Patient Advocate Certification Board
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersSherwood, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Patient Advocate Certification Board firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Patient Advocate Certification Board
- Legal name
- Patient Advocate Certification Board, Inc.
- Website
- https://pacboard.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Patient Advocate Certification Board industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Certification Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Healthcare Licensing, Accreditation & Credentialing Boards (HLAJACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Healthcare & Clinical Professional Certifications (EDAAANAI), Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)
Keywords
Where Patient Advocate Certification Board is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sherwood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Patient Advocate Certification Board business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Certification Application and Exam Fees: One-time fees for individuals applying to take the BCPA certification exam. The primary revenue stream includes application fees, exam sitting fees, and retest fees.
- Recertification Fees: Ongoing fees for BCPA credential maintenance every three years, either through continuing education credits or re-examination.
- CE Provider Fees: Fees charged to continuing education providers for program approval and BCPA-ACE status, including application fees, annual fees, and per-program charges.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | BCPA Certification Exam - Standard Application |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Exam Reschedule Fee |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Retest Fee |
| Subscription | Annual | Recertification via Continuing Education |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Recertification via Examination |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | BCPA-ACE Provider - New Application |
| Subscription | Annual | BCPA-ACE Provider - Annual Fee (1-10 CEs) |
| Subscription | Annual | BCPA-ACE Provider - Annual Fee (11-29 CEs) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Course Approval |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Conference Program Approval |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Patient Advocate Certification Board product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Patient Advocate Certification Board (PACB) administers the Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) credential, the recognized standard for professional patient and health care advocates in the United States. The organization develops and maintains certification standards, including eligibility requirements, a job-task-analysis-based examination, the Code of Professional Responsibility, and a continuing education (CE) ecosystem with approved providers (BCPA-ACE). Certification is delivered via online application and remotely proctored computer-based exams administered twice yearly.
Product overview
The Patient Advocate Certification Board (PACB) offers a certification ecosystem for professional patient and health care advocates. The core product is the Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) credential, which involves passing a rigorous computer-based examination administered twice yearly through live remote proctoring. Supporting products include the Practice Exam for candidate preparation, the BCPA Access Portal for managing continuing education and recertification, and the BCPA-ACE program for approving continuing education providers. PACB also provides research initiatives (Job Task Analysis) and committee services (Ethics Committee, JEDI Task Force) to maintain professional standards. The certification renewal process requires ongoing continuing education every three years.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BCPA Certification Exam Computer-based certification examination administered twice yearly (Spring and Fall cycles) via live remote proctoring. Contains 150 multiple-choice questions (125 scored, 25 pretest) covering five domains of patient advocacy competency over a 3-hour testing window. Required to earn the BCPA credential.
- BCPA Practice Exam Mini practice examination consisting of 25 multiple-choice questions mirroring the blueprint of the full BCPA exam. Available only to approved and fully registered candidates to support exam preparation.
- BCPA Access Portal Self-reporting online portal (hosted by Prolydian) that enables certificants to submit continuing education credits, track CE hours, and complete the recertification process for maintaining the BCPA credential.
- BCPA Recertification Three-year renewal of the BCPA credential requiring 30 clock hours of PACB-approved continuing education, including minimum ethics and JEDI requirements. Renewal can be completed via continuing education credits or by retaking the certification exam.
- BCPA-ACE Approved Provider Program Approved Continuing Education (BCPA-ACE) status granted to eligible continuing education providers, authorizing them to offer BCPA credit for programs meeting PACB standards. Includes new application, annual fees tiered by program count, and individual program approvals.
- Single Program CE Approval Pre-approval process for individual continuing education programs. Non-approved providers must obtain specific PACB approval prior to offering CE credit toward BCPA recertification.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reliability Score of 0.91 on BCPA exam
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Patient Advocate Certification Board
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Patient Advocate Certification Board technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature2 records
Patient Advocate Certification Board partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ProlydiancoreProlydian provides the integrated registration, application processing, certification management, and continuing education tracking platform for PACB. Candidates apply through Prolydian, schedule exams, submit CE credits, and manage their BCPA credential renewal through this platform.
- Proctor360coreProctor360 provides live remote proctoring services for the BCPA certification examination, enabling candidates worldwide to take the exam remotely with human proctor supervision via webcam and microphone.
- Boston University School of Public HealthminorPACB partners with Boston University School of Public Health's Center for Health Law, Bioethics & Human Rights to host the annual Cathy Shine Lecture, a prestigious educational event in patient advocacy.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Patient Advocate Certification Board competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Commission for Health Interpreter Credentialing (CCHI): National certifying body for healthcare interpreters, with a comparable model of standardized exam, eligibility pathways, and continuing education requirements.
- National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Independent credentialing body certifying counselors via board examination with mandated CE and ethics standards—analogous governance and revenue model.
- National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC): Independent credentialing body that administers competency-based examinations and recertification for allied health professionals, mirroring PACB's exam-and-recertification model.
- Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC): National credentialing body that certifies case managers via a board examination and ongoing CE requirements, structurally analogous to PACB's model for patient advocates.
- American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC): Credentialing organization offering board certification for medical coders with exam, CE, and specialty credential offerings; comparable structure of paid exam plus recurring CE.
Emerging players
- Patient Advocate Foundation: Nonprofit providing direct patient advocacy services rather than certification, but operating in the same patient-advocacy ecosystem and engaging many of the same advocates PACB certifies.
- National Association of Healthcare Advocacy (NAHAC): Membership organization for patient/health advocates that previously developed its own standards; a potential standards competitor or partner in the same advocacy profession.
Broad incumbents
- Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA): Membership and credentialing association offering healthcare finance certifications (e.g., CRCR, FHFMA), combining professional certification with continuing education—similar dual product structure.
- American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): Largest U.S. healthcare credentialing organization, offering board certification across nursing specialties with standardized exams and recertification—comparable scope but at much larger scale.
- American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA): Professional association offering health information credentials (RHIA, CCS, etc.) with exam, CE, and recertification—similar credentialing economics at larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Patient Advocate Certification Board social profiles
Digital presencePatient Advocate Certification Board financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Patient Advocate Certification Board leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Patient Advocate Certification Board funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Patient Advocate Certification Board 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 Patient Advocate Certification Board
What does Patient Advocate Certification Board do?
The Patient Advocate Certification Board (PACB) administers the Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) credential, the recognized standard for professional patient and health care advocates in the United States. The organization develops and maintains certification standards, including eligibility requirements, a job-task-analysis-based examination, the Code of Professional Responsibility, and a continuing education (CE) ecosystem with approved providers (BCPA-ACE). Certification is delivered via online application and remotely proctored computer-based exams administered twice yearly.
Is Patient Advocate Certification Board a public or private company?
Patient Advocate Certification Board is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Patient Advocate Certification Board founded?
Patient Advocate Certification Board was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Patient Advocate Certification Board based?
Patient Advocate Certification Board is headquartered in Sherwood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Patient Advocate Certification Board make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Certification Application and Exam Fees are the primary driver. The others are recertification Fees and CE Provider Fees.
Who are Patient Advocate Certification Board's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Commission for Health Interpreter Credentialing (CCHI), National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC) and American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). Emerging players are Patient Advocate Foundation and National Association of Healthcare Advocacy (NAHAC). Broad incumbents are Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
Does Patient Advocate Certification Board have an API?
No public API is recorded for Patient Advocate Certification Board.
What industry is Patient Advocate Certification Board in?
Patient Advocate Certification Board's product category is Professional Certification Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAJACAC, Healthcare Licensing, Accreditation & Credentialing Boards, with a secondary code of EDAAANAI, Healthcare & Clinical Professional Certifications.