Privacy Policy
Updated July of 2026
1. Introduction
The Competency & Credentialing Institute (“CCI,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of the personal information entrusted to us by applicants, candidates, certificants, employers, volunteers, customers, website visitors, and others who interact with CCI.
This Privacy Policy explains:
- what personal information CCI collects;
- how we use and protect that information;
- when we share information;
- your privacy rights and choices; and
- how to contact us with questions or requests regarding your personal information.
This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through www.cc-institute.org, our online services, and other interactions with CCI unless a separate privacy notice applies.
Please also review our:
which work together with this Privacy Policy.
2. Information We Collect
CCI collects information in order to administer certification programs, provide products and services, respond to inquiries, improve our website, and fulfill our mission.
The information we collect depends on how you interact with CCI.
Information You Provide
You may voluntarily provide information when you:
- create an account;
- apply for certification or recertification;
- purchase products or services;
- register for education or events;
- complete forms;
- contact CCI;
- participate in surveys;
- volunteer;
- request information; or
- otherwise communicate with CCI.
Depending on the service, this information may include:
- name;
- mailing address;
- email address;
- telephone number;
- employer information;
- professional credentials;
- licensure information;
- education and employment history;
- payment information;
- continuing education information;
- examination eligibility information;
- communications with CCI;
- professional disciplinary information;
- criminal history; and
- any additional information you choose to provide.
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, certain information may be collected automatically.
This may include:
- IP address;
- browser type;
- operating system;
- device type;
- pages visited;
- referring website;
- date and time of access;
- interactions with website content;
- general geographic region;
- cookie preferences; and
- other technical information that helps us improve website performance and security.
Some of this information is collected through cookies and similar technologies.
For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.
Information Received From Third Parties
CCI may receive information from trusted third parties when necessary to provide our services or support our business operations.
Examples include:
- other organizations when authorized or required by law.
- testing providers;
- payment processors;
- learning management providers;
- certification partners;
- continuing education providers;
- employers or supervisors;
- licensing boards;
- regulatory agencies;
- public records; and
- other organizations when authorized or required by law.
3. How We Use Personal Information
CCI uses personal information to support our mission and operate our programs and services.
Depending on the circumstances, we may use personal information to:
- administer certification and recertification programs;
- process applications and examinations;
- verify eligibility and certification status;
- communicate with applicants, candidates, certificants, and customers;
- process purchases and payments;
- deliver educational products and services;
- respond to inquiries and customer service requests;
- improve our website and services;
- analyze website usage;
- measure the effectiveness of communications and outreach;
- send transactional communications;
- send marketing communications where permitted by law and your preferences;
- protect the security and integrity of our systems;
- prevent fraud or misuse;
- comply with legal obligations; and
- enforce our policies and agreements.
CCI only uses personal information for purposes that are compatible with the reasons it was collected or as otherwise permitted or required by law.
4. How We Share Personal Information
CCI does not sell your personal information.
CCI only shares personal information when necessary to provide our services, operate our business, comply with legal obligations, or when you direct us to do so.
Depending on the circumstances, CCI may share information with:
Service Providers
CCI works with trusted third-party service providers that perform services on our behalf. These providers are contractually required to protect the information they process and may only use it for the services they provide to CCI.
Examples include providers that support:
- website hosting and maintenance;
- website analytics;
- payment processing;
- certification testing and examination administration;
- learning management;
- transactional email delivery;
- customer relationship management;
- recruitment and employment services;
- fraud prevention and website security; and
- customer support.
Certification and Business Operations
CCI may share information when necessary to:
- process certification and recertification applications;
- administer examinations;
- verify certification status;
- provide continuing education services;
- investigate ethics or disciplinary matters;
- respond to licensing boards or regulatory agencies;
- complete financial transactions;
- improve and maintain reasonable business operations; or
- fulfill other services requested by you.
Legal Requirements
CCI may disclose personal information when we believe disclosure is necessary to:
- comply with applicable laws or regulations;
- respond to subpoenas, court orders, or lawful government requests;
- protect the rights, property, or safety of CCI, our certificants, website users, or others;
- investigate fraud, security incidents, or policy violations; or
- enforce our agreements and policies.
Business Changes
If CCI experiences a merger, acquisition, organizational restructuring, or transfer of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to applicable legal requirements.
5. Cookies and Similar Technologies
CCI uses cookies and similar technologies to operate our website, improve website performance, understand website usage, and measure the effectiveness of our communications and outreach.
Some cookies are necessary for the website to function properly, while others are optional and are only used with your consent where required by applicable law.
CCI uses Complianz to manage cookie consent and allow visitors to:
- accept optional cookies;
- reject optional cookies;
- customize cookie preferences; and
- withdraw consent at any time.
Visitors may update their preferences by selecting the Cookie Preferences widget available throughout the CCI website.
For complete information regarding cookies used by the website, please see our Cookie Policy.
6. Marketing Communications
CCI may send communications regarding:
- educational opportunities;
- products and services;
- events;
- organizational news; and
- other information that may be relevant to your relationship with CCI.
Where required by law, CCI will obtain your consent before sending marketing communications.
You may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link located at https://www.cc-institute.org/privacy-policy/marketing-email-opt-out/.
Please note that opting out of marketing communications does not affect transactional communications related to your certification, purchases, applications, account, examinations, or other services you request.
7. Data Security
CCI maintains administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
Examples of these safeguards may include:
- encryption;
- secure payment and information processing;
- access controls;
- authentication measures;
- monitoring and logging;
- employee training;
- contractual requirements with service providers;
- measures to respond to a data breach; and
- regular review of security practices.
Although CCI works to protect personal information, no method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure. For this reason, CCI cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Data Retention
CCI retains personal information only for as long as necessary to:
- administer certification programs;
- maintain certification records;
- fulfill contractual obligations;
- comply with legal, regulatory, tax, and accounting requirements;
- resolve disputes;
- enforce agreements; and
- protect CCI’s legal interests.
Retention periods vary depending on the type of information, the purpose for which it was collected, and applicable legal requirements.
When personal information is no longer required, CCI will securely delete, anonymize, or otherwise dispose of the information in accordance with our records management practices.
9. Your Privacy Rights
CCI respects your privacy rights and is committed to responding to requests in accordance with applicable law.
Depending on where you live and the nature of your relationship with CCI, you may have the right to:
- Know what personal information CCI collects about you.
- Request access to the personal information CCI maintains about you.
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
- Request deletion of your personal information, subject to applicable legal, regulatory, contractual, and certification record retention requirements.
- Request a copy of certain personal information in a portable format, where applicable.
- Request a list of categories of third parties to which CCI has disclosed your personal information.
- Withdraw consent for processing that is based on your consent, including optional cookies.
- Object to or request restrictions on certain processing activities where permitted by law.
- Appeal certain privacy decisions where required by applicable law.
These rights are not absolute and may be limited where CCI has legal, regulatory, contractual, accreditation, certification, financial, or security obligations requiring continued retention or processing of information.
To submit a privacy request, please contact:
CCI may request additional information to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests in order to help protect your information.
CCI will respond to verified requests within the timeframes required by applicable law.
10. International Visitors
CCI serves healthcare professionals, employers, educators, volunteers, and organizations throughout the United States and internationally.
If you access the CCI website from outside the United States, please be aware that your personal information may be collected, transferred, stored, and processed in the United States or other countries where CCI or its trusted service providers operate.
These countries may have privacy laws that differ from those in your country of residence.
CCI takes reasonable steps to protect personal information transferred internationally by working with trusted service providers and implementing appropriate administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards.
Where applicable, CCI processes personal information in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the UK GDPR, and other applicable privacy laws.
11. Children’s Privacy
CCI’s website and services are intended for healthcare professionals, certification candidates, employers, educators, and other adults.
CCI does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 through its website.
If CCI becomes aware that personal information has been collected from a child under 13 without appropriate authorization, CCI will take reasonable steps to delete the information as required by applicable law.
If you believe a child has provided personal information to CCI, please contact:
12. Third-Party Websites
CCI’s website may contain links to websites, services, or applications operated by third parties.
These third-party websites are governed by their own privacy policies, terms of use, and business practices.
CCI is not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of third-party websites and encourages visitors to review the privacy policies of any website they visit.
The inclusion of a third-party link does not constitute an endorsement of that organization, product, or service unless expressly stated by CCI.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
CCI may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in:
- applicable laws and regulations;
- technology;
- website functionality;
- certification programs;
- business operations; or
- privacy practices.
When changes are made, the updated Effective Date at the top of this Privacy Policy will be revised.
If CCI makes material changes that significantly affect how personal information is collected, used, or shared, CCI will provide notice as required by applicable law. CCI encourages visitors to review this Privacy Policy periodically.
14. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal information, or your privacy rights, please contact:
Competency & Credentialing Institute
For general questions about CCI’s certification programs or services, please visit the Contact Us page available on our website.
15. Our Commitment to Privacy
Protecting the information entrusted to CCI is an important part of our mission.
We are committed to handling personal information responsibly, maintaining appropriate safeguards, providing meaningful choices regarding cookies and marketing communications, and continually reviewing our privacy practices as technology, laws, and the needs of our certificants evolve.
CCI appreciates the trust placed in us by applicants, candidates, certificants, employers, volunteers, customers, and website visitors, and we are committed to earning and maintaining that trust every day.
