What Is the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) and Which Allied Health Certification Should You Choose?

Updated

The National Healthcareer Association (NHA) is a U.S. allied health certification body that has served individuals, educators, and employers since 1989. It offers eight NCCA-accredited certifications and states that its credentials are recognized by employers nationwide; it also reports having awarded over 1 million nationally recognized certifications. If you are entering or advancing in allied health, NHA is one route to a credential—choose the certification that matches the job you actually want, then confirm your target employers accept it before enrolling.

What NHA does

NHA describes its role as spanning education and training, certification, and career development. Its stated mission is to "empower people to access a better future," and it positions itself as an industry advocate working to enhance recognition and remove barriers for learners, educators, and employers.

Two practical points follow from this:

  • Accreditation matters. NHA states its certifications are NCCA-accredited. Accreditation is a signal about how a certification program is developed and maintained, but it does not by itself guarantee acceptance by a specific employer or state regulator.
  • Scale is not the same as fit. A large certifying body offers many credentials; the right one for you depends on the role you are targeting, not on the size of the organization.

The eight NHA certifications

NHA lists the following credentials, each tied to a distinct job function:

Certification Abbreviation What the role does, per NHA
Medical Assistant CCMA Assists healthcare providers with clinical tasks and administrative duties
Pharmacy Technician CPhT Collaborates with pharmacists to dispense medications
Phlebotomy Technician CPT Performs blood-drawing procedures on patients and blood donors
Medical Administrative Assistant CMAA Helps healthcare offices run efficiently and effectively
Patient Care Technician CPCT/A Assists in providing care to patients in outpatient or long-term care facilities
Electronic Health Records Specialist CEHRS Supports organizations by safely navigating patient-centered records
Billing and Coding Specialist CBCS Supports organizations by managing claims, invoices, and payments
EKG Technician CET Administers a variety of cardiovascular tests

How to choose the right certification

Use the same three questions for any of the eight credentials:

  1. What tasks do you want to perform daily? The table above is the clearest guide. If you want direct patient contact involving blood draws, CPT fits; if you prefer records and claims, CEHRS or CBCS fits; if you want a mixed clinical-and-administrative role, CCMA is the broadest match.
  2. What do employers in your area list in job postings? Search local postings for the job title and note which credential appears. NHA says its certifications are recognized nationwide, but hiring preferences vary by employer and region.
  3. Are there entry requirements or state rules? Some roles—pharmacy technician is a common example—may be subject to state licensing or registration in addition to certification. Check your state's requirements directly rather than assuming a certification alone qualifies you.

A useful tiebreaker: pick the credential for the job you can get hired into soonest, not the one with the most impressive title. You can add credentials later.

Steps to get certified and to renew

NHA's site presents two main paths—"Get Certified" and "Renew Your Certification"—alongside training and study resources. The general sequence:

  1. Confirm eligibility and any prerequisites for your chosen credential with NHA directly; requirements differ by certification.
  2. Prepare using NHA's learning tools (see below) or an approved training program.
  3. Schedule and sit the exam through NHA's certification process.
  4. Maintain the credential by renewing before expiration; renewal typically involves continuing education or a recertification exam, so verify the current renewal requirements for your specific certification on NHA's site.

Common sticking point: people often assume certification is a one-time event. Renewal deadlines and continuing-education hours are where credentials lapse—put the expiration date in your calendar at the moment you pass.

Study and learning resources

NHA describes flexible learning solutions and an "innovative approach" with accessible, online, interactive tools for distance learning. One concrete example is NHA Mobile, a flashcard app that:

  • Aligns to your enrolled NHA course curriculum
  • Uses active recall to reinforce course material
  • Tracks mastery of content
  • Is available for most NHA products

NHA notes one limitation: flashcards are not currently available for CMAA, Team Based Care, MA SkillsBuilder: Clinical, PersonAbility, and PharmaSeer Math. If you are pursuing the CMAA credential, plan on other study methods.

A quick decision guide

  • Want patient-facing clinical work with variety? CCMA.
  • Want a focused technical skill? CPT (blood draws) or CET (cardiovascular testing).
  • Want healthcare administration? CMAA for office operations, CEHRS for records, CBCS for billing and coding.
  • Want bedside or long-term care support? CPCT/A.
  • Want to work in a pharmacy? CPhT—and check state requirements first.

Before committing money or time, verify three things on NHA's site and with local employers: the current exam and renewal requirements for your chosen credential, whether local job postings name that credential, and whether your state imposes additional licensing for the role.