Compliance Officer-Qualified (CO-Q) Certificate Program

This Med-Net Compliance, LLC. program of study is designed to prepare a candidate to lead an effective Compliance and Ethics Program according to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements.

Compliance programs have been mandatory for all skilled nursing facilities since the passage of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, with oversight and enforcement by the Office of Inspector General (OIG). Compliance programs, including the requirement for a compliance officer, became a skilled nursing facility condition of participation in March of 2013.

The content material is a comprehensive review of the OIG’s Seven Elements of an Effective Compliance Program needed to establish and maintain an effective compliance and ethics program.

This designation is awarded through a comprehensive examination covering seven element compliance domains:

  • Element 1: Standards, Policies, and Procedures
  • Element 2: Program Administration
  • Element 3: Screening and Evaluation of Employees, Physicians, Vendors, and Other Agents
  • Element 4: Communication, Education, and Training
  • Element 5: Monitoring, Auditing, and Internal Reporting Systems
  • Element 6: Counseling and Discipline
  • Element 7: Investigations and Remedial Measures

Who Should Consider Professional Compliance Qualification?

  • Compliance and Ethics Officers
  • Quality and Risk Management Professionals
  • Healthcare Executives
  • Healthcare Professionals with the requisite background
  • Non-Clinical Healthcare Professionals with the requisite background

Once eligibility has been authorized by the Med-Net Credentialing Committee’s review of the candidate’s application, there are two ways to complete and attain the Compliance Officer Qualified (CO-Q) designation.

1. Completion of a review of the Compliance Officer Qualified (CO-Q) Certificate Program modules for all seven elements and achieve a passing score on each posttest and the final examination; or 

2. Examination Only Option.

For more information on the CO-Q Certificate Program, please see the CO-Q Certificate Program Candidate Handbook.

Med-Net’s CO-Q Certificate Program course materials have been reviewed and approved by the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Board’s (NAB) National Continuing Education Review Service (NCERS) for continuing education credit for nursing home administrators.

This product can be purchased in the following formats:

  • The entire package: course materials and examinations for the CO-Q designation; or
  • Compliance Officer-Qualified (CO-Q) Course Materials Only; or
  • Compliance Officer-Qualified (CO-Q) Final Examination Only

Or each of the individual element courses (each course has its own designated CE):

  • Compliance Officer-Qualified Training Element 1: Standards, Policies, and Procedures (3.75 CE)
  • Compliance Officer-Qualified Training Element 2: Program Administration (.75 CE)
  • Compliance Officer-Qualified Training Element 3: Screening and Evaluation of Employees, Physicians, Vendors, and Other Agents (1.0 CE)
  • Compliance Officer-Qualified Training Element 4: Communication, Education, and Training (2.25 CE)
  • Compliance Officer-Qualified Training Element 5 and 6: Monitoring, Auditing, and Internal Reporting Systems; and Counseling and Discipline (.50 CE)
  • Compliance Officer-Qualified Training Element 7: Investigations and Remedial Measures (.05 CE)

Please choose from the product options below.

Please note that there are differing prices for Med-Net clients and non-clients:

Potential candidates for the CO-Q Entire Package product and the CO-Q Examination Only product are advised that they must first ensure they are eligible for the program by submitting the application form, which can be downloaded here. *

The $25.00 application fee in the Compliance Officer-Qualified (CO-Q) Designation Application product below is waived for Med-Net clients.

*Client status will be verified.