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Certification for Hospice Medical Directors

Certification for hospice medical directors (HMDs) has the potential to improve the quality and consistency of the practice within hospice and palliative medicine and the care provided by local hospices. Many HMDs are working part-time in small or medium hospice programs with little background in palliative medicine.

Completing a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine does not necessarily prepare a physician for the role of hospice physician or hospice medical director. Obtaining knowledge of the regulatory, administrative, or leadership responsibilities that are a mandated part of this role is key. A certification for HMDs is one way to help address the growing workforce and quality issues for this field.

About the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board (HMDCB)

Similar to other high-quality physician certification programs, the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board (HMDCB) is incorporated as an independent not-for-profit organization that administers and oversees the certification program to eligible candidates.

This certification is separate and distinct from the subspecialty certification of hospice and palliative medicine by the American Board of Medical Specialties or American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists. The concept of a certification for HMDs was considered and validated by thought leaders, outside organizations, hospice administrators, and hospice physicians.

Visit the HMDCB website to learn more about this exciting complementary certification for HMDs.

How to Prepare

AAHPM provides many products to help candidates prepare for the HMDCB exam.

  • HMD Prep - 75-item multiple-choice practice test that assesses your knowledge in hospice practice. Content is based on the HMDC exam blueprint.
  • Hospice Medical Director Manual defines best practices, offers tools and sample documents, and provides answers about physician roles in hospice, employment in or contracting with a hospice, and the medical director's responsibilities on the hospice team and within the organization.
  • Hospice Medical Director Update and Exam Prep Recording - this live recording and intensive review is based on the HMDCB exam blueprint and is a great orientation for those new to the hospice field.
  • Recordings of the Hospice Medical Director Course - highlights the clinical, administrative, and regulatory aspects of your work; audio and synchronized PowerPoint content and separate audio files are included.

Additionally, AAHPM has created a recording library of clinical and regulatory content that will help expand your knowledge base.

Maintaining Certification

Although the certification is valid for 6 years, physicians must complete continuous learning activities every three years and satisfy other MOC requirements every six years. 

Note: AAHPM has no direct role or input in the development of the HMDCB Exam. The Academy relies on the publicly published material about the exam to develop its products.