The National Commission For Health E

What The National Commission For Health E does

The National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC) is a U.S.-based nonprofit credentialing organization founded in April 1988 and headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. NCHEC administers two-tiered professional certifications — the entry-level Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®) and the advanced-level Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES®) — built on its proprietary Eight Areas of Responsibility competency framework, which is validated through Health Education Practice Analysis (HESPA) studies. The organization is the only accredited certifying body for health education specialists in the United States, holding dual re-accreditation from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the International Accreditation Service (IAS), most recently reaffirmed in October 2023.

NCHEC generates revenue through a diversified stream: one-time CHES/MCHES examination fees (administered twice yearly via PSI test centers and Live Remote Proctoring), recurring annual renewal fees of $60-70 per certificant, designated continuing education provider administrative fees, optional $25 prescreen services, and bookstore sales of official study materials. The credential-holder base exceeds 15,000 active professionals, with re-accreditation cycles enforcing 75 continuing education contact hours every five years. Distribution spans 130+ PSI test sites domestically and selected international locations, supplemented by an online portal (online.nchec.org) and remote proctoring.

The organization serves multiple customer segments in a B2B2C model: individual health education practitioners seeking professional credentials, healthcare employers (Montefiore Medical Center, WebMD, Shasta Community Health Center, Sentara, Populytics) that prefer or require CHES/MCHES for workforce competency, government health departments (Tulsa Health Department, Army Wellness Centers), academic institutions, and continuing education providers accredited through the Designated Provider Program. Strategic partnerships with SOPHE (scholarship administration), the American Medical Association (CPT Category III code recognition effective January 2020), and PSI (testing vendor) extend NCHEC's reach into adjacent professional ecosystems.

Name

The National Commission For Health E

Legal name

National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.

Website

https://nchec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NCHEC is a U.S. nonprofit founded in 1988 that administers the CHES® and MCHES® professional certifications for health education specialists, serving over 15,000 active credential-holders through PSI test sites, live remote proctoring, and dual NCCA/IAS accreditation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Health Education Certification

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)

Keywords

• Health education certification
• Professional credentialing services
• Competency-based examinations
• Continuing education programs
• Workforce credentialing standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethlehem

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Certification Exam Fees: NCHEC generates revenue through CHES and MCHES examination fees with tiered pricing based on filing deadlines (early bird, standard, late). Student discounts available for full-time students filing by early bird deadline.
2. Annual Renewal Fees: CHES and MCHES holders pay annual renewal fees ($60-70 per year) to maintain active certification status. Five-year recertification cycle requires completion of 75 continuing education hours plus renewal fees.
3. Designated Provider Fees: Organizations seeking to become NCHEC-designated continuing education providers pay administrative fees for application review, generating revenue while building the CE ecosystem.
4. Prescreen Service: Optional $25 prescreen service for MCHES applicants unsure of eligibility, reviewing academic component of eligibility before full exam registration.
5. Bookstore Sales: NCHEC sells exam study materials, textbooks, and eBooks including the Health Education Specialist Companion Guide for Professional Excellence and Competency-Based Framework publications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NCHEC certifies health education specialists through the entry-level CHES® and advanced-level MCHES® competency-based examinations, administers required continuing education programs for credential maintenance, and operates supporting services including an online certification portal, designated CE provider accreditation, and official study materials in print and eBook formats. Examinations are delivered via computer-based testing at PSI test sites and through a Live Remote Proctoring platform with international reach.

Product overview

NCHEC operates as a certification organization offering two-tiered professional credentials for health education specialists: the entry-level CHES® (Certified Health Education Specialist) and the advanced-level MCHES® (Master Certified Health Education Specialist). The organization supports certificants through a comprehensive ecosystem that includes the NCHEC Online Portal for certification management and continuing education tracking, exam preparation materials available in both print and eBook formats, and the Helen P. Cleary Scholarship for student candidates. NCHEC also operates a Designated Provider Program that accredits continuing education providers, creating a network of approved learning opportunities for professional development. The certifications are based on the Eight Areas of Responsibility of Health Education Specialists and require ongoing continuing education for maintenance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CHES (Certified Health Education Specialist): Entry-level certification for health education specialists who have met required academic preparation and passed a competency-based examination.
• MCHES (Master Certified Health Education Specialist)

Products and services

• CHES® (Certified Health Education Specialist) Certification Entry-level national certification examination for health education specialists who have met required academic preparation and passed a competency-based examination demonstrating skill and knowledge in the Eight Areas of Responsibility. Candidates apply online with tiered pricing based on filing deadlines.
• MCHES® (Master Certified Health Education Specialist) Certification Advanced-level certification examination for health education specialists who have met academic eligibility with health education courses, five years of documented experience, and passed a comprehensive written examination demonstrating advanced knowledge. Optional $25 prescreen service reviews academic eligibility before full registration.
• Continuing Education (CECH) Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15,000 active CHES and MCHES credential-holders
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PSIcoreTechnology or Integration · 31 October 2022PSI replaced previous testing vendor for computer-based certification examinations. PSI administers CHES and MCHES exams at hundreds of test sites nationwide with some international locations.
• Korea Health Promotion InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2019NCHEC hosted Korea Health Promotion Institute representatives for international exchange, showcasing U.S. health education credentialing practices and exploring international collaboration opportunities.
• American Medical Association (AMA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2019NCHEC's CHES and MCHES credentials recognized in AMA's Category III CPT codes for Health and Well-Being Coaching. This recognition enables certified health education specialists to participate in healthcare reimbursement structures and establishes professional legitimacy in primary care settings.
• Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2019SOPHE serves as the awards committee administrator for the Helen P. Cleary Scholarship, assisting NCHEC in selecting recipients for CHES examination fee assistance. This partnership leverages SOPHE's reach into academic health education programs.
• Prometric Test CenterscoreTechnology or IntegrationPrometric Test Centers serve as physical locations for CHES and MCHES certification examinations using social distancing best practices.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC): NBHWC certifies health and wellness coaches and is specifically aligned with the AMA CPT Category III codes for Health and Well-Being Coaching. It directly competes with NCHEC for the same employer-paid certification spend in the health coaching labor market.
• National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE): NBPHE administers the Certified in Public Health (CPH) credential for public health professionals, comparable to NCHEC as a single-purpose health-profession certifying body serving overlapping employer markets (health departments, government agencies).
• Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR): CDR credentials Registered Dietitians (RD/RDN), the closest analog to NCHEC in an allied health credentialing body serving healthcare and community health employers with a designated-provider/CE-tracking ecosystem.

Others

• National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA/ICE): NCCA is the accreditation body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence that accredits NCHEC's certification programs. It is the industry gatekeeper that defines certification standards and validates NCHEC's regulatory moat.
• Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE): SOPHE is NCHEC's core strategic partner and the leading professional association for health educators. While not a certification competitor, SOPHE serves the same professional community and channels candidates toward CHES/MCHES credentials.

Emerging players

• American Council on Exercise (ACE): ACE offers Health Coach Certification that competes for employer-sponsored wellness coaching credentials. Its commercial marketing scale and broader consumer brand represent a different go-to-market approach than NCHEC's profession-specific credential.

Regional players

• Wellcoaches Corporation: Wellcoaches is a well-established health and wellness coaching school and credential originally partnered with NBHWC and ACSM. It represents an alternative pathway for the same health coaching talent pool that NCHEC serves via CHES/MCHES.

Broad incumbents

• National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA): NCCPA administers the PANCE/PANRE certification for physician assistants and operates a similar NCCA-accredited certification model with continuing medical education requirements and annual renewal mechanics.
• National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): NBCC credentials professional counselors through the NCC credential and operates with comparable NCCA-accredited continuing education and renewal mechanics, serving behavioral health employers adjacent to NCHEC's population.
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): ANCC is a much larger healthcare certification body that administers specialty nursing credentials. It serves overlapping healthcare employer markets and demonstrates scale economics and international reach that NCHEC aspires to.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQWjAu9LabVspXtS3GD-ZYQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/CHES.MCHES
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-commission-for-health-education-credentialing-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/ches_mches

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The National Commission For Health E