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CHA Learning

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is all CHA Learning course material online?
2. Can I start my course/program at anytime throughout the year?
3. English is not my first language. Can I complete my program in any
other language?
4. Why do I need to pay the application fee? Can’t I just submit my
tuition payment?
5. After I have applied online, when can I expect to hear if I have
been accepted?
6. I applied to a CHA Learning program over 4 weeks ago, and I have
not heard anything. Should I assume that I have not been accepted?
7. I haven’t received any email from CHA Learning in several weeks.
What is going on?
8. Once I have completed the program, when can I expect to receive my
certificate of graduation?
9. I need to obtain an official course transcript, how to I do this?
10. Do I have to order my textbooks on the CHA Learning website?
11. I applied to a program last year, but did not commence my studies,
do I have to re-apply?
12. I am ready to pay my application fee/tuition/textbooks. To whom do
I make the cheque/money order payable?
13. Can I pay my tuition or book fees using an installment plan?
14. I’ve been accepted into a CHA Learning program. How do I go about
paying my tuition?
15. I’ve been informed that my textbooks are available for order. How
do I go about ordering textbooks?
16. Who will be marking my unit assignments?
17. Can I submit my unit assignments at any time, or is there a set
schedule?
18. I’ve just faxed you a document. Will you confirm receipt of this
fax?
19. Do I have to pay tuition for the 2nd year of my 2 year program?
20. I cannot remember my password to login to the CHA Learning
website. Who do I contact?
21. What is the Intramural Session, and do I need to attend it?
22. Does the tuition cover the cost of the Intramural session?
23. Does my tuition payment cover the transportation, accommodation
and meals during the Intramural Session?
24. Does CHA arrange the transportation and accommodation for the
Intramural Session?
25. If I am interested in the Long Term Care Management (LTCM) program
or the Health Services Management (HSM) program, do I need to have a
university degree to apply?
26. I would like to enroll in the Long Term Care Management program.
What are the prerequisites for this program?
27. I am a Long Term Care Management or Health Services Management
student and I have completed my university component. What
documentation do I need to submit to CHA Learning and who should I
send it to?
28. I’m interested in applying for the Health Information Management
program. Do I really need to submit all those enclosures?
29. I’m interested in switching careers and moving into the health
records field. Can I enroll in your Health Information Management
(HIM) program?
30. I’m interested in applying for the HIM program. Can I do my
practical experience sessions at the facility that I work in?
31. What is the HIM Field Placement and can I complete it at my place
of employment?
32. Is the Medical Terminology Refresher course a prerequisite for the
HIM program?
33. What is a Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR) review,
and can I apply for a PLAR for all programs?
34. I would like to write the Canadian Health Information Management
Association (CHIMA)’s national certification exam. Do I contact CHA
Learning?
35. I have arranged with CHIMA to write the national exam; however, I
understand that CHIMA needs an official copy of my CHA Learning
transcript before I can write the exam. Do I have to order this
transcript online (see question 9)?
36. I’ve completed the FSNM program; do I automatically become a
member of CSNM?
37. I’m having problems accessing WinRecs and/or the Terminal Server.
What do I do?

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1. Is all CHA Learning course material online?
Currently, CHA Learning offers only one program that is completely
online: the Medical Terminology Refresher course. All other CHA
Learning programs are paper based, distance education programs, with
online components.

2. Can I start my course/program at anytime throughout the year?
With the exception of the Medical Terminology and the Nutrition and
Diet Therapy refresher courses, all CHA Learning courses begin on
September 1st.. Registration for all courses with Sept start dates
begins in February. Please see the following links for information on
the Medical Terminology and Nutrition Diet Therapy start dates
respectively: Medical Terminology, Nutrition and Diet Therapy

3. English is not my first language. Can I complete my program in any
other language?
All textbook, study materials and examinations are printed in English.
Assignments and exams for Health Information Management and Medical
Terminology must be submitted in English. Assignments and examinations
in other programs may be submitted in English or French. A submission
in French requires prior arrangement with the appropriate program
director at CHA Learning.

4. Why do I need to pay the application fee? Can’t I just submit my
tuition payment?
All CHA Learning students are carefully screened and assessed prior to
being admitted into a program. Only students who have been accepted
into a program are able to pay tuition. Potential students must pay
the non-refundable application fee in order to have their program
applications assessed.

5. After I have applied online, when can I expect to hear if I have
been accepted?
Typically, there is a 3-4 week turn around time for new registrations.
Within this timeframe you will receive an email from CHA Learning
letting you know whether or not you’ve been accepted, or if we require
more documentation.

6. I applied to a CHA Learning program over 4 weeks ago, and I have
not heard anything. Should I assume that I have not been accepted?
CHA Learning communicates with all potential and current students by
email. Please check your email (including your junk mail) to see if
you’ve received an email from CHA Learning. Please note that you must
register online, pay your application fee and submit ALL required
documents before your application will be assessed. If you have not
heard back from CHA Learning it is likely that you have not a) applied
online or b) paid your application fee.

7. I haven’t received any email from CHA Learning in several weeks.
What is going on?
All correspondence from CHA Learning, including notices of acceptance,
how to pay tuition and order text books will be sent electronically.
If you have a Hotmail, Yahoo or MSN email address please note that you
must check your junk mail frequently. These email programs tend to
recognize CHA email as spam or junk, and they automatically file CHA
email in your spam/junk folders.

Furthermore, if your settings only allow those on your contact list to
email you, you will need to add the specific email address for the
Program Coordinator to your contact list to ensure prompt receipt of
all emails.

8. Once I have completed the program, when can I expect to receive my
certificate of graduation?
While most of our students write a final exam at the end of April,
many of our courses have practical components which carry over into
June and July. As such, the official end to our academic year is
August 31. All statements of marks and certificates will be sent out
once the academic year has officially ended.

9. I need to obtain an official course transcript, how to I do this?
CHA Learning graduates may obtain an official copy of their transcript
by visiting the CHA Learning website at wwwlearning.cha.ca/educ/ and
selecting “Transcript Request” from the left hand menu. Official
transcript requests cost $20.00 CDN plus GST, and take about 2-3 weeks
to process. During the transcript order, you have the opportunity to
specify where you’d like your transcript shipped.

10. Do I have to order my textbooks on the CHA Learning website?
CHA Learning purchases all required textbooks in bulk directly from
the publishers. As such, we are generally able to offer a price
discount to our students. While some textbooks may be available at
outside vendors such as Chapters, CHA Learning generally has the
greatest price break available.

Furthermore, all students must order the CHA Learning study guide for
their program. Study guides are only available through CHA Learning.
Using CHA Learning’s book ordering system allows you to order all
required textbooks and study guide at the same time.

11. I applied to a program last year, but did not commence my studies,
do I have to re-apply?
If you did not submit a tuition payment last year then your student
file was not kept. You are now considered a new applicant and must
re-apply (register online again, submit your application payment and
all required registration documents). When reapplying, please login
using the login credentials you created initially.

If had paid your tuition, but did not commence your studies, please
contact us directly at management@cha.ca.

12. I am ready to pay my application fee/tuition/textbooks. To whom do
I make the cheque/money order payable?
All cheques/money orders should be made payable to the Canadian
Healthcare Association.

13. Can I pay my tuition or book fees using an installment plan?
Unfortunately, all tuition and textbook payments must be made in full.
CHA Learning does not accept partial payments or postdated cheques.

14. I’ve been accepted into a CHA Learning program. How do I go about
paying my tuition?
Please refer to the following instructions to pay online OR print your
tuition invoice. CHA accepts VISA and MasterCard. Cheques and money
orders are payable to the Canadian Healthcare Association. Please note
CHA Learning’s tuition payment site is a secure site, no invoice will
be mailed.

TO PAY OR PRINT INVOICE:

Go to the CHA Learning Web Site - wwwlearning.cha.ca/educ/

Go to the ‘Student Login’ tab on the menu, 4th link from the top.

Log on to the system using the e-mail address that you have given
 us as your main contact.

Enter your personal password. If you have already created one
 please ensure that you are using your same password. If you have
 not already created a password, please do so. If you are unable to
 login, please contact management@cha.ca.

Select ‘Tuition Payment’ on the menu, 3rd link from the top.

From the drop-down menu, select the program that you are enrolled
 in and wish to pay for.

You may pay online by VISA or MasterCard or print an invoice to
 send in with a cheque or money order. Please do not send cheques
 or money orders without accompanying documentation.

15. I’ve been informed that my textbooks are available for order. How
do I go about ordering textbooks?
Please note that there is no cost for the Study Guide, though you must
select it on the form in order to receive it with your order.
Website: wwwlearning.cha.ca/educ/

TO ORDER YOUR TEXTBOOKS:

Go to the CHA Learning Web Site - wwwlearning.cha.ca/educ/

Go to the 'Student Login' tab on the menu, 4nd link from the top.

Log on to the system using the e-mail address that you have given
 us as your main contact.

Enter your personal password. If you have already created one
 please ensure that you are using your same password. If you have
 not already created a password, please do so.

Select 'Order Textbooks' on the menu, 4th link from the top.

Select the corresponding course that you are registered in from
 the list - the book list and order form will be displayed.

Adjust the quantity of books that you wish to order (the default
 is 1 for each book). Please note that the books are labeled as
 REQURED OR RECOMMENDED

Select the payment method you would like to use: Credit Card (Visa
 or MasterCard) or cheque and click on the button to Order the
 books.

Confirm/adjust the address where your books will be shipped to.

Click and continue to the invoice page where you may pay online by
 VISA/MasterCard or print an invoice to send in with a cheque or
 money order. Please do not send cheques or money orders without
 accompanying documentation.

We do not accept emailed/faxed credit card information for security
reasons. If you have any questions about our security policy, please
click on the "Privacy Policy" link at the bottom of the page.

16. Who will be marking my unit assignments?
You will be assigned an Education Consultant (EC) at the beginning of
the academic year. While not teachers in the traditional sense, ECs
provide regular and consistent contact with the students by offering
feedback and marking student assignments during the study year.
Throughout the year, your EC will critique and grade your unit
assignments. Your consultant will initiate contact and determine with
you the means of communication to be used for the assignments, either
e-mail or regular mail.

17. Can I submit my unit assignments at any time, or is there a set
schedule? All CHA Learning programs have a set schedule for
assignments. While you may wish to complete and submit your
assignments ahead of schedule, your Education Consultant (EC) is not
required to return them before the scheduled return date.

Generally, ECs find it helpful to mark all their students’ assignments
at the same time. If you submit an assignment far in advance of the
deadline, your EC may choose to hold off on marking it until he/she
has received the same assignment from his/her other students.

18. I’ve just faxed you a document. Will you confirm receipt of this
fax?
On average, CHA Learning receives 100-200 faxes a week. Due to this
volume, we are unable to confirm receipt of all documents. If you are
missing any documentation, we will contact you as soon as we can;
however, our staff numbers simply do not allow us to email/phone/fax
confirmation of faxed documents.

19. Do I have to pay tuition for the 2nd year of my 2 year program?
Students are required to pay tuition and order/pay for textbooks for
each year of their program.

20. I cannot remember my password to login to the CHA Learning
website. Who do I contact?
If you cannot remember your password, please contact management@cha.ca.
We will reset your login credentials and let you know how to access
the website.

21. What is the Intramural Session, and do I need to attend it?

The Intramural session is for students from the following programs:

Continuous Quality Improvement

Risk Management and Safety

Modern Management

Long Term Care Management, Year 1

Health Services Management, Year 1

Food Services and Nutrition Management, Year 2

CHA’s Intramural Sessions is a five-day learning event, held every
spring in Ottawa. It provides an opportunity for students to meet and
network with their fellow students from across Canada. During the five
days, students attend general plenary sessions and smaller program
specific sessions, participate in small group activities, learn from
student presentations, and enjoy social events. Content sessions build
on and draw together material from the home study units.

On the final day of the 5 day session (Friday) students are required
to write their final exam.

22. Does my tuition payment cover the cost of the Intramural session?
Yes. The program tuition fees cover the program activities for the
week

23. Does my tuition payment cover the transportation, accommodation
and meals during the Intramural Session?
No. Students must pay for transportation, accommodation and meals.

24. Does CHA arrange the transportation and accommodation for the
Intramural Session?
No.Transportation and accommodation arrangements are the
responsibility of the student.

However, CHA Learning does negotiate special room rates at the hotel
where the Intramural Session will be held. Students are able to take
advantage of these room rates, or they may choose to book their
accommodations at any other venue in Ottawa.
Details about Intramural dates, accommodations etc... are sent to all
required students starting in mid-December.

25. If I am interested in the Long Term Care Management (LTCM) program
or the Health Services Management (HSM) program, do I need to have a
university degree to apply?
In order to graduate from the LTCM or HSM program you must demonstrate
learning at a university level. This means that all LTCM/HSM students
must complete a full year (or 2 terms on length) degree level course
through a recognized Canadian university (a member of the Association
of Universities and Colleges of Canada); at a degree level (not a
certificate level) and in the fields of health services and sciences,
management, administration, business, commerce, or organizational
theory and behaviour. Students have five years from registering into a
program to complete this requirement.

If you have already completed such a university course or have a
degree, then yes please submit a copy of your transcript(s) with your
application. However, as you have 5 years from your start date to
complete your university component requirement, you do not need to
have a degree or submit a transcript to apply.

26. I would like to enroll in the Long Term Care Management program.
What are the prerequisites for this program?
To apply for all Management programs you need to register online, pay
a non-refundable application fee and submit a current copy of your
resume (see question #27 for details on the university component).
However, the LTCM program is designed for is for administrators,
assistant administrators, directors of nursing and care, directors of
finance and other managers in long term care facilities, retirement
homes and continuing care agencies. This means that students in this
program must be employed at a Long Term Care facility during the
duration of the course.

If you are not employed in a LTC facility, with your application, you
must submit a letter from a Senior Administrator or Director currently
employed in a Long Term Care facility that clearly states his/her
support of you as a suitable candidate for the Long Term Care
Management program. In addition the Administrator or Director would
need to agree to provide you with access to facility and personnel
resources so that you could complete all the data collection e.g.
policy review, staff interviews, organizational chart etc. This is
essential because the module questions require that the theory be
applied specifically to the work place.

27. I am a Long Term Care Management or Health Services Management
student and I have completed my university component. What
documentation do I need to submit to CHA Learning and who should I
send it to?
In order to mark your university component as complete, CHA Learning
needs a copy of your university transcript. This document can be
faxed, emailed or mailed to CHA Learning

28. I’m interested in applying for the Health Information Management
program. Do I really need to submit all those enclosures?
To properly assess your application to the HIM program, CHA Learning
needs to review all the requested documents. Submitting these
enclosures is a mandatory part of the application process.

29. I’m interested in switching careers and moving into the health
records field. Can I enroll in your Health Information Management
(HIM) program?
To apply for the HIM program, all applicants must be employed in a
health records department OR work in a health care environment and
have the official support of a health records professional.

If you are completely unfamiliar with health records, you might wish
to complete a course in Medical Terminology prior to applying for the
HIM program (see question # 32).
Furthermore, all HIM applicants must meet the application criteria
listed on our website (HIM application criteria)

30. I’m interested in applying for the HIM program. Can I do my
practical experience sessions at the facility that I work in?
For each year of the two-year HIM program, there are three practical
experience sessions; each session lasts 35 hours. During each session
which students perform health information management procedures
identified in their study guides. Students must arrange to complete
practical experience in a health information management department (in
their own organization or one nearby) under the supervision of a
Health Information Management Professional.

31. What is the HIM Field Placement and can I complete it at my place
of employment?
All HIM students must undertake a two-week field placement at the end
of each academic year between the middle of May and the end of August.
The placement must be in the health information management department
of a facility other than the student’s place of employment, and should
be arranged by the student in consultation with the student’s
employer.

32. Is the Medical Terminology Refresher course a prerequisite for the
HIM program?
Medical Terminology is not a prerequisite for the HIM program.
However, medical terminology is an intrinsic part of any health
records department, and our HIM students must be employed in a health
records department or work in a health care environment and have the
official support of a health records professional in order to take the
course. As such, our students are all quite familiar with medical
terminology.

33. What is a Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR) review,
and can I apply for a PLAR for all programs?
The Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR) review allows CHA
Learning to determine whether a students’ prior learning gained
through previous recognized courses, work and life experiences meet
the content or requirements of Year 1 of the program. If a student is
deemed to have met the content or requirement of Year 1, then he/she
may be exempted from parts or all of Year One.

PLAR reviews are offered for the Health Information Management (HIM)
and Food Service and Nutrition Management (FSNM) programs ONLY.

34. I would like to write the Canadian Health Information Management
Association (CHIMA)’s national certification exam. Do I contact CHA
Learning?
CHIMA and CHA Learning are completely separate associations. In order
to write CHIMA’s exam you must have graduated from the HIM program. In
order to graduate from the HIM program ALL assignments, exams,
practical experience and field placements must be completed and all
appropriate documentation must be submitted to CHA Learning.

Currently, CHIMA’s spring/summer exam date is slightly ahead of the
end date for the CHA Learning HIM program. If you intend to write the
CHIMA exam, you must ensure that all material (assignments, practical
experience forms etc...) is submitted to CHA Learning in time to
graduate you prior the CHIMA exam. This may require submitting
material ahead of CHA Learning scheduled deadlines, in order to meet
CHIMA’s exam date. For further information about the national
certification exam, please contact CHIMA (www.chra.ca)

35. I have arranged with CHIMA to write the national exam; however, I
understand that CHIMA needs an official copy of my CHA Learning
transcript before I can write the exam. Do I have to order this
transcript online (see question 9)?

If you are planning to write the CHIMA exam please let CHA Learning
know this as soon as it has been arranged.

CHA Learning sends official transcripts for all HIM graduates to CHIMA
free of charge. CHIMA holds these transcripts for up to a year. After
one year, if the student wishes to write the CHIMA exam, he/she must
pay the fee, order a new transcript and submit it to CHIMA. (please
refer to question 34 to see information re: CHIMA exam deadlines)

36. I’ve completed the FSNM program; do I automatically become a
member of CSNM?
The CHA FSNM program is fully accredited by the Canadian Society of
Nutrition Management (CSNM) (www.csnm.ca), the national professional
organization for food service and nutrition managers in Canada. Upon
graduation, CHA students are eligible to apply for membership to the
CSNM.

To become a CSNM member, you must contact CSNM (www.csnm.ca), and
complete their application process.

37. I’m having problems accessing WinRecs and/or the Terminal Server.
What do I do?
The majority of access problems with WinRecs and/or the Terminal
Server are password based.

Please note that passwords for the Terminal Server and Winrecs are
case sensitive. This means that your password must contain the correct
capital and/or lower case letters.

Ex: If the password you were given is Windows22 and you type in
windows22, you will not be able to access the database. The “w” must
be uppercase. Correct password is Windows22 (“W” is uppercase).

Any other access problems should be reported to him@cha.ca.

If we are undergoing problems with the server, we will contact you
directly via email.

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Association. All Rights Reserved.

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