Revised October 2023
Program Certification FAQs Document
Revised October 2023
Please use the blue links below to navigate to the various FAQ sections for Program Certification. If you
have any questions that are not answered in this document, please contact the Certification Team at
certification@aacvpr.org.
Preparing to Become Certified
Application – Page-by-Page
Annual Report Details
Revised October 2023
Preparing to Become Certified
General
Q: Does AACVPR provide certification for hybrid and virtual cardiac rehab programs?
A: No. At this time, we only provide certification for program-based adult cardiac and pulmonary rehab
programs.
Data Collection
Q: How do I get access to the format for which you would like information submitted. For example, is
there a specific table or excel in which you would like to receive the information we will be providing?
A: Each page of the application will specify what information to provide and the format it is to be
provided in. Many of the pages request the information be uploaded electronically. This will be the only
way to submit the requested information. Many of the pages of the application such as staff
competencies, emergency in-services and performance measures require a narrative section to be
completed. Please read the application (available on our website here) carefully for clear instructions on
what and how to submit the narrative information.
Q: What is the data collection period for the 2024 Program Certification Application?
A: The 2024 Program Certification data collection period is January 1, 2023- December 31, 2023.
Q: Our program is new – when can we certify?
A: To apply for certification, a cardiac or pulmonary rehabilitation program must have been in operation
for a minimum of one full calendar year prior to the date of application beginning January 1, 2023.
Q: Our program has a low volume of patients that are enrolled and complete each year. Is there a
minimum number of patients that need to enroll within the program each year to apply for
certification?
A: No, we do not have a set patient enrollment volume that programs need to maintain to apply for
certification or recertification. We encourage all programs to apply for certification regardless of
enrollment volume. If you have volume related questions, please reach out to certification@aacvpr.org.
Staffing Questions
Q: For certification purposes, are we required to have a registered dietician (RD) to teach nutrition for
cardiac and pulmonary rehab, or could we use a MPH to teach nutrition?
A: You do not have to have a RD teach nutrition. Many programs use nurses, exercise physiologists or
other staff. Anyone on the CR/PR staff could present for general nutrition education if they have the
training and competency to do so. Keep in mind that all programs should incorporate a multidisciplinary
team. Program certification requires a nutrition assessment (screening), intervention and education that
can be performed by those who have met the core competencies in that area. Your program can
incorporate the ability to refer patients to additional resources, such as a RD for additional education.
Q: What type of staff or staffing model should we have in our program?
A: Program certification does not require staffing disciplines or advise on staffing ratios. Programs are
encouraged to have multidisciplinary staff to provide well rounded patient care.
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Q: What staff do we include on our staff roster?
A: You should include all staff members who provide direct and primary patient care and report to the
program director/ coordinator/ manager and are employed at the time of application submission.
Q: I am having difficulty filling the psychosocial component of both my cardiac and pulmonary
rehabilitation programs. How could an RN be utilized for this? What additional qualities/certifications
would they need?
A: You are not required to have a specialized clinician, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. You should
have a multidisciplinary team that can be utilized as needed and an ability to refer patients to
appropriate clinical resources not included on your team. For certification, you need to complete an
individualized assessment, reassessment and discharge, including interventions and your patient’s
progress toward their psychosocial goals.
Changing Locations/Facility
Q: We will be integrated into the area of physical therapy and an employee gym. Does AACVPR state
we have to be a separate entity in our own area?
A: Program certification does not require or regulate location or space requirements. You should
address needed space for quality, patient care and safety, including ensuring you have the appropriate
emergency equipment available.
Q: Our program is currently certified by AACVPR. We are moving/building a new location and we are
wondering if there are any steps to complete to maintain our current certification?
A: If you are moving to a new location please reach out to certification@aacvpr.org. You will need to
report your new location information to AACVPR. This new information will be updated in the AACVPR
program database. If you have had your primary contact or secondary contact for certification change,
please complete our Primary Contact Form.
Q: Our program is currently certified by AACVPR. Our hospital is merging with another hospital and
our name will be changing but our policies and procedures and location will remain the same. Are
there any steps to complete to maintain our current certification?
A: If you are merging facilities, please reach out to certification@aacvpr.org. This new information will
be updated in the AACVPR program database and any other needed items will be reviewed.
Physician Supervision
Q: How do we indicate the physician is immediately available?
A: Program certification does not require physician availability, however you should review
requirements with your organization’s compliance officer and your local MAC to ensure you are meeting
regulatory requirements.
Q: What do we do if our medical director is out of town?
A: Your program should have a plan for who will be covering in your medical director’s absence and
process to implement the coverage plan to ensure physician signatures occur within the required
timeframe.
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Q: Who can sign the ITP?
A: Program certification requires a physician signature at the initial assessment and at least every 30
days.
Restrictions for Treating Patients
Q: I would like to know if there are any restrictions to treating cardiac, pulmonary and perhaps
maintenance patients at the same time. Are there any problems with "mixing" rehab patients?
A: There are no restrictions on exercising patients with different co-morbidities. Also, there are no
restrictions for mixing any population of patients.
Q: We have both traditional cardiac rehab and intensive cardiac rehab patients. Are the ICR patients
to be included in the application data?
A: AACVPR’s Program Certification process is designed for program-based adult cardiac and pulmonary
rehabilitation program. Virtual rehab is not included in certification.
Applying for More Than One Program
Q: We have both a cardiac and pulmonary program, do we need to apply for each separately or can
we enter them together as one combined unit?
A: Cardiac and pulmonary programs must submit separate applications because there are different
application requirements. Please see the appropriate application to review requirements for each.
Q: We have multiple programs without our health system. Do we have to apply separately or can we
apply as one program?
A: Even if programs are under the same health system, each location will need to apply for certification
separately.
Q: What is a sister program?
A: Sister programs are defined as related sites within the same healthcare system that share emergency
preparedness policies, exercise prescription policies, ITP policies, etc.
Q. My hospital system has multiple certified programs due for recertification in different years. Is my
program allowed to recertify a year early so that next time we will be due in the same year?
A. Yes, you are welcome to recertify early at the recertification rate. However, if a program choses to
delay recertification for this same reason, their certification would lapse, and they would need to submit
an initial certification application with a full certification fee to become certified again.
Monitoring Specifics
Q: Is it required for each telemetry session to have the tele strips analyzed for PR, QRS, and QT
intervals?
A: There are no requirements for the purpose of AACVPR Program certification pertaining to monitoring
specifics.
Q: Do all cardiac rehab patients need to be ECG monitored?
A: For program certification, patients are not required to be ECG monitored. Programs should assess
patients for their clinical needs and review billing requirements associated with monitored and non-
monitored options.
Revised October 2023
Q: Can I use my telemetry system ITP template for certification?
A: AACVPR does not endorse any ITP templates and we believe most templates can be used as long as
the information entered into the template meets the outlined requirement in the application.
CMS Regulations
Q: Where would I attain a copy of CMS regulations?
A: Log on to the AACVPR website or AACVPR central and find “Regulatory & Legislative”
information/updates under the Advocate/Advocacy menu. Next, find "Final Medicare Rules for CR and
PR." You would also be able to get a copy of the CMS regulations specific to cardiac and/or pulmonary
rehab from the billing specialist at your facility.
Risk Stratification
Q: How should we utilize the risk stratification guidelines into our program?
A: Risk Stratification is not a requirement that you submit documentation for as part of the certification
application. That does not mean that you should remove it from your program. You should be risk
stratifying your patients to determine clinical monitoring needs, potential for adverse events and risk
factors as outlined in the AACVPR Guidelines.
Equipment Cleaning
Q: Are there guidelines regarding the cleaning of exercise equipment?
A: The certification process does not have a requirement for equipment cleaning (although we know it is
a very important procedure!) Consult your Infection Prevention Specialist at your facility for advice on
State and Facility guidelines regarding equipment cleaning, hand washing, and other infection
prevention standards that you may need to follow.
Application Billing & Payment
Q: How do I pay for my application? Can I pay by check, credit card, and/or purchase order?
A: AACVPR does not accept Purchase Orders. AACVPR Program Certification does allow check payments
and credit card payments. To pay for your application by credit card or print off an invoice to pay by
check, please visit the Payment page of your application. The payment page of your application has a
printable invoice that you will need to send along with your check payment.
Please note: If you would like to pay by credit card after you have already selected paying by check,
please contact certifi[email protected]. We will then change your payment method to credit card and
notify you by email.
Q: Can I submit my application before payment has been applied?
A: Yes. We strongly recommend verifying with your accounting department that payment has been
postmarked by no later than February 28th. All payments must be postmarked by no later than February
28th.
Q: How can I check if my payment has been applied to my application?
A: In your Program Certification Dashboard, click on My Account. Then click on the ‘Payment History’
section of your application. On that page, you can see if your program still owes money. If your
application still has a balance left, we have not received your payment yet. If you would like to contact
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us about this payment, please call us at (312) 321-5146 with the check number & the date the payment
was cashed.
Application – Page-by-Page
Application Technical Issues
Q: How do I submit my forms and documentation for my program's application? Do I scan and fax
them to AACVPR?
A: All documentation for AACVPR Program Certification must be uploaded into the application platform. If
your program's records are not digital, you will need to scan all necessary documentation into your
computer and upload it to your application from your computer. AACVPR no longer accepts emailed or
faxed documentation for applications.
Q: How do I add myself as the new Primary Contact for my program?
A: If your program’s primary contact needs to be updated or created, please complete our Primary
Contact Form. Our Certification Team will then make the necessary updates to your program records and
they will also provide you with additional information to help you prepare for your application year. If
you have issues, please contact certification@aacvpr.org.
Q. No matter what I do, I can’t get any of the informational videos about the application to load, what
should I do?
A. AACVPR has created extensive video formats that should play across any web browser. If none of the
links to different video formats work for you, please contact your hospital’s IT department. Hospitals
frequently block JavaScript, Adobe Flash, and Quicktime video players. Please make sure they have
access to these unlocked. Some hospitals also use old versions of Internet Explorer that don’t support
our videos. Please try to see if your hospital will allow you to download Google Chrome as a web browser
for you to use for viewing the informational videos.
Q. What types of files can be uploaded to the application?
A. Only PDF formats are allowed. Please reach out to your facility's IT team if you need help changing
the format of a file.
Q: Do I still need to add all of my staff to my program roster in advance of the application opening? A:
No, we now only request that programs ensure they have their Primary and Secondary Contacts
identified within their program’s roster within the AACVPR website. The rest of the roles will only need
to be added within the application itself. For instructions on how to review and update your current
roster through the AACVPR website, click here.
Q: How do I update my program’s demographic information (enrollment size, full time employee
count, etc) within my program’s profile?
A: Detailed instructions on how to update your program’s demographic information can be found in this
Step- by-Step Guide to Updating Your Program’s Demographic Information. If you have any trouble
making the updates, please contact our team at certification@aacvpr.org.
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Staff Competencies – Cardiac & Pulmonary
Q: Do primary and secondary contacts need to be listed twice in the roster – once in their contact role
and once in their organizational role?
A: Yes, but the system will allow you to designate someone with multiple roles when you add them to
your roster within the application so you won’t need to create separate listings for the same person.
Q: Is it acceptable to have multiple medical directors on our roster?
A: Yes, there is no requirement for program certification to only have one medical director. For your
roster, you will only need to list regular medical directors – you can leave off fill-in medical directors.
Q: I finished the Staff Competencies section, but the page is not being marked as complete – am I
doing something wrong?
A. Please double check to make sure that all of the following are complete: 1) Are you missing any
required roles in your roster? 2) Are True/False responses listed for the “reports to director” and
“provides direct patient care” questions for ALL staff on the roster? 3) Are dates listed for all the staff
with marked check boxes?
Q: I am the Program Director for my program, but I also provide direct patient care. Will I need to
provide staff competencies?
A: Yes - if you provide direct patient care, you will need to report competencies.
Q: Do I still need an administrator on my staff roster within the application?
A: No, starting with the 2024 application, you no longer need to list your program’s administrator.
Q: How do I upload the staff competency table?
A: An upload is no longer required for the Staff Competencies section of the application. You may now
enter all the required information directly into the online application.
Q: What information do I need to enter in the text boxes in the Staff Competencies section of the
application?
A: For each submitted competency, describe in detail how you determined staff is competent in this area.
This description must include the following: 1) Objectives; and 2) The specific tool or method used for
assessment. Note: Simply stating "return demonstration/check-off station" or “post-test” alone is not
sufficient without submitting more detailed information on how competency is determined. Staff
competencies are technical, interpersonal, and critical thinking skills required to fulfill organization,
department and work-setting requirements. Please review: Core Competencies for Cardiac Rehabilitation
Secondary Prevention Professionals: 2010 Update
(https://journals.lww.com/jcrjournal/fulltext/2011/01000/core_competencies_for_cardiac.2.aspx) and
Clinical Competency for Guidelines for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Professionals
(https://journals.lww.com/jcrjournal/Fulltext/2014/09000/Clinical_Competency_Guidelines_for_P
ulmonary.1.aspx). Staff competency can be assessed in many ways such as peer review, discussion, article
review, return demonstration with a description, post-tests with a required passing score, etc. and
multiple methods should be used to describe in detail how staff are determined to be competent.
Q: I have my team complete a quiz after reading an article on a topic related to the staff
competencies. Do I need to include the full quiz as part of my description of how competency is
assessed?
A: No, please do not upload the full quiz, please just describe the method you use to determine your staff
team members are competent. Please make sure it is clear how you know your team is competent on the
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specific topic.
Q: Is ACLS/BLS accepted on the Staff Competencies page?
A: ACLS/BLS do not qualify as a competency. Competencies need to align with the knowledge and skills
from the competency documents referenced in the application.
Q: Do we need to submit Staff Competencies for employees who worked in our program during the
application year but who are no longer on staff at the time of application submission?
A: No. Submission of Staff Competencies is only required for staff who worked in your program during the
data collection period and remain on staff at the time of application. Anyone who is providing direct
patient care and is still working at your program, must be included in the staff roster.
Q: How should we handle part-time staff? We have ‘cover’ staff that help out if one of us is sick or on
vacation, but otherwise they do not work in Phase II.
A: If they provide direct patient care, they need to have competencies submitted. Even if they work only
occasionally, they still need to know what they are doing and how to assess, monitor, and effectively care
for CR and PR patients. All staff need to complete at least four different competencies regardless of their
role, FTE status or educational background.
Q: Should I include all our Phase 1 and Phase III staff when listing staff in our ‘Program Staff and
Competencies’ section of the application?
A: Certification is for Phase II programs and staff providing direct patient care for these patients should be
included.
Q: If I purchase the AACVPR Staff Competencies for Core Components and have my staff complete
those, will that meet the staff competencies requirements for program certification?
A: The AACVPR Staff Competencies for Core Components is a great way to meet the staff competencies
requirements for program certification. The Staff Competencies for Core Components contains eleven
modules (the target audience for each module is included in parentheses): lipid management (CR),
physical activity assessment (CR), psychosocial management (CR & PR), nutrition counseling (CR), CR
exercise training (CR), patient assessment (CR & PR), PR exercise training (PR), blood pressure
management (CR), diabetes management (CR), PR medications (PR), and tobacco cessation (CR & PR).
These modules can be purchased in a complete series, purchased individually, or purchased as either CR
or PR bundles. Also, please remember that there are many competency areas in both cardiac and
pulmonary in which staff should be proficient. You will still need to complete the requirements of the
application by providing the detail necessary for the objectives and tool or method used to determine
competency.
Q: Does the certification require that pulmonary rehabilitation programs employ a respiratory
therapist in addition to other clinical specialists?
A: A respiratory therapist does not have to be part of a program to be certified. However, remember
that each program is encouraged to have a multidisciplinary team approach.
Q: Can a cardiac rehab nurse and/or exercise physiologist perform the 6 minute walk test? We are
considering changing over to a 6 min walk test for pre-post evaluation.
A: A nurse, respiratory therapist, exercise physiologist, physical therapist can typically administer the
6MWT as long as everyone performing this test follows the same process and competency in the
administration of the test. Please refer to The American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines on specific
competencies for the administration of the 6MWT. The 6MWT is a great test for exercise assessment
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and for patient and program outcomes.
Q: Some of our staff nurses hold current Cardio-Vascular Nurse Certifications through ANCC. Does this
certification apply as evidence of professional competency?
A: No. The CCRP Exam is the ONLY credential that addresses Cardiac Rehabilitation Core Competencies
specifically. CCRP is the only certification that will be accepted in lieu of other competency requirements
for our Cardiac Program Certification applications and only for staff who have passed the exam.
Q: Some of our staff completed the PR Certificate course in 2020, and we used this to bypass the staff
competencies requirement for them on the 2021 application. Can these same staff members bypass
the staff competencies requirement on the 2024 application for completion of the PR Certificate
course back in 2021?
A: No, the PR Certificate Course does not require any sort of recertification process or demonstration of
continuing medical education credits earned, so it may only be used to bypass staff competencies for one
program certification cycle.
Q: Do we need to provide any proof that a member of our staff has their CCRP certification or
completed the PR certificate to bypass the competencies requirement?
A: Starting with the 2024 application, you will need to either list the CCRP Certification expiration date or
the date of completion of the PR Certificate Course within the application.
Individualized Treatment Plans – Cardiac & Pulmonary
Q: How have the ITP requirements changed? Where can I find a template based on the current
requirements?
A: ITP requirements can be found in the certification application. AACVPR does not endorse any ITP
format and we believe most formats can be used as long as they include all required elements, steps and
individualized patient information outlined in the application. The ITP Checklist document, posted to the
site, also outlines the required elements and steps.
Q: Can we submit session reports with the ITP so we have all the necessary patient information?
A: Daily exercise session notes, assessment tools, letters to physicians, etc. will not be accepted as a part
of the ITP and will result in denial of the page. All the necessary information required should be included
in the ITP.
Q: Is the physician still required to sign and date the initial ITP and sign again with each update?
A: The physician is required to review, sign and date the initial ITP and at least every 30 calendar days
thereafter, including at discharge.
Q: For re-assessments of patients’ ITPs, can we do them at session 12, 24 and 36 or do they need to be
done every 30, 60, 90 days? We do have our Medical Director come every 30 days and sign off on
patient’s progress.
A: You can do your reassessments at any time, however they need to be signed by a physician at least
every 30 days.
Q: Can a mid-level (APRN or PA) associated with the cardiologist sign our ITP?
A: The ITP needs to be signed by a physician at least every 30 days.
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Q: Are PR programs required to include prescribed SPO2 and Oxygen Flow Rates as part of their ITP?
A: Yes, programs are required to have this documented on the ITP. It can either be included in the Exercise
Prescription section or the oxygen section, but it should be clear that it is the prescribed values and not
values obtained during exercise.
Q: For the nutrition assessment portion of the ITP, do you have to use a diet survey with a score to
show a pre and post assessment? Would nurse/pt. discussion of pt. knowledge qualify?
A: Utilization of a specific survey is not required. You will need to have an assessment, reassessment and
discharge with all steps addressed as outlined in the application.
Q: For the nutrition section, can we just list the patient’s weight and BMI for the assessment?
A: No, that would not be acceptable on its own without any other documentation about the patient’s
nutrition habits/diet. It should be clear from the section that the patient’s nutrition was assessed, and not
just their weight or BMI. Nutrition can be assessed via a diet survey or a discussion of the patient’s
nutrition/diet habits.
Q: Can we use our ITP as our monthly progress note and just add an addendum for any documentation
needed for incidents or issues not recorded in the ITP?
A: Your ITP just needs to meet the requirements: assessment, plan, reassessment, and discharge for
exercise, nutrition, psychosocial, and other core components, and they need to be labeled as such.
However, with the various EMRs, the format you choose to use for the ITP is up to you. Pulmonary
programs also need the oxygen assessment element
Q: We have our physicians electronically sign our ITP. Does that meet CMS and AACVPR guidelines or
does it have to be a handwritten signature?
A: An electronic signature and date would meet the requirements for AACVPR program certification if in
your ITP. We would advise you to check with your regional CMS MAC Representative for further
information regarding the electronic physician signature on your ITP. CMS requirements can vary in
certain parts of the country.
Q: I see that progression is no longer a requirement on the Exercise Prescription for AACVPR Program
Certification. Should I not be documenting progression? Why is it no longer required?
A: Yes, we strongly recommend continuing to include progression in your Exercise Prescription. If you
have progression included in your Exercise Prescription you will not be penalized. Progression is simply
not required within the current application but may be required in future applications. AACVPR
understands that patient progression is important to promoting improvement in the patient’s progress
and should be part of your program, but is not required at this time.
Q: How do you recommend de-identifying the ITP for submission?
A: We recommend using labels or pieces of paper to fully cover PHI – black markers alone are generally
not enough to fully obscure PHI. If PHI is legible even through black marker, this would result in a denial.
Make sure to also have multiple people review the ITP for PHI, particularly focusing on comment sections
and the use of patient family details/contact information as these may be easier to overlook than PHI in
page headers.
Medical Emergencies – Cardiac & Pulmonary
Q: Our policies are reviewed every other year, is this acceptable for certification?
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A: For the purposes of AACVPR Program Certification, you do not need to demonstrate that your policies
have been reviewed, however other regulatory agencies have requirements that you will need to follow.
Your Compliance Officer should be able to assist you. You are required to show that your polices are in
effect during the application year.
Q: We have Medical Emergencies in our Policy and Procedures but at times we refer to ACLS protocol.
Is this okay, or does it need to be spelled out?
A: The policy submitted must be department specific and outline the staff’s role in the emergency from
onset to resolution of the medical emergency. Your policy can include following ACLS or BLS algorithms,
however, it is not acceptable to just state that you follow ACLS alone.
Q: What is required for the Emergency Preparedness regarding the crash cart component for cardiac
rehab?
A: For the purpose of AACVPR Program Certification, medical emergency equipment and supplies must be
immediately available to the cardiac and pulmonary rehab program. Documentation must be maintained
for daily verification of readiness performed every day the rehab program is in operation. On the
application, we are asking for daily verification of the Defibrillator/AED and Portable Oxygen only.
Q) For our policies, are we required to use the most recent editions of our references?
A) While we do not check specifically for the version of references cited in policies, we do recommend
that programs regularly review and update their documentation to use up-to-date references. The
current version of AACVPR’s Guidelines are included here as an FYI:
• Guidelines for Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs: 6
th
Edition © 2021
• Guidelines for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs: 5
th
Edition © 2020
Q: Do we need to redact our hospital name/hospital system name from our policies?
A: No, this is not necessary.
Emergency Preparedness – Cardiac & Pulmonary
Q: Can BLS/ACLS recertification be used as a Medical Emergency In-service?
A: BLS or ACLS certification cannot be used as an emergency in-service. Submitted in-services may
include an education or training session, a mock scenario, or a review of an actual scenario. General
hospital emergency and safety drills and in-services such as fire drills, infection control, safety
inspections, or health and safety reviews are not acceptable.
Q: For emergency in-services - are you required to have a mock code or will an actual called code be
OK?
A: Emergency In- services can be variable. They can be walking through an emergency in your center,
review of your emergency policies, or a mock code as long as it applies to one of the nine required
medical emergencies. You could do a mock hypertensive situation or hypoglycemic situation etc.
Debriefing or review of an actual code would also be acceptable as long as it corresponds to medical
emergency selected.
Q: Do we need to have a defibrillator?
A: For the purposes of certification, you are required to have a Defibrillator/AED, so an AED would be
acceptable. You will want to make sure that the AED meets your facility requirements, CMS
requirements for your part of the country, and any other regulatory stipulations.
Q: If there is an ACLS certified EP present, is an RN also required to be present during monitored
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outpatient cardiac rehabilitation classes?
A: For Program Certification, there are not staffing requirements, however AACVPR encourages a
multidisciplinary team. Please check with your state laws to ensure you have the correct staffing
requirements.
Q: How close must the crash cart be to where exercise classes are held?
A: For the purposes of certification there are no exact distance figures. Each facility will have specific
needs. However, the stated requirement is “immediately available.”
Exercise Prescription – Cardiac & Pulmonary
Q: My exercise prescription is included as part of my ITP, do I need to submit it separately?
A: The submitted exercise prescription for the patient should be included in the exercise element in the
ITP. Your exercise prescription policy will need to be submitted separately for the Exercise Prescription
Policy Page.
Q: How do we determine acceptable exercise intensity without a preliminary exercise stress test?
A: There are several methods for determining exercise intensity. Please utilize the wide variety of
resources available on the AACVPR website, webcasts, and workshops to assist you in developing a
comprehensive policy.
Q: Is it acceptable to identify exercise intensity as "Borg rating 3-5/10", or do we need to specify
intensity on each modality?
A: Remember that the exercise intensity must be individualized for each patient and must be based on
multiple factors. Please refer to the AACVPR website for additional guidance. There are multiple
chapters in various resources that will provide detailed information.
Q: Is a 6-minute walk test a requirement for cardiac rehab?
A: A 6-minute walk is not a requirement, but is a valid tool if administered appropriately. Please refer to
the ATS guidelines for information regarding how to administer the test appropriately. You need to
perform an exercise assessment, reassessment and discharge as part of your ITP.
Q: Do we need to redact our hospital name/hospital system name from our policies?
A: No, this is not necessary.
Performance Measures – Cardiac & Pulmonary
Q: We have a very low volume for our performance measures. Do programs still need to have at least
30 patients complete for the measures?
A: No. There is not a volume requirement for certification purposes. All patients that meet the inclusion
criteria should be included in your performance measure. To review the full performance measure
specifications, please visit our website here.
Q) When will the new Enrollment and Adherence Performance Measures be launched?
A) The New Enrollment and Adherence performance measures are included as part of the 2024 Program
Certification Application, so all programs applying for certification or recertification in 2024 will be
expected to report on these measures. For the full measure specifications, click here. For FAQs specific to
the new measures, click here.
Q: Do we need to report performance measures every year?
A: Programs will need to report performance measure data annually through the annual report
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process. Programs are encouraged to continually evaluate performance data and complete process
improvements.
Annual Report Details
Q: Who needs to complete the Annual Report?
A: All certified programs that do not actively have their application under review will need to
complete the annual report. We request completion of the annual report each year to ensure that
programs are staying up to date with application changes. For the 2024 Annual Report, any programs
that expire in 2025 or 2026 will need to compete the report.
Q: When is the Annual Report available?
A: The Annual Report is available between April and July each year. Notification is sent to primary
contacts when it is available. Program Certification Primary and Secondary Contacts will be able to
access the report during this window. Please make sure to compete the annual report to stay up to date
on changes planned for upcoming application windows.
Q: Will programs need to start reporting out Performance Measure data for the 2024 Annual Report?
A: Yes, all programs will be asked to report on their performance measure data from the previous year.
You will be asked to report on data collected between 1/1/2023 – 12/31/2023.
Q: Where can I view a list of changes to the 2024 Program Certification Application?
A: In addition to calling out the changes in the 2024 Program Certification Application PDFs, we have a
2024 Application Change Summary document available on the Program Certification FAQs page that
provides a high level overview of changes that have been made for the 2024 Application.
Unanswered Program Certification Questions? If you are applying for certification or current hold
certification and have a question not addressed in the FAQ, please submit your question by email to
certification@aacvpr.org to be forwarded to a member of our certification team.
Non-Program Cert Clinical Questions? If your question does not relate directly to program certification
and you are currently an AACVPR member, your question can be addressed by a member of AACVPR’s
Clinical Expert team. Please send your clinical questions not related to program certification to
[email protected] for a response.
