-year membership (best value) |
| Subscription | Annual | Student membership |
| Freemium | Monthly | Free 30-day trial access |
| Subscription | Annual | Facility-Based Organizational Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | OM Plus Membership (best value) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
AAPACN product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use AAPACN
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
AAPACN technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature1 record
AAPACN partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Chamberlain UniversitycorePartnership 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 100coreCollaboration 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 & AssociatescoreHealthcare economics consultancy conducted research demonstrating value of AAPACN certification. Study shows certified facilities have higher CMS Star Ratings, better occupancy, and lower turnover.
- PointClickCaremajorBusiness partner - EHR/technology provider for skilled nursing facilities. Part of AAPACN's ecosystem of business partners supporting post-acute care.
- MatrixCaremajorBusiness partner - EHR/technology provider for long-term care. Part of AAPACN's business partner ecosystem.
- Pathway HealthmajorBusiness partner - consulting and education services for clinical reimbursement needs. Director of Reimbursement and Education Scott Heichel is affiliated with Pathway Health.
- PsychUminorPartner program providing special resources and benefits to AAPACN members through PsychU platform.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
AAPACN competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad 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
AAPACN social profiles
Digital presenceAAPACN financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AAPACN leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
AAPACN subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
AAPACN funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AAPACN M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AAPACN
What does AAPACN do?
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.
Is AAPACN a public or private company?
AAPACN is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was AAPACN founded?
AAPACN was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AAPACN based?
AAPACN is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does AAPACN make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Individual Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are organizational Membership Fees, education and Certification Programs, business Partner Sponsorships, conference and Events and products and Tools.
Who are AAPACN's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are MedBridge, HCPro / Simplify Compliance and Relias. Direct peers are LeadingAge, NADONA (National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long Term Care), AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) and American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). Emerging players are Curaport and Pathway Health.
Does AAPACN have an API?
No public API is recorded for AAPACN.