The Academy of Communication in Healthcare

What The Academy of Communication in Healthcare does

The Academy of Communication in Healthcare (ACH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit academic organization founded in 1979 and headquartered in Lexington, KY, with operations managed by AMR Management Services. It is the professional home for healthcare communication, dedicated to improving relationships and communication between clinicians, patients, and families through education, research, and advocacy. ACH serves healthcare clinicians and trainees, health professions educators, hospitals and health systems, risk managers, communication researchers, and patient representatives across the U.S. and Canada (with international reach through EACH).

ACH's core technology is the evidence-based Relationship-Centered Communication (RCC) methodology, delivered through a layered product ecosystem. Core products include RCC Skills Workshops, a Train-the-Trainer program for Relationship-Centered Communication Facilitators (RCFs), Communication Coach Training, the multi-year Faculty-In-Training (FIT) program with personal mentoring, and the annual ENRICH Healthcare Communication Course (now in its 43rd year). Supporting assets include the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare (ICCH), the Leadership in Communication Summit, the Putnam Scholars research mentorship program, the MyAcademy online learning platform, and two published textbooks (Communication RX and Smith's Patient-Centered Interviewing). The FIT program has produced over 100 credentialed faculty since 1988.

ACH generates revenue through four streams: annual and multi-year individual and institutional membership dues ($50–$500 for individuals, $215–$240 per seat for institutions); professional services from on-site and virtual RCC workshops ($799 per participant for Fundamentals of RCC); conference and event registration fees for ICCH, ENRICH, and the Summit; and tax-deductible donations supporting scholarships and operations. The organization has trained 30+ U.S. health system affiliates including Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, UCSF, Yale NewHaven, Stanford Children's, Texas Children's, Wake Forest Baptist, Montefiore, Renown Health, and the US Department of Veteran Affairs.

Name

The Academy of Communication in Healthcare

Legal name

Academy of Communication in Healthcare, Inc.

Website

https://achonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Academy of Communication in Healthcare (ACH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1979 that delivers evidence-based Relationship-Centered Communication (RCC) training, faculty development programs, annual conferences, and published resources to healthcare clinicians, educators, researchers, and health systems across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual and multi-year membership dues from individual professionals, students, and institutional members providing access to events, resources, community, and member benefits
2. Training Programs: Revenue from Fundamentals of RCC workshops ($799 per participant), train-the-trainer programs, and custom on-site training delivered to healthcare organizations
3. Conference and Event Registration: Registration fees for annual conferences including ICCH, ENRICH, and Leadership in Communication Summit
4. Donations and External Funding: Tax-deductible donations from supporters supporting programs including Putnam Scholars, ENRICH scholarships, ICCH scholarships, and general operations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Academy of Communication in Healthcare (ACH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that delivers evidence-based Relationship-Centered Communication (RCC) training, faculty development programs, an annual international conference, workshops, webinars, publications, and membership services to healthcare professionals and institutions. Its mission centers on improving healthcare outcomes by enhancing communication between clinicians, patients, families, and interprofessional teams.

Product overview

The Academy of Communication in Healthcare (ACH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit academic organization that operates as a platform of interconnected educational products and programs focused on improving healthcare communication through relationship-centered care. The core offering centers on the Relationship-Centered Communication (RCC) Skills ecosystem, which includes instructor-led workshops, Train-the-Trainer programs, and Communication Coach Training. ACH's flagship educational pathways comprise the Faculty-In-Training (FIT) multi-year mentorship program, the annual ENRICH Healthcare Communication Course, the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare (ICCH), and the Leadership in Communication Summit. Additional offerings include the Putnam Scholars research mentorship program, the MyAcademy online learning platform, and published resources including the books 'Smith's Patient-Centered Interviewing' and 'Communication RX'. The organization serves healthcare professionals, educators, researchers, patients, and health systems through both virtual and in-person modalities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Conference on Communication in Healthcare (ICCH)

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EACH (International Association for Communication in Healthcare)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACH partners with EACH to organize the annual International Conferences on Communication in Healthcare (ICCH). In even years, EACH organizes ICCH in Europe; in odd years, ACH organizes ICCH in the USA/Canada. ICCH 2026 will be hosted by EACH in Belfast, Ireland.
• Renown HealthminorOthersHealthcare system receiving RCC skills training programs from ACH faculty
• Texas Children's HospitalminorOthersHealthcare system receiving RCC skills training programs from ACH faculty
• MontefioreminorOthersHealthcare system receiving RCC skills training programs from ACH faculty
• Wake Forest Baptist HealthminorOthersHealthcare system receiving RCC skills training programs from ACH faculty
• Cleveland ClinicminorOthersHealthcare system receiving RCC skills training programs from ACH faculty
• Mayo ClinicminorOthersHealthcare system receiving RCC skills training programs from ACH faculty
• UCSFminorOthersHealthcare system receiving RCC skills training programs from ACH faculty
• US Department of Veteran AffairsminorOthersGovernment healthcare system receiving RCC skills training programs from ACH faculty
• AMR Management ServicescoreOthersAMR Management Services provides executive director and association management services to ACH. Anne Fehr serves as Executive Director and Nick Ruffin serves as President & CEO of AMR.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• VitalTalk: Non-profit focused on evidence-based communication skills training for clinicians, particularly in serious illness and end-of-life conversations; competes directly with ACH in healthcare communication training and faculty development.
• Institute for Healthcare Communication (IHC): Non-profit organization offering communication skills training programs to healthcare professionals; the most direct peer to ACH in mission, methodology, and customer base.
• Center for Communication in Medicine: Non-profit dedicated to improving patient-clinician communication through education and research; closely aligned with ACH's mission and methodology.

Regional players

• American Academy on Communication in Healthcare (AACH) - Australian affiliate: Australia/New Zealand counterpart organization that participates in the ICCH conference circuit and offers similar communication training in the Australasian region.

Broad incumbents

• American Medical Association (AMA): Large professional medical association that offers communication-related CME, ethics resources, and educational programming as part of a broader portfolio serving physicians.
• Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC): Major academic medical association offering leadership training, communication competencies, and educational programs to medical schools and teaching hospitals.
• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME): Organization that develops standardized medical assessments including communication skills components of USMLE; influences how communication is taught in medical education.
• Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM): Academic medical society that conducts communication skills research and provides related training within emergency medicine specialty; adjacent to ACH's broader scope.
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN): National organization for nursing education that addresses communication competencies in nursing curricula; overlapping customer base of healthcare educators.

Others

• ABMS (American Board of Medical Specialties): Umbrella organization for medical specialty boards that sets professional standards including communication competencies; a structural stakeholder in ACH's addressable market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-american-academy-on-communication-in-healthcare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 The Academy of Communication in Healthcare