The role of IPC professionals is rapidly evolving and expanding. Beyond ensuring compliance with established protocols, we are now called upon to lead multidisciplinary teams, influence policy and practice, and advocate for comprehensive infection prevention strategies that align with organizational goals. IPC professionals require a unique blend of leadership acumen and advanced infection prevention expertise.

The AL-CIP portfolio is an assessment of knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of individuals who demonstrate professional expertise working in the field of infection prevention and control. The FAPIC designation recognizes exemplary APIC members with status of FAPIC.  According to APIC, “the fellow of APIC status is a distinction of honor for infection preventionists who are not only advanced practitioners of infection prevention practice but also leaders within the field.”  Where fellowship denotes an honor, certification offers a level of attestation to a level of achievement. 

CBIC recognizes and supports the value and commitment associated with FAPIC status. The AL-CIP is not designed to compete with or deflect from the importance and value of the FAPIC.  The AL-CIP will be designed to assess and verify an individual's professional leadership accomplishments through a standardized credential. Additionally, documentation of the FAPIC status will be a highly recommended guideline that facilitates success in obtaining the AL-CIP certification. The practice analysis that we will conduct for developing the AL-CIP process will be a valuable tool for understanding the intricacies of professional expertise within IPC, and CBIC will provide ongoing updates as planning continues.
 

The AL-CIP is a portfolio-based assessment of knowledge, skills and abilities expected of individuals who demonstrate professional expertise, leadership and impact in the field of infection prevention and control. Applicants will provide a written narrative and pieces of evidence to support their portfolio. There is no examination component to the certification.

A portfolio assessment allows applicants to demonstrate their individual competency for each core domain through documentation of practice application in key IPC activities and initiatives. 

IPC professionals with active CIC and/or LTC-CIP certification who have impacted the profession through advanced expertise and leadership skills.

• Publications (e.g., peer and non-peer-reviewed journal article, guidelines, compendium)​. For this type of evidence, include a description of your role in the publication and/or your role in the activities described in the publication in your rationale.
• Presentations (e.g., chapter, regional, national, or international conferences; in-person, virtual, classroom, workshop; poster presentation)​. For this type of evidence, describe your role in the presentation (development, implementation, delivery, etc.) in your rationale.
• Work product (e.g., toolkits, guidance documents, strategic plan, website, practice changes)​. For this type of evidence, clearly describe your contribution to the work product  (e.g., independent, as part of a team, activities, outcomes as a result of the product) in your rationale.
• Program development materials (e.g., academic syllabus, website, course materials, program evaluation)​. For this type of evidence, describe your role in the program (e.g., original proposer, development, teaching, co-teaching, etc.) in your rationale.
• Credential / certifications relevant to leadership in IPC (e.g., Six sigma black belt, CPHQ, CPH, CEU/CPD)​. For this type of evidence, describe programs or outcomes that resulted from you having achieved this credential or certification, in your rationale. 

*all supporting evidence provided must be within the last ten years
 

Candidates must submit no less than 6 unique pieces of evidence and no more than 8 pieces.  A single piece of evidence could be used up to 3 times. 

Example: 
1.1 - Evidence #1
1.2 - Evidence #2
2.1 - Evidence #3
2.2 - Evidence #4
3.1 - Evidence #5
4.1 - Evidence #6
5.1 - Evidence #1
6.1 - Evidence #1

1. Acknowledge professionals who significantly contribute to the field of infection prevention and control.

2. Foster the advancement of leadership skills that impact IPC initiatives: Recognize those professionals who demonstrate the leadership competencies necessary to effectively guide teams, influence decision-making processes, and support the implementation of innovative infection prevention strategies.

3. Enhance leadership influence: Empower IPC professionals to play a pivotal role in shaping organizational culture and policy, ensuring that infection prevention and control is represented and prioritized in the executive suite. 

4. Advance IPC in the C-Suite: Support IPC professionals to engage with executive leadership and board members, advocating for the resources and support needed to drive comprehensive infection prevention initiatives.

The applicant will demonstrate advanced IPC expertise and leadership skills through two core domains: Leadership and Professionalism. The individual competencies of the new AL-CIP included in these domains are:

• Practice and Innovation: Advances the practice of infection prevention and control.
• Change Management and Quality Improvement: Utilizes advanced change management and quality improvement principles and methods to transform IPC practice.
• Advocacy: Advocates for policies and/or solutions to improve infection prevention and control.
• Accountability: Assumes personal accountability and supports others to advance infection prevention and control.
• Inclusivity: Creates an inclusive environment where people feel valued, involved, and respected for their viewpoints, ideas, perspectives, and experiences.
• Professional Development: Gains advanced leadership knowledge and skills and demonstrates a commitment to advancing the IPC profession.

No. Active engagement and advanced infection prevention and control practice, leadership, education, research, policy and/or advocacy is necessary to demonstrate leadership within infection prevention and control that has a measurable impact. CBIC will not accept portfolio evidence or narratives that does not relate to IPC or only includes work in which the applicant did not actively participate.    

This new certification will empower those working in the field of IPC and impacting the profession to advance in their expertise, leadership skills and influence to more significantly impact the future of infection prevention and control. It will also facilitate recognition of the profession as an essential and prominent component of healthcare, public health and organization in other settings.

Leadership requires an advanced ability to inspire individual and organizational excellence, create a shared vision and successfully manage change to attain strategic goals. Infection prevention and control (IPC) leaders use their skills to establish a clear vision and strategic direction, facilitate change that improves IPC programs and practices, enhance individual and population health, and reduce the risk of infection across the lifespan in any setting.
 

A portfolio-based assessment is an evaluation method where a collection of an applicant’s work is compiled over time to demonstrate their skills, achievements, and progress. It assesses a broader range of skills and competencies, providing a comprehensive view of an applicant’s abilities over time. Multiple choice questions (MCQs) offer several benefits in the assessment industry, making them a popular choice for evaluating knowledge and skills. MCQs can be easily graded by machines or software. Additionally, MCQs can be statistically analyzed for validity (accuracy in measuring what they intend to measure) and reliability (consistency of results over time).

To ensure the psychometric validity of portfolio-based assessments, CBIC is actively developing a clear, detailed rubric that specifies the criteria for evaluation. This ensures consistency and objectivity in scoring. We will also be conducting training and calibration sessions for evaluators to ensure they apply the rubrics consistently.

The release date is January 21, 2025. The application will close February 28, 2025. 

The AL-CIP application is open twice a year. The first application period is January 21, 2025-February 28, 2025. The second application period will be July 10, 2025-August 15, 2025. We encourage candidates to work on their portfolios before the application opens. 

You may want to draft your written rationales in a Word document or other secure platform before entering you work into the application portal. It is always a good idea to back up your work in case of a system outage or internet issues.
 

$545 USD.

The certification will be valid for five years and will be maintained through resubmission of portfolio items and infection prevention units. More information is available under "Recertification" at the bottom of this page. 

No. CIC® or LTC-CIP® certificants will retain their certification upon earning the AL-CIP.  

If a CIC®/LTC-CIP® certificants chooses NOT to recertify the AL-CIP, their CIC® or LTC-CIP® will expire at the end of the next calendar year, and they can recertify via exam or IPUs.

Example: John Doe, CIC®

• Earns AL-CIP February 2025.
• His AL-CIP dates are February 10, 2025-December 31, 2030. His CIC® was extended to December 31, 2030.
• In March 2030 he fills out a form on the CBIC website stating that he will NOTbe maintaining his AL-CIP certification. His CIC® date will be adjusted to December 31, 2031, and he can recertify via IPUs or examination.

CBIC is seeking dedicated professionals to join our team as volunteer portfolio assessment reviewers. We will recruit our next cohort of reviewers in mid-2025. Feel free to email info@cbic.org to be added to the interest list. As a reviewer, you will play a vital role in maintaining the high standards of our certification process. Your expertise and insights will help shape the future of infection prevention and control by ensuring that our candidates meet the rigorous criteria required for certification.

AL-CIP Portfolio Reviewer Criteria
•    Active CIC/LTC-CIP certification for a minimum of five years (must have gone through at least one recertification cycle).
•    Commitment to serve as a reviewer for 12 months (two application cycles) with the option to extend. The time commitment is approximately 10 hours per application cycle. 
•    Participate in virtual reviewer training twice per year.
•    Previous volunteer experience with CBIC recommended but not required.
•    A keen eye for detail and a commitment to upholding high standards.

Benefits
•    Earn infection prevention units (10 units per year)
•    Networking with other infection prevention professionals 
•    Professional Growth: Enhance your own knowledge and skills by reviewing diverse portfolio submissions from peers in the field.
 

CBIC’s policies ensure you are not short-changed on your certification. Let’s walk through a sample of what this may look like.

• Jane has a CIC® that expires 12/31/2027
• Jane earns the AL-CIP in 2025, and the AL-CIP expires 12/31/2030. Her CIC® is extended to 12/31/2030.
• Jane takes and passes the LTC-CIP® exam in 2028. Her LTC-CIP® expires 12/31/2033.
• In 2030, Jane recertifies her AL-CIP through the resubmission of portfolio items and IPUs that address the CIC® content outline. Her new AL-CIP and CIC® expiration date is 12/31/2035. CBIC will also extend the LTC-CIP® to 12/31/2035. She will not need to submit IPUs for the LTC-CIP® at this time. 
• In 2035, Jane will recertify the AL-CIP through the resubmission of portfolio items and IPUs that address both the CIC® and LTC-CIP®. Her new expiration date for all three certifications is 12/31/2040.