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In the April 2011 Issue
William Horgan Honored
CAAHEP Webinar Series Online
Allied Health: Iceberg or Ice Cubes?
Accreditation Actions
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New Website in Honor of EMS Week

 

The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) has launched a new website in honor of Emergency Medical Services Week, to celebrate, participate in, grow and support the EMS profession.  The site presents for the EMS professional career advancement ideas, ways to stay safe on the job, how to increase public awarness, and to recognize and support the profession's heroes and history. 

 

The US Congress authorized the Emergency Medical Services Systems Act in 1973. In 1974, President Gerald R. Ford signed the bill and appointed David R. Boyd as the director of the Division of Medical Services System. Boyd convicend President Ford to proclaim "Emergency Medical Services Week," and hosted a White House Conference on EMS.  In 2011, EMS Week is May 15-21, 2001.

 

Programs are Talking...

 

...and here is what they are saying about achieving CAAHEP accreditation:

 

"Accreditation is important in all fields, but it is especially so in healthcare. Accredited programs adhere to a set of standards in order to assure that the education provided will prepare competent, well-trained professionals to deliver quality healthcare. Having met the rigorous and demanding standards set by CAAHEP, our institution, DeVry University, is better positioned to promote the Electroneurodiagnostic Technology program to prospective students as well as employers."

Forough Ghahramani, MS, MBA

Dean  Electroneurodiagnostic Technology Program

DeVry University

 

"Being an accredited program is essential for our program. CAAHEP ensures that the college meets the guidelines required to effectively ensure that students are receiving a proper education to prepare them for the workforce and to become Certified Surgical Techonologist. The college and the program values the guidance that is provided by CAAHEP."

Rebecca Lawson, CST, AAS, BA
Program Director of Surgical Technology

Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College

 

"The accrediation process allowed me as the program director to evaluate the program comprehensively. Without the self study process I don't think one could evaluate their program in this manner. It helped me clearly identify strengths and weaknesses. I know which areas to focus on in order to make improvements. The students are now eligible to apply for their national registry. You dont realize it at first but this process is invaluable to a sonography program. I'm so glad I had this opportunity and experience."

 Casey Davis RDMS,RVT
 
Sonography Program Coordinator
Angelina College


 

 Message from the President
LaCheeta McPherson Picture
LaCheeta McPherson, PhD, MLS (ASCP) cm


My spring has been a busy season with meetings and travel.  In March I was invited to attend a forum on Disaster Preparedness. The meeting was the 4th in a series of six meetings designed to develop and implement specific core competencies in preparing for a medical response in case of a disaster.  The meetings have been hosted by LMI Corporation, and supported by the Department of Defense.  I participated in a panel discussion of how to develop and incorporate these competencies in our allied health curriculum.  What became clear to me is that our work regarding disaster preparedness continues.  It was good to see that Kevin Frey, with the Association of Surgical Technologists and a commissioner for CAAHEP, has been actively participating in these meetings.

The CAAHEP spring board meeting and annual conference was held in Memphis, TN, April 7-11. During our Board meeting, two CAAHEP policies were edited. Policy 204-Initial Accreditation was edited to reflect that at any point during the initial accreditation period, a program may be recommended for continuing accreditation or, if warranted, for probationary accreditation.  Policy 208 D-Voluntary Inactive Status was edited to address the issue of programs that do not enroll students, but have not requested inactive status through their CoA.  The updated Policy Manual can be found on the CAAHEP website.  

I received many positive comments about the annual conference this year.  The meeting was kicked off with a keynote address from Dr. Richard Karl, a recognized cancer surgeon and 737-type rated pilot. His thought provoking presentation, "What Can a Surgeon Learn from a Pilot?" compared the safety regulation of the FAA to practices in medicine.

Elise Scanlon updated the attendees on what was happening in Washington, DC, as it relates to accreditation and the Department of Education.  Two professions were highlighted in the conference: The anesthesia team of technologist, assistant and anesthesiologist. Claire Chandler, Dr. Alan Marco and Vicki Reyes provided a dramatic demonstration of how each of these professions interact with the surgical team and patient. Thomas Skalko explained the differences between Recreational Therapy and other recreational and therapeutic professions.  For the first time, the conference highlighted CAAHEP sponsors. The organizations presented were the American Academy of Orthotist and Prosthetists, the American College of Radiology and the Association of Surgical Technologists.

The latest technology in education and clinical practice was provided through a 'hands-on' demonstration of the newest patient simulator for both Laerdal Medical Americas and METI Learning. Dr. Gregory Zagaja provided an overview and video on the use of robotic technology in surgery.

Fred Lenhoff, of the AMA, provided us with laughs and information as he highlighted the history of medicine, the Flexner Report, and the role of allied health.  All of the presentation materials for our annual meeting will be provided for our constituents under the Annual Meeting link on the CAAHEP website.

During the annual awards luncheon, the CAAHEP board recognized Bill Horgan with the Exceptional Service Award. Bill has been volunteering for CAAHEP since 1994. Nancy Smith and Greg Frazer were recognized for their six years of service on the CAAHEP Board.

BoardMembersNancySmithLaCheetaMcPhersonandGregFrazer
Nancy Smith, LaCheeta McPherson and Greg Frazer

During the annual business meeting the following persons were elected for the Board of Directors: Kerry Weinberg, representing JRC-DMS, Bernard Cohen, representing the American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring and Barry Eckert of the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions (ASAHP).  With the resignation of a current board member, Alicia Davis of NCOPE, the Board appointed Alan Marco to complete her term.

I want to welcome our latest profession and CoA that was approved by the commission during the annual meeting: Advanced Cardiovascular Sonography and CoA-ACS.  The American Society of Echocardiography was approved as a sponsor for CoA-ASC.

Katie Bowe
Recent Graduate Commissioner Katie Bowe

Lastly, I want to recognize the contributions of our Recent Graduate Commissioner, Katie Bowe. Katie participated in our Board of Directors meeting and provided a PowerPoint  presentation on her survey research of students' perception of surgical technology and career pathways during our commissioners' business meeting. She is an example of the excellent graduates from our CAAHEP accredited programs. Her commit-ment to her profession and service to accreditation is greatly appreciated.  

 
William J. Horgan Honored for Exceptional Service
   

William J. Horgan was honored with the CAAHEP Exceptional Service Award during the 2011 Annual Meeting in Memphis, Tennesse. The criteria for the CAAHEP Exceptional Service Award is advancing

Bill Horgan
William J Horgan

CAAHEP's mission and goals, assuming leadership responsibilities within CAAHEP, exhibiting notable participation in one or more CAAHEP activities and/or programs, and advancing ideas and/or new strategies to benefit the organization.  Nothing defines Bill Horgan better than this criteria.

 

Bill attended the organizational meeting of CAAHEP in May 1994, as the Commissioner for the Accreditation Committee - Perfusion Education. At the 1994 organizational meeting, he was elected to the Executive Board of the new Commission and served as Secretary. Over the years, Bill served on the Bylaws Committee and a Special Committee on Streamlining Accreditation. He completed two terms on the Board in 1998, a year in which he also chaired both the Standards Committee and the Bylaws Committee.

 

In 2003, Bill was welcomed back to the Board of Directors to fill a vacant seat, and then went on to complete two more full terms, serving as Vice President and President of CAAHEP. Throughout his service to the organization, Bill continued his role as Commissioner for the CoA-PE -- a tenure lasting 16 years. 

 

Although he is fully-retired from his career as a perfusionist and no longer serves on the CAAHEP Board or the CoA-PE, he continues to serve CAAHEP as a Board Liaison to the Joint Review Committee - Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

 

Bill and his wife Barbara live in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, however, they spend a great deal of their time on the road visiting their children and grand children. 

 

CAAHEP Webinar Series Available Online
Webinar logo 

The three webinars conducted thus far in the 2011 CAAHEP Webinar Series have been recorded and posted on the CAAHEP website.  If you were unable to attend any of the webinars, you can still participate by visiting the CAAHEP website to view and listen to these presentations. Choose from:

  • Assessing Student Learning Outcomes with Dr. Susan Hatfield
  • Improving the Quality of Clinical Preceptors: Practical Applications for Bench Teaching with Dr. Donald Simpson
  • Are You Prepared: Integrating Emergency Preparedness into the Curriculum wiht Dr. Cecilia Rokusek

To participate, all you need is approximately an hour of time and a computer.  Visit the CAAHEP website to participate in these programs.

 

 
Allied Health:  Iceberg or Ice Cubes?

by Fred Donini-Lenhoff, Medical Education Communications Director, AMA

 

Coming up with an adequate definition of "allied health" that everyone can agree on continues to elude us, so why not resort to metaphor?

 

Here's one that might work: The iceberg. If health care represents the entire iceberg, then allied health is the part that's under the water, not readily visible-and it's the eighty percent that's holding up the rest, the part above the surface that gets all the attention.

 

Today, health care in general, and allied health in particular, face multiple challenges (and opportunities). Without a strong sense of unity and shared purpose, our iceberg may shear off into multiple ice cubes, floating separately and without the power of the whole. CAAHEP, NN2, ASAHP, and the Health Professions Network are among the key organizations that are keeping allied health together.

 

As the Institute of Medicine focuses on allied health workforce in its May 9-10 conference, and with the exigencies of health system reform before us, now is the time for all of us to work for the good of all of us. Let's focus on the "all" in "allied" and make sure we're not just allied with physicians but with each other.

 

For more news and analysis on allied health, subscribe now to the Health Care Careers e-Letter from the American Medical Association. This free e-mail newsletter goes to 16,000 readers each month, including health professions education program directors, deans, accrediting agencies, professional organizations, certifying/licensing boards, and federal/state governmental agencies. To subscribe to the Health Care Careers e-Letter, send an e-mail to fred.lenhoff@ama-assn.org or call (312) 464-4635.

 

Accreditation Actions

 

The following programs received CAAHEP accreditation at the March 18, 2011, Board of Directors Meeting:

 

Anesthesiologist Assistant

Continuing

Nova Southeastern University, Ft Lauderdale, FL (Masters)

 

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Continuing

Community College of Allegheny County - Boyce Campus, Monroeville, PA (General) (Certificate, Associate)

Community College of Allegheny County - Boyce Campus, Monroeville, PA (Cardiac) (Certificate, Associate)

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (General) (Certificate)

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (Cardiac) (Diploma)

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (Vascular) (Certificate)

Mercy College of Health Sciences, Des Moines, IA (General) (Associate)

Mercy College of Health Sciences, Des Moines, IA (Cardiac) (Associate)

Morehead State University, Morehead, KY (General) (Baccalaureate)  

Seattle University, Seattle, WA (General) (Baccalaureate)  

Seattle University, Seattle, WA (Vascular) (Baccalaureate)

Seattle University, Seattle, WA (Cardiac) (Baccalaureate)

Initial

Community College of Allegheny County - Boyce Campus, Monroeville, PA (Vascular) (Certificate, Associate)

Keiser University, Melbourne, FL (General) (Associate)  

Temple College, Temple, TX (General) (Associate)

 

Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic

Continuing

Avera McKennan Hospital, Sioux Falls, SD (Diploma)

Catawba Valley Community College, Hickory, NC (Associate)

Chattanooga State Community College, Chattanooga, TN (Certificate)

Chemeketa Community College, Salem, OR (Diploma)

College of Central Florida, Ocala, FL (Certificate, Associate)

College of the Mainland, Texas City, TX (Associate)

East Arkansas Community College, Forrest City, AR (Certificate, Associate)

Eastern New Mexico University, Roswell, NM (Certificate, Associate)

Edison State College, Ft Myers, FL (Associate, Baccalaureate)

Florida State College at Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL (Associate)

Hutchinson Community College, Hutchinson, KS (Associate)

Miami Dade College, Miami, FL (Associate)

Polk State College, Winter Haven, FL (Certificate, Associate)

San Jacinto College - Central, Pasadena, TX (Certificate, Associate)

Sarasota County Technical Institute, Sarasota, FL (Certificate)

Southeast Arkansas College, Pine Bluff, AR (Diploma, Associate)

Unified Fire Authority, Salt Lake City, UT (Certificate)

University of Iowa Health Care, Iowa City, IA (Certificate)

University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM (Certificate, Baccalaureate)

Initial

Southwestern Community College- Sylva, Sylva, NC (Certificate, Associate)

 

Exercise Science

Continuing

Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD (Baccalaureate)

 

Medical Assisting

Continuing

Baker College of Owosso, Owosso, MI (Associate)  

Branford Hall Career Institute, Branford, CT (Diploma)  

Iowa Central Community College, Fort Dodge, IA (Diploma)

Keiser University-Daytona, Daytona Beach, FL (Associate)

Mercer County Technical Schools, Trenton, NJ (Diploma)

Spencerian College - Louisville, Louisville, KY (Diploma)

St Vincent's College, Bridgeport, CT (Certificate)

Initial

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Asheville, NC (Associate)

Clark State Community College, Springfield, OH (Certificate)

Eastern Maine Community College, Bangor, ME (Associate)

Illinois Central College, East Peoria, IL (Certificate)

Miller-Motte College-Raleigh, Raleigh, NC (Associate)

Rasmussen College-Lake Elmo, Lake Elmo, MN (Associate)

Rasmussen College-Moorhead, Moorhead, MN (Associate)

Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux City, IA (Diploma)

 

Perfusion

Continuing

Barry University, Miami Shores, FL (Baccalaureate)

University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE (Masters)

 

Polysomnographic Technology

Continuing

Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hills, IL (Certificate)

Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, OR (Certificate)

The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), Dundalk, MD (Certificate)

University of Texas-Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, Brownsville, TX (Certificate)

Initial  

Sanford-Brown College, Fenton, MO (Associate)