NRHA's Rural Hospital CEO Certification Program
Serve your patients and community with the highest quality care and confidence, by earning the NRHA Rural Hospital CEO Certification.
Start Date: October 6th, 2025 at 4pm EST
CLICK HERE TO ENROLLDeveloped for Rural Hospital CEOs by Rural Hospital CEOs.
Participants engaging in this program will be empowered to lead rural hospitals as CEOs to thrive, not just survive, and to improve the quality of life in rural America by effectively leading their hospitals and communities to create a culture of wellness.
Introducing the NRHA's Rural Hospital CEO Certification Program
The building blocks that make up the course curriculum were developed by successful rural hospital CEOs by answering this question: What do you know now that you wish you would have known then?
Leadership
Intra-Personal Leadership
Inter-Personal Leadership
Organizational Leadership
Community
Leadership
Operational
Regulatory Compliance
Data Analytics & Predictive Analytics
Lean Management
IT / Cybersecurity
Insurance
Strategic Planning & Working with your Board
Financial
Fee for Service
Population Health
Dashboard Items
Supply Chain
Clinical
Physician/Patient Outcomes
Physician/
Providers
Quality
Physician Engagement
Get ready to make a difference!
In the CEO Certification Program, two weeks are spent on each module. With a total of 18 modules, the Program is approximately 10 months in length. Below is a detailed description of the time commitments and requirements for the CEO Certification Program:
Week 1
Participants watch pre-recorded video lessons from the module preceptor/ subject matter expert that takes no longer than 60-minutes.
These videos, as well as all of the content you might need, are uploaded to a private website that you get access to where everything is available on demand, any time of the day.
Week 2
We come together for a 90-min, discussion based Zoom meeting on Tuesdays at 4pm EST on a bi-weekly basis. We spend the entirety of the call focused on the module you watched through small breakout rooms, large group discussions and Q&A. 80% attendance to these live Zoom sessions is required to earn certification.
Testing
Participants must complete the four online exams with a 90% score or higher.
Exams are multiple choice, true or false, select all type questions and are taken online at the end of a building block.
A review video is shared for each exam as well.
Earning the Certification
To earn the CEO Certification, participants must:
- Watch the module video lessons
- Attend at least 80% of the live Zoom sessions
- Complete all exams with a 90% score or higher
- Complete the program pre and post-assessments
- Tuition is paid
Hear from past participants...
“I have worked with boards and CEO’s for quite some time, but this class today gave me a different perspective of how different leadership styles and thought patterns succeed depending on the people they are influencing.”
"I found the material to be beneficial and the time spent to be valuable.
I enjoyed learning and interacting with others; especially liked the time in the break out rooms."
22% of the participants have been promoted!
In our February 2020 Cohort, 14 participants were CEOs and 9 were aspiring CEOs.
Today, 18 of those participants are currently CEOs, as well as one Director who is now a C-Level executive.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I pay tuition?
When does the program start?
What is the time commitment for the program?
How do I access the program's content?
How do I earn the Certification/How does the Program work?
What difference does leadership make?
All the difference! Study after study confirms the relationship between leadership effectiveness and organizational success. That is why rural hospital CEO excellence is a must have! It is not an option in today’s disruptive world!
We also need to be prepared for CEO turnover. Did you know that hospital CEO turnover leads all other industries? And when the CEO leaves the hospital, initiatives come to a screeching halt, and other leadership positions usually turnover as well.
In response to the rural hospital CEO Turnover Study and hospital closure crisis, we are introducing the Rural Hospital CEO Certification Program to arm rural CEOs with the competencies and skill sets to take on the unique challenges of rural hospitals and be or continue to be a top performing rural hospital CEO.
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