CBIC Celebrates 30 Years of the CIC Credential

In 2013, the Certification Board of Infection Control & Epidemiology, Inc. (CBIC) will be celebrating 30 years of providing the Certification in Infection Control (CIC) credential. The CBIC is a voluntary autonomous multidisciplinary board that provides direction for and administers the certification process for professionals in infection control and applied epidemiology. CBIC is independent and separate from any other infection control-related organization or association.

CBIC will commemorate this milestone by sponsoring an anniversary campaign that will highlight different aspects of CBIC and CIC® certification in promotional materials throughout 2013, along with celebrating the CICs who demonstrate excellence in infection prevention and control.

"The vision of CBIC is that certification by CBIC is the standard of excellence that Infection Prevention and Control professionals will seek in order to ensure quality care that the public expects, demands, and deserves," says CBIC president Craig Gilliam, BSMT, CIC. CBIC is accredited by the National Commission on Certifying Agencies (NCCA), a committee of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE). NCCA accredits personnel certifying agencies that meet or exceed their standards.

The mission of CBIC is to protect the public through the development, administration, and promotion of an accredited certification in infection prevention and control. CBIC maintains and promotes professional certification of the highest quality through the accomplishment of key objectives. "The CBIC Board of Directors, along with other stakeholders, developed a three-year strategic plan for 2011 2014 that identifies goals objectives crucial to certification infection prevention and control," says CBIC president-elect Kathryn Suh, MD, FRCPC, CIC. "We are extremely proud to be celebrating 30 years of certification and look forward to the next 30 years as we continue to help move the profession forward."

In 1978, the board of directors of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) formed a committee to establish goals and methods for certification and in 1980, the board approved education standards for certification. Later that year, the APIC Certification Association (APICCA) was formed. The following year, the APIC Certification Committee and APICCA worked together to develop an independent certification board, contract with a professional testing company, conduct the first job analysis of infection control practice, determine eligibility criteria and develop a recertification plan. In 1982, APICCA changed its name to the Certification Board of Infection Control (CBIC) and was incorporated and began administering the CIC® examination in 1983. The organization is now called the Certification Board for Infection Control & Epidemiology (still CBIC) to reflect current practice, which encompasses applied epidemiology. The CIC® credential is recognized and endorsed by APIC and the Community and Hospital Infection Control Association Canada (CHICA-Canada).

The Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. was founded in 1981 to protect the public by raising the standard of the infection prevention and control profession through the development, administration and promotion of an accredited certification process. The CIC® certification is held by more than 5,200 infection prevention and control professionals working in hospitals, long-term care facilities, ambulatory care centers, and other healthcare settings throughout the world. For more information, visit www.cbic.org.