Message from the President
M. LaCheeta McPherson, Ph.D., MLS(ASCP)cm

Since June marks the end of another year for CAAHEP, it is an opportune time to reflect on our successes and challenges of this past year.
 
Despite the fact that we lost a Committee on Accreditation (CoARC) in November, we gained two new Committees in April:  Anesthesia Technician/Technologist and Recreational Therapists.  We also gained two Sponsoring Organizations: The American Society of Anesthesia Technologists and Technicians and The American Therapeutic Recreation Association.  These CoAs and their Sponsors were approved by the Commission at the Annual Meeting that was held in Louisville, KY.
 
We honored three board members who completed their terms of office: Brad Maxwell, who served as a CAAHEP commissioner since 2004 and a board member since 2007; Dan Points, who served as a commissioner since 2003 and board member since 2004, including Treasurer since 2006; and Bill Horgan, a CAAHEP commissioner since its inception in 1994 and a board member from 1994-97 including Secretary.  He was re-elected to the board in 2004 and became Vice President in 2005 and President in 2007.  We will certainly miss these gentlemen. 

 

The Commission elected four new members of the board: Claire Chandler, Commissioner for the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants, Cameron Harris, Commissioner for the Board of Registered Polysomnograpic Technologists, John Padgett, Commissioner for Proprietary Institutions; and Alicia Davis, Commissioner for the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education. Cynthia Butters, Commissioner for NN2 was re-elected for a second term. I welcome these new and returning members of the board and look forward to working with them all in the coming years.  

 

We also honored two other individuals during the Annual Awards Luncheon: Lindsay Rettie was presented with the Exceptional Service Award and Jennifer Anderson-Warick was given the President's Citation Award.  Both of these women have served CAAHEP faithfully for many years.
 
The 16th Annual Meeting for CAAHEP received positive evaluations. Dr. Mark Taylor took Generation X to the "NeXt" level by looking at today's young people in the workforce.  Dr. Taylor also gave an afternoon presentation on Teaching for Lasting Change, that included utilizing active learning, new technology and engaging techniques.  Dr. Robert Brooks presented "Reforming Health Care in America: what got us here, won't get us there."  The data were compelling in his presentation to explain how healthcare reform will impact education, workforce and the American public. Doug Lederman, Editor of Inside Higher Education, gave us a Washington Update.  We ended the meeting with two demonstrations on using simulation and high fidelity simulators to enhance clinical learning.  
 
At the close of our annual meeting, Nancy Smith gave a brief update on the Summer Workshop presentation that will focus on the development of guidelines for distance learning programs.  This is an area that many of our CoAs have been requesting guidance. With the assistance of a consultant and task force, the Distance Education Guidelines Project will be one tool used for assuring consistency of standards, processes and procedures across CoAs.  Demonstration of consistency is one of the areas that CHEA will focus on as we begin our re-recognition process for CHEA, a major activity for CAAHEP this coming year.  
 
Lastly, I hope you all have an opportunity for renewal this summer. Fall will be here too quickly, along with a new crop of students to educate...and the cycle continues.

 

First, the CAAHEP Award for Exceptional Service, the highest honor awarded by CAAHEP, was presented to Lindsay Rettie for her years of service to the organization. This award is reserved for those who are or have been Commissioners, and recognized Lindsay for her efforts speaking with conviction about the work of the Commission, advancing its purposes, and actively participating in the Commission's activities at a high level for many years.  Lindsay has served as a Commissioner, on the CAAHEP Board of Directors, and as a non-Board Liaison.

 

A second award, the Presidential Citation, was presented to Jennifer Anderson-Warwick for her assistance and dedication to CAAHEP over the past year.  Jennifer works with two Committees on Accreditation and has assisted CAAHEP in getting its webinar series up and running.  She has assisted in the training of different Committees on Accreditation in using the Go to Meeting/Go to Webinar software, and serves as a non-Board Liaison to a CoA and as a member of the CAAHEP Standards Committee.

 

Please join us in congratulating these two women on their well-deserved recognition.

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