AMERICAN ACADEMY OF HEALTH PHYSICS
STRATEGIC PLAN

Amended July 8, 2007

This strategic plan is a concise statement of the American Academy of Health Physics (Academy) goals and objectives and it is the basis for the Academy's long-range planning and operational decisions. Key elements of the plan include our vision for the future (mission), the critical targets on which our energies need to be focused (goals), and some specific areas of activity to reach the goals. This plan is not intended to be a detailed step-by-step course to reach the goals. The plan does identify the committee or board of the Academy responsible for each goal and specific objective and identifies the Academy Executive Committee member(s) responsible for liaison with those committees.

Mission
The Academy promotes excellence in radiation safety through a well-recognized professional certification program, the development and support of professional standards, and a program for continuing professional growth through education and the sharing of experience.

Goals
The Academy has five strategic goals, the critical few things that will make a difference in accomplishing our mission. The activities and strategies to be used in reaching these goals are listed below each goal. (There is no significance to the order of presentation of the goals.).

  1. Goal: The Academy maintains the American Board of Health Physics (ABHP), the organization to oversee the certification of health physicists. The ABHP does this by
    1. Ensuring that only qualified candidates are chosen to take the certification exam, through specifying suitable qualification requirements for candidates and through consistent and thorough screening of certification applicants.
    2. Developing consistent, relevant, and high-quality certification examinations that evaluate the candidate's ability to practice health physics
    3. Maintaining the fairness in the grading of examinations.
    4. Ensuring that our certification processes keep pace with the current practice of health physics
    5. Conforming to an appropriate recognized standard of excellence for certification, for example an accreditation through a widely recognized body, compliance with an ISO standard, or registration of the certification process or the ABHP
    6. Implementing a periodic re-certification process to ensure that those certified by the ABHP remain professionally competent as the field and profession of health physics evolve in the future
  1. Goal: Make available top quality educational opportunities so that Academy members and other radiation protection professionals can maintain superior skills and knowledge as the technical and professional aspects of radiation protection evolve in the future by
    1. Providing timely, state-of-the-art continuing education courses, relevant to CHPs and others practicing health physicist
    2. Maintaining the accessibility of such courses to practicing radiation protection professionals..
    3. Encouraging the formation and accreditation of undergraduate and graduate programs in health physics and radiation protection
  1. Goal: Help maintain high standards for the practice of health physics by
    1. Maintaining the Standards of Professional Responsibility for CHPs and a fair process for responding to alleged violations of the standards, including a well defined and documented appeal process.
    2. Develop, promulgate, and maintain standards of practice applicable to CHPs.
  1. Goal: Maintain and enhance recognition of CHPs, the Academy, and the ABHP by
    1. Making known to the radiation protection community, Congress, state legislatures, state and Federal agencies, and the public, the purpose and value of health physics certification and the roles of Academy and ABHP.
    2. Defending the value of certification and the certification process from erosion by activities and events external to the Academy, such as development of legislation or regulations that do not recognize the importance of certification by the ABHP as a credential for those in leadership positions in radiation protection programs.
    3. Increasing legal protection for the terms "CHP" and "Certified Health Physicist" and increasing the recognition of these terms among state legislatures and other licensing or regulatory agencies.
  1. Goal: Maintain communications from the Academy and its committees to CHPs, other professionals and their professional organizations and the public by
    1. Enhancing and expanding the content of CHP News and "CHP Corner" and the Academy Web Page
    2. Encouraging and assisting members develop ongoing relationships with media representatives.
    3. Developing partnerships with HPS and other professional organizations and with academic institutions.
    4. Establishing and encouraging member participation in a nationwide speaker's bureau.
    5. Establishing and maintaining an interactive presence for the Academy on the Internet using state-of-the-art technology to enhance communication among the Academy's leadership and its members.
    6. Encourage CHP's to maintain their certification