Statement of Purpose for HEC-C Renewal

In order to demonstrate continuing professional development and maintain certification, an HEC-C must renew the credential using a method determined by the HCEC Certification Commission.

Renewal Resources

• HEC-C Renewal Handbook
• Step-by-Step Instructions for Submitting Your Renewal Application

Healthcare Ethics Consultant-Certified Renewal Requirements

Any HEC‐C interested in maintaining certified status must demonstrate specified levels of knowledge, skills, and ability not only at the time of initial certification but throughout your professional career. Therefore, certification must be renewed every five years. NOTE: The below forms are for the November 2024 window and should not be completed. The forms for the May 2025 window will be posted in January. The below forms can provide you with an idea of the information you will be expected to submit for renewal. Please check back in January to access the updated forms. The three options for renewal include the following: 

Path 1*: Complete 200 hours of healthcare ethics consultation experience within the designated certification period and pass the examination prior to the certification expiration date.

• Renewal Application for Path 1
• Experience Tracking Form for Path 1

Path 2*: Complete 40 hours of specified professional activities within the designated certification period and pass the examination prior to the certification expiration date.

• Renewal Application for Path 2
• Activity Tracking Form for Path 2

Path 3: Complete 200 hours of healthcare ethics consultation experience and complete 40 hours of specified professional activities within the designated certification period.

• Renewal Application for Path 3
• Experience Tracking Form for Path 3
• Activity Tracking Form for Path 3

*Individuals who participate in voluntary Commission sessions or projects where they are, or may be, exposed to information that could give them an advantage in taking the examination are prohibited from taking the examination for renewal purposes for 5 years after the voluntary activity and must use Path 3 to renew certification. Volunteers for Commission work groups may be eligible to earn Professional Activity Hours in line with their participation. Staff will notify each volunteer group as appropriate. 

All healthcare ethics consultation experience and specified professional activity hours must relate to the major domains of the HEC‐C Content Outline. Each renewal path also requires completion of an application and payment of a renewal fee. The renewal fees will be commensurate with certification application fees. All applicants must show proof of healthcare ethics consultation experience and/or specified professional activities upon request.

DEFINITIONS 

Healthcare Ethics Consultation Experience 

Professional healthcare ethics consultation work you have performed throughout the 5‐yearcertification period that relates to the major domains of the HEC‐C Content Outline.

Although all healthcare professionals engage in ethical decision making, healthcare ethics consultation is a distinct role. For purposes of HEC-C certification and renewal, healthcare ethics experience is defined as healthcare ethics consultation work, the vast majority of which is performed in the role of a designated healthcare ethics consultant, which is related to the major domain areas of the HEC-C examination content outline. Only active conduct of healthcare ethics consultation work is eligible. Hours spent learning or observing the work of a healthcare ethics consultant do not qualify. 

Specified Professional Activities 

Specified professional activities include both 1) qualifying continuing professional education and 2) other specified professional activities as defined by the HCEC Certification Commission.

1. Qualifying Continuing Professional Education

Applicants must earn qualified continuing professional education credit hours offered by any professional entity. The earned credit hours must address content related to the domains and tasks outlined in the HEC‐C Content Outline. These credit hours must be from an accredited sponsor (e.g., ACCME, ANCC, NASW, ACPE). Proof of having earned these credits hours must be presented in the form of a certificate specifying the number of credit hours that the applicant earned. Attendance at meetings that offer qualified credit hours, but not earning those credit hours, is not sufficient.

1. Other Specified Professional Activities

The following list of specified professional activities must contribute to the practice of Healthcare Ethics Consulting and the majority of the content must be related to the domains and tasks in the HEC‐C Content Outline. Each method has specific criteria and, in each case, the majority content must map to domains and tasks on the HEC‐C examination content outline:

• Academic course work: work for which one receives postsecondary academic credit that addresses at least one domain of the HEC-C examination content outline (auditing of a course does not qualify). Coursework can be at the graduate or undergraduate level. Applicants may claim up to 1 hour per classroom hour up to a maximum of 10 hours per course.

• Academic instruction: lead instruction for a class or course offered for academic credit at the post‐secondary level that addresses at least one domain of the HEC-C examination content outline. Applicants may claim up to 1 hour per classroom hour up to a maximum of 10 hours per original course.

• Professional presentation: an original presentation that addresses at least one domain of the HEC-C examination content outline, given upon acceptance after a peer‐review process at a meeting or conference of a professional organization. Applicants may claim a minimum of 0.25 hours and a maximum of 2 hours per unique presentation, including the time to prepare for the presentation and the actual presentation delivery. Hours claimed must each represent presentation of unique content and not a repeat presentation of previously presented content.

• Institutional-based presentation: an original presentation that addresses at least one domain of the HEC-C examination content outline, given within an institution or medical center and has been approved for continuing education credit from an accredited sponsor (e.g. ACCME, ANCC, NASW, ACPE). Examples include Grand Rounds, critical care conferences, and institutional lectures. Applicants may claim a minimum of 0.25 hours and a maximum of 2 hours per unique presentation, including the time to prepare for the presentation and the actual presentation delivery. Hours claimed must each represent presentation of unique content and not a repeat presentation of previously presented content.

• Publication activities: original manuscript published or accepted for publication that addresses at least one domain of the HEC-C examination content outline. To qualify, a manuscript must be a journal article or textbook chapter. Applicants may claim a maximum of 5 hours of time per unique publication.

• Editorial Services: service as an editor, editorial board member, or peer reviewer for a journal or textbook that addresses at least one domain of the HEC-C examination content outline. Applicants may claim up to 10 hours per year for service as an editor or editorial board member based on actual time served, and up to 1 hour per article or text book chapter peer reviewed.

Applicants may not count individual qualifying activities as both healthcare ethics consulting experience and specified professional activity hours.