Certificate of Added Qualification
in Headache Medicine (AQH) from the National Headache Foundation

Why should you earn the Certificate of Added Qualification in Headache Medicine (AQH) from the National Headache Foundation?

• Validation of a level of expertise in headache medicine to be recognized by your colleagues and patients.
• Possibility of more patient referrals.
• Enhanced credibility and the personal satisfaction of providing your patients with the best possible care.
• Recognition of skills when dealing with managed care and government agencies.

To be eligible for the AQH competency examination, a candidate must be a licensed healthcare practitioner who evaluates and manages headache patients independently, including physicians (M.D. and D.O.), physicians assistants, advance practice nurses, dentists, and clinical psychologists. The candidate’s license must be in good standing.

Each candidate must provide documentation of the following criteria regarding license, continuing education, and experience:

• License: The candidate’s license must be in good standing.
• Continuing Education: Completion of at least 20 hours, over the last year, of continuing education focusing on headache medicine.
• Experience: Meet one of the following options:

1. At least one or more years of experience at a headache clinic or Veterans Affairs (VA) Headache Center of Excellence (HCoE), subject to review by NHF’s AQH Oversight Committee, or
2. At least three years of experience managing headache medicine in other clinical settings, or
3. A professional who has completed an accredited Neurology residency (MD or DO), or
4. A professional who has successfully completed a headache fellowship, as approved by the NHF’s AQH Oversight Committee.

• Include a colleague letter and resume with your application.

You can sign up to receive the AQH application or call 1-888-NHF-5552. This will contain the general application and information about the examination structure and location of testing sites.

All fees for the examination are in U.S. dollars.

Provided the early postmark deadline is met, the examination fees are:

• NHF members: $600 ($300 for NPs and PAs)
• Non-members: $800 ($500 for MDs and DOs)

If the application is received between the application postmark deadline and the late application deadline, a late fee of $75 will be charged. Late fees are:

• NHF members: $675
• Non-members: $875

Become a National Headache Foundation member.

Maintenance of your Certification

Certificates of Added Qualification in Headache Medicine are valid for five years after receipt. To maintain the certification, the health care provider has two options:

• Submit documentation of 60 hours of headache-related educational units through a curriculum accredited through ACCME or an equivalent nursing CEU accreditation body. The CME/CEU credits may be accumulated over a five-year span.

OR

• Reexamination at the end of the five years.

Certification Awards

• You will receive a frameable certificate.
• A sample announcement will be provided by the NHF to assist you in alerting your local media outlets and professional societies that you have received the credential.
• Please submit a high-resolution headshot for us to distribute with a press release.
• The announcement of AQH recipients will be included in HeadFirst, the NHF’s monthly digital newsletter.