The 2012 CAAHEP Annual Meeting, "Flying Through Challenging Skies," is slated for April 29 and 30, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency LaJolla in San Diego, California. The program topics include: 

• "Flawless Healthcare: Debrief to Win" from Afterburner, Inc., a company of retired military fighter pilots who provide leadership training for organization. Find out how applicable and valuable the 'zero-tolerance-for-error' world of military aviation is to the world of health care. 
• Washington Update by Joseph Vibert, Executive Director of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors.
• Spotlight on Professions, highlighting Advanced Cardiovascular Technology, Cytotechnology, and Medical Illustration.
• Spotlight on several Sponsoring Organizations.
• A panel discussion on Creating a Collaborative Relationship While Remaining at "Arms' Length" with Certification Bodies. 
• The Importance of Autonomy in the Accreditation Process, with Elise Scanlon, JD, Principal, Scanlon Law Group.
• The CHEA Recognition Process: What was Involved in Achieving Recognition and Why is it Important? by Kathleen Megivern, JD, CAE, CAAHEP Executive Director.

During the CAAHEP Annual Meeting, the Commissioners will vote on issues critical to the governance of CAAHEP, so it is very important that every Commissioner attend.  The meeting's complete agenda is posted on the CAAHEP website, along with registration information. To qualify for the discounted registration rate, your registration form must be received by April 20, 2012.

Please contact Kathleen Megivern if you have any questions regarding the annual meeting.

The CAAHEP Board of Directors met in Orlando, Florida, January 19, 2012. Listed below are the highlights of the meeting: 

• The Board's Treasurer reported that a Budget Task Force was formed and its goal is to design the next budget around the new strategic plan and goals.
• The CAAHEP Liaisons to the Committees on Accreditation were present and each provided an update of CoA activities over the past year. It was noted that several liaisons conducted accreditation paper audits and site visit audits, and that all audits found that CAAHEP policies and procedures are being followed.
• The Board took action on accreditation recommendations.
• The Bylaws Committee reported on its meeting and shared several proposed Bylaw changes for the Board's review.
• The Distance Education Task Force reported on the development of a distance education program evaluation tool for the Committees on Accreditation use. The Board reviewed the document and voted on its approval. The Task Force noted that this is a working document and expects that the CoAs may want to make changes.
• The Annual Meeting Planning Committee reported on progress of the program's agenda.
• The Standards Committee shared a report of the Standards Committee's activities over the past year, which included the review and Board's approval of 5 sets of Standards in 2011 and the review in progress of an additional 4 sets of Standards.
• The Officer Elections Task Force reported that they are looking at the process of selection of officers and had reviewed the current practice and Bylaws. The Task Force is defining a process of identifying candidates and how to formally elect them.
• The Planning and Development Committee met and recommended that the non-Board Liaisons attend the fall Board meetings from now on so that they have input into the strategic plan and organization goals. The Committee also made recommendations to staff of cities to research as potential sites for upcoming meetings.
• The Performance Oversight Committee met and reviewed liaison reports submitted since August 2011, along with the liaison evaluations. Overall, the CoAs are very satisfied with the liaison program and the liaison assigned to their CoA. The Accreditation Process Assessment results for July, September, and November were also reviewed and a synopsis was reported to the Board.

 If you have questions regarding the Board's activities, please contact Kathleen Megivern.