Patient Advocate Certification Board

09/01/2026

READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN PATIENT ADVOCACY?

The Fall 2026 BCPA Exam is coming.

Your experience matters. Your expertise matters. And professional certification matters.

The Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) credential demonstrates your commitment to professional patient advocacy, ethical practice, competency, and lifelong learning.

Ready to take the next step?

📅 Fall 2026 BCPA Exam
⏰ Application window closes October 23, 2026

Start your journey today.

⬇ Link in the comments! ⬇

08/27/2026

🔎Are you planning to take the PACB certification exam in October? Be sure to carefully review the exam and preparation materials available on the website!

🧭https://www.pacboard.org/exam-study-materials/

07/27/2026

The demand for professional patient and health care advocates continues to grow as individuals and families seek trusted guidance through an increasingly complex health care system.

Board certification demonstrates a commitment to competence, ethics, and accountability—providing confidence that a professional advocate has met rigorous standards and is dedicated to serving patients with excellence.

As the profession evolves, certification helps distinguish qualified advocates and strengthens public trust.

07/03/2026

07/02/2026

Join Teri Frykenberg, RN, CCM, CDP, BCPA, for an insightful webinar exploring the advantages, challenges, and ethical considerations of both nonprofit and for-profit patient advocacy organizations.

This session has been applied for 1 Ethics CE credit by the Patient Advocate Certification Board (PACB).

https://nahac.com/current-events-calendar #!event/2026/7/21/profit-or-purpose-navigating-business-models-in-patient-advocacy

06/26/2026

Help Shape a Fall 2026 Virtual Conference for Health Care Advocates

PACB is a member organization of CHCAO and is sharing this survey on behalf of the coalition to help gather input from advocates, BCPAs, educators, organization leaders, navigators, and others connected to the field of health care advocacy.

The field of health care advocacy continues to evolve rapidly. Advocates are navigating increasingly complex care systems, changing expectations, new technologies, professional sustainability concerns, and important questions about the future of the profession.

CHCAO is exploring a one-day virtual conference for fall 2026 focused on these issues and on the practical education advocates need now.

The proposed theme is:

Advocacy at a Crossroads: Navigating Complexity, Sustainability, and the Future of the Profession

Before moving forward, we want to hear directly from you.

Please take a few minutes to complete this brief interest survey: It should take approximately 5 minutes to complete.

CHCAO Fall 2026 Virtual Conference Interest SurveyΔ Updates CHCAO Fall 2026 Virtual Conference Interest SurveyCHCAO is planning a virtual conference for fall 2026 focused on the evolving role of health care advocacy and the challenges advocates are facing across practice settings.The proposed theme...

05/26/2026

𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥, 𝙇𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙘𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘼𝙙𝙫𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙘𝙮

The future of patient advocacy is entering an important new phase.

Earlier this month, the PACB Board of Directors voted to dedicate the forthcoming edition of the BCPA Body of Knowledge (BOK) in honor of George J. Annas, whose work helped shape modern thinking around patient rights, autonomy, and ethical healthcare advocacy.

At the same time, PACB’s newly established Curriculum Advisory Board (CAB) has formally begun work on development and oversight of a foundational patient advocacy curriculum aligned with the BCPA Body of Knowledge.

This represents an important step forward for the profession. The goal is not disease-specific training, but the creation of a shared educational foundation for professional patient and healthcare advocacy — grounded in ethics, communication, health systems literacy, patient autonomy, and the core competencies reflected in the BOK.

As healthcare continues to evolve, so too must the preparation and standards that support professional advocates. This work reflects PACB’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the profession and helping ensure that patient-centered advocacy remains informed, ethical, and impactful for years to come.

We will continue to share about this initiative… stay tuned!

05/22/2026

Upcoming Continuing Education Opportunities

The following CE programs are scheduled for the coming weeks. Please register directly with the sponsoring organization.

Live Virtual Events

Compassionate Navigation
June 22, 2026
When Care Gets Complicated: Communication Skills for Challenging Advocacy Encounters Using the BRIDGE Framework™
Four-part series beginning June 22, 2026
https://www.compassionatenavigation.com/

Pulse Center for Patient Safety
July 6, 2026
Pulse Center for Patient Safety Summer Series: A Group Discussion on Health, Equity & Patient Advocacy
Six-part series beginning July 6, 2026
https://www.pulsecenterforpatientsafety.org/summerseries

Rothkoff Law
June 11, 2026
Writing Your Own Legacy
https://rothkofflaw.com/

Self-Study Activities

PracticeUP Online
June 20, 2026
Understanding the United States Healthcare System
https://practiceuponline.com/

Sonoran Wayfinders
May 27, 2026
AI? Piece of Cake
https://sonoranwayfinders.com/aaa/

Webinars — Live or On Demand

Alliance of Professional Health Advocates
June 18, 2026
Patient Rights in Practice: Lessons in Advocacy
https://aphadvocates.org/

HealthAdvocateX
June 23, 2026
Partnering for Healing: Case Studies in Collaborative Eating Disorder Recovery
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/partnering-for-healing-collaborative-eating-disorder-recovery-tickets-1989972288684

NAHAC
June 16, 2026
Protecting Assets from Estate Taxes, Nursing Home Costs, Creditors, In-Laws & Problems Arising Out of Probate
https://nahac.com/

OneOp
June 18, 2026
Coping with Client Loss: Professional Approaches for Service Providers
https://oneop.org/learn/160139/

June 25, 2026
Dietary Approaches to Support Brain Health in Aging
https://oneop.org/learn/160138/

Pulse Center for Patient Safety

May 27, 2026
Accessing Medical Records & Patient Portals to Improve Communication & Care
https://www.pulsecenterforpatientsafety.org/aces

05/22/2026

Article Spotlight: Independent Advocacy in Context

PACB is pleased to highlight the recent publication of “Independent Advocacy in Context” in the American Bar Association Health eSource.

The article was co-authored by Malynnda Stewart, PhD, BCPA, former PACB Board member and current Chair of HealthAdvocateX and Heidi B. Kummer, MD, MPH, BCPA, PACB President.

Their collaboration reflects a shared commitment to advancing broader understanding of independent patient advocacy and its evolving role within healthcare.

Read the article in American Bar Association Health eSource:

A recent article in ABA Health eSource raises legitimate concerns about certain profit-driven models operating under the label of patient advocacy