The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion

What The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion does

The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) is a private nonprofit certification body established in 1975 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the sole recognized credentialing organization for Certified Clinical Perfusionists (CCPs) in the United States, administering the two-part certification process — the Perfusion Basic Science Examination (PBSE) and the Clinical Applications in Perfusion Examination (CAPE) — through Pearson VUE testing centers. Its CCP credential is required or referenced for licensure in 17 states and for titling in California, giving it de facto regulatory monopoly over the profession.

ABCP's operational technology is modest and administrative rather than innovative: an Online Filing System (OFS) for annual recertification, clinical activity reporting, and CEU tracking; a public Certification Verification Tool for primary-source verification; and a Smartsheet-based CEU/SDCE approval workflow. Day-to-day operations are outsourced to Executive Director, Inc. (EDI), an association management firm also based in Milwaukee. Recent product investments include a 2024 relaunch of practice exams via Professional Testing/ExamStudio and the introduction of digital certificates and verification letters.

Revenue is generated through three streams: one-time examination fees ($360 per PBSE/CAPE attempt plus $100 late fees and $250 reinstatement), annual CCP recertification fees plus a $25 inactive-status fee, and tiered CEU/SDCE event-approval fees ($200-$600 base + $10/CEU). The customer base is exclusively individual perfusionists and event sponsors; ABCP has no subsidiaries, no external funding, and no parent company. The organization is governed by an 8-14 member board of practicing CCPs, each serving up to three four-year terms.

Name

The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion

Legal name

The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion

Website

https://abcp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) is the sole U.S. credentialing body for Certified Clinical Perfusionists, administering PBSE and CAPE examinations, annual recertification, and CEU approval for the cardiovascular perfusion profession.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification Services

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAALAC

Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

Keywords

• Clinical perfusion certification
• Medical credentialing services
• Cardiovascular perfusion standards
• Perfusion examination administration
• Professional recertification programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Certification Examination Fees: The ABCP charges application and examination fees for the Perfusion Basic Science Examination (PBSE) and Clinical Applications in Perfusion Examination (CAPE). These are one-time fees for initial certification.
2. Annual CCP Certification Fees: Certified Clinical Perfusionists pay annual recertification fees and maintain their credential through ongoing compliance with clinical activity and professional education requirements. Inactive status carries a $25 annual fee.
3. CEU/SDCE Approval Fees: The ABCP generates revenue by approving continuing education programs for Category I CEUs, with tiered application fees based on the number of CEUs (Tier I through Tier IV), plus $10 per CEU. Additional fees apply for late submissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) administers the certification, recertification, and professional standards for Certified Clinical Perfusionists (CCPs) in the United States and Canada. Its core offering is the two-part credentialing pathway consisting of the Perfusion Basic Science Examination (PBSE) and the Clinical Applications in Perfusion Examination (CAPE), delivered via Pearson VUE, together with an annual recertification program managed through its proprietary Online Filing System (OFS) that tracks clinical activity, continuing education units (CEUs), and case documentation.

Product overview

The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) offers a certification ecosystem for Certified Clinical Perfusionists consisting of two mandatory computer-based examinations (PBSE and CAPE) administered through Pearson VUE testing centers, supported by an Online Filing System for annual recertification and CEU tracking. The product portfolio includes the certification verification tool for primary source verification, official practice examinations delivered through ExamStudio, a CEU/SDCE approval system with three-tier categorization, a simulation center recognition program for High-Fidelity Perfusion Simulation case credits, and professional activity reporting with triennial CEU requirements. All core certification and recertification activities are managed through the Online Filing System, which provides digital certificates and verification letters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Perfusion Basic Science Examination (PBSE) Approximately 220-item multiple-choice examination covering perfusion basic sciences and extracorporeal support, administered via Pearson VUE at $360 per attempt. It is the required Part I of the ABCP CCP certification pathway for perfusion program graduates seeking initial credentialing.
• Clinical Applications in Perfusion Examination (CAPE) Part II of the ABCP certification pathway, a multiple-choice examination of 200 to 230 clinical-scenario questions measuring understanding of clinical perfusion practice and application of scientific knowledge, administered via Pearson VUE at $360 per attempt.
• Official Practice Examinations Official timed practice examinations delivered through the ExamStudio platform by Professional Testing, Inc., mirroring PBSE and CAPE on a smaller scale to help certification candidates prepare.
• CEU/SDCE Approval Service Tiered approval service for event sponsors seeking ABCP Category I CEU credit for their perfusion-related educational events, with base fees from $200 (Tier I, 1–10 CEUs) to $600 (Tier IV, 31+ CEUs) plus $10 per CEU, processed via the Smartsheet online application workflow.
• Annual CCP Recertification Program Annual subscription-based recertification program for Certified Clinical Perfusionists requiring documented clinical activity, professional activity (45 CEUs per three-year reporting period with a minimum of 15 Category I CEUs), and ongoing fees. Inactive status is available for $25 annually and conditional certification carries a $200 late filing fee plus the current filing fee.
• CCP Reinstatement Service Reinstatement service for perfusionists seeking to regain the CCP credential after loss of certification, available for a $250 one-time fee plus any required late or filing fees.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EQual Canada (under Accreditation Canada)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018EQual Canada under Accreditation Canada is the official accrediting agency for perfusion programs in Canada, replacing the Conjoint Committee on Accreditation of the Canadian Medical Association effective February 1, 2018.
• Accreditation Committee for Perfusion Education (AC-PE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABCP recognizes AC-PE under the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) as the official accrediting agency for perfusion programs in the U.S. ABCP serves as a sponsoring organization for AC-PE.
• Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAAHEP is the umbrella accrediting body under which AC-PE operates. ABCP is a sponsoring organization for the accreditation of perfusion education programs.
• Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE)coreOthersABCP is a member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, demonstrating adherence to quality standards in credentialing.
• American Association of Thoracic Surgeons (AATS)minorOthersRelated medical organization linked from ABCP website for prospective CCPs seeking additional professional connections.
• Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA)minorOthersRelated medical organization linked from ABCP website for prospective CCPs seeking additional professional connections.
• Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)minorOthersRelated medical organization linked from ABCP website for prospective CCPs seeking additional professional connections.
• American Academy of Cardiovascular Perfusion (AACP)coreOthersPrimary professional organization for cardiovascular perfusionists linked from ABCP website as a resource for prospective CCPs.
• American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology (AmSECT)coreOthersMajor professional organization for extracorporeal technology. ABCP transitioned from AmSECT in 1975 when AmSECT relinquished certification duties.
• Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO)coreOthersInternational organization for extracorporeal life support, linked from ABCP as a resource for ECMO-related perfusion education.
• Canadian Society of Clinical Perfusion (CSCP)coreOthersCanadian professional organization for clinical perfusionists, linked as a resource for perfusion education in Canada.
• Perfusion Program Director's Council (PPDC)coreOthersOrganization for perfusion education program directors, linked as resource for prospective CCPs considering perfusion education programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-american-board-of-cardiovascular-perfusion

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion