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Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs
for the Emergency Medical Services Professions



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UPCOMING EVENTS

MARCH 1
Deadline for Progress Reports and Response to Findings Letter

MARCH 6
Accreditation Update Workshop, New Orleans

MARCH 7-8
Evaluating Student Competency Workshop,
New Orleans

MARCH 21
CAAHEP Board of Directors Meeting

APRIL 1
Annual Reports Due for CoAEMSP LoR Programs

APRIL 27-28
CAAHEP Annual Meeting

MAY 2
CoAEMSP Board Meeting

MAY 16
CAAHEP Board of Directors Meeting

JUNE 5
Accreditation Update Workshop, Pittsburgh

JUNE 6-7
Evaluating Student Competency Workshop,
Pittsburgh
News from the CoAEMSP 
A COMMITTEE ON ACCREDITATION OF CAAHEP
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FEBRUARY 2014
Starting Point for Accreditation Process: LSSR
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Administrative Questions:
karen@coaemsp.org; (214) 703-8445 x111
Content Questions:
gordy@coaemsp.org; (214) 703-8445 x117
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The Letter of Review (LoR) process is the official designation that a Paramedic program is in the "Becoming Accredited" process.

While a program that qualifies for a LoR must still complete the entire process to demonstrate substantial compliance with the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accreditation Standards, and is not guaranteed an award of accreditation, holding a LoR does signify that the program is making satisfactory progress in the accreditation process.  As such, after January 1, 2013, the NREMT recognizes graduates of CAAHEP accredited programs as well as graduates of programs holding a CoAEMSP LoR, as eligible for the national Paramedic certification examinations.

All new programs will follow the same pathway to enter the accreditation system:
  • Submit the CAAHEP Request for Accreditation Services (RAS) form.
  • Submit the LSSR, along with the first CoAEMSP annual fee (prorated by month of submission of the LSSR), Self Study Report Evaluation fee ($500) plus the Technology fee ($250). (see Fees page for LSSR Invoice Request Form.)
Annual Reports Due April 1 for LoR Programs
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Staff Contact: lynn@coaemsp.org; (214) 703-8445 x115
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The 2013 Annual Report for the CoAEMSP is now available for data entry.

Failure to submit the 2013 Annual Report by the April 1, 2014, deadline will result in the Letter of Review being revoked immediately.

LOR programs will submit the Annual Report that is due each April 1 until accreditation has been received. Log in here.

Complete Directions can be found here. Each program is encouraged to review and print a copy of the Annual Report Directions.

Please review the information below then complete only the following sections on the Annual Report:
  • Personnel
  • Satellites & Affiliates
  • Program Information
  • Distance Education 
Key points to the annual report
  • Be sure to hit the Update or Save button before leaving each screen/section or the information entered will not be saved.     
  • Enrollment & Retention: Programs in the LoR process will NOT enter any data under Enrollment & Retention until accreditation is awarded.     
  • Survey Worksheet: Programs in the LoR process will NOT enter any data under Survey Worksheet or Outcomes until accreditation is awarded.  
  • Satellites & Affiliates: Please enter each affiliated site used by the program. IF the Paramedic program is offered at a Satellite campus and the Satellite HAS NOT been approved by Dr. Hatch, you must submit a completed Satellite Campus Approval Request Form. All Satellite campus sites must be approved by the CoAEMSP before starting a class. IF the Satellite campus is approved, then you will need to enter the Satellite campus under this tab.
     
  • Personnel: This section should be completed adding all applicable program personnel. You cannot enter/edit the President, Dean, or Program Director information. These three positions require a completed CoAEMSP Personnel Change Form to be submitted to lynn@coaemsp.org. For LoR programs, we will update our records and may request a new CAAHEP Request for Accreditation Services if there has been a change with the President, Dean, or Program Director.
     
  • Program Information and Distance Education: Programs in the LoR process should complete both Program Information and the Distance Education while in the LoR process. 
  • Report Submission: Consult the Instructions on the CoAEMSP web site. 
If you have questions, please contact Lynn Caruthers: lynn@coaemsp.org or (214) 703-8445 x115.  Support is available by email and phone.
New Standards Interpretations Adopted by Board of Directors
  
During its meeting this past weekend, the CoAEMSP Board of Directors adopted several new Interpretations for the CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines.

The Interpretations are done through policy. The CoAEMSP Interpretations are NOT part of the Standards and Guidelines document and are subject to change by CoAEMSP.

Questions regarding the Interpretations can be directed to the CoAEMSP Executive Office.

 The new Interpretations include:
  • Sponsorship with regards to students in other states (Distance Education)
  • Medical Director Qualifications with regards to students in other states (Distance Education)
  • Hospital/Clinical/Field/Internship Affiliations
  • Curriculum - Tracking
  • Faculty Responsibilities
  • Safeguards
Access the new interpretations here.
Satellite Billing in July
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Staff Contact: lynn@coaemsp.org; (214) 703-8445 x115
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The CoAEMSP will begin billing programs (accredited and LoR) for approved Satellite campuses starting in July 2014 at a rate of $500 per Satellite campus.  The 2014-2015 Annual Program Fee invoice emailed in May will include a line item for all Satellites already approved for each program as reported on the 2013 Annual Report or as approved on a Satellite Campus Request form already submitted.  Classes offered at each Satellite campus should be entered as a separate class (cohort) under Enrollment and Retention on the Annual Report tool and tracked as a separate class (cohort) for Outcomes just as any class (cohort) offered on the main campus.

IF a program is currently utilizing a Satellite campus that has not been approved, the program must submit a completed Satellite Campus Request form. Failure to notify the CoAEMSP of any/all Satellite campuses being utilized by a program will result in further accreditation action such as Probation and potential withdrawal of accreditation, or revocation of the CoAEMSP Letter of Review.

A reminder of what constitutes a Satellite:     

Off-campus location(s) that are advertised or otherwise made known to individuals outside the sponsor where students can complete the laboratory (or similar hands-on skills) professional course(s) without attending the main campus. A satellite does not pertain to sites used by a completely on-line/distance education program for individual students. Satellite(s) are included in the CAAHEP accreditation of the sponsor and function under the direction of the Key Personnel of the program. [Policy IX.3]

If your program utilizes a site that meets the above Satellite definition and you have not received CoAEMSP approval, please complete a Satellite Campus Request form immediately and email the completed form to Lynn Caruthers at lynn@coaemsp.org.

De-activating a Satellite Campus:

If a program has utilized an approved Satellite campus and will no longer be using the approved site, the program must "request de-activation" in writing to the CoAEMSP.  The program must notify the CoAEMSP via email in advance a "request to de-activate" an approved Satellite campus. The request must provide the Satellite campus address, the effective date of de-activation, and the last class start/on-time graduation dates.  The program must remember to list the class on their annual report Enrollment/Retention and track the class for Outcomes.

Please contact Lynn Caruthers at 214.703.8445, ext 115 or lynn@coaemsp.org at any time for assistance.
Response to Findings Letter & Progress Reports Due March 1

Do you have a progress report due March 1? Have you recently hosted a site visit and have a response to the site visit findings due March 1? If so, be sure to submit it no later than March 1 to prevent a recommendation for probation or a withhold of accreditation.

Also, you must submit it as a single PDF document to Karen at karen@coaemsp.org.

Find helpful resources here.
CAAHEP Logo

CAAHEP Standards Revision Updates
 
CAAHEP Standards Under Revision
 
The CoAEMSP is responsible for developing and periodically revising the CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines in order to maintain: a) compliance with CAAHEP policy, including the Standards Template; and b) congruence between the educational preparation of students and the accepted state of practice for the discipline.

CAAHEP requires the CoAEMSP to review Standards and Guidelines at least once every five (5) years and provide the CAAHEP Board of Directors with a written report on the outcome of review. The current Standards were last approved by CAAHEP  in 2005. In 2010, with the anticipated change in the profession  for programs to become accredited by January 1, 2013, CoAEMSP requested and CAAHEP granted  an extension for reviewing the Standards.  Now, in 2014, with the huge influx of programs successfully brought into the accreditation system, it is time for CoAEMSP to embark on the revision of the CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines.

The review and revision of the CAAHEP Standards is a lengthy process that incorporates several drafts and several opportunities for the communities of interest to provide input. The steps the CoAEMSP will follow include:

1.    Working with its 14 sponsoring organizations to develop progressive drafts over a period of several months. These drafts must comply with the current CAAHEP Standards Template. Initial and progressive drafts are shared with the CAAHEP Standards Committee for formal review and comment. The CoAEMSP reports to CAAHEP the process it used in working with its sponsoring organizations to obtain input on successive drafts. The CoAEMSP will provide a written rationale to CAAHEP for any variations from the Standards Template as to why the variation is necessary for the profession.

2.    As part of the process, the CoAEMSP's sponsoring organizations are required to obtain consideration from all of their applicable communities of interest regarding what should and what should not be included in the Standards and Guidelines. The communities of interest include practitioners, educators, employers, related professionals, students, institutional administrators (deans and program directors), national societies and agencies, and the public. Solicitations may be made via media announcements, correspondence, postings, annual meetings, special hearings, etc.

3.    The CoAEMSP incorporates suggestions from communities of interest into proposed Standards and Guidelines as it deems appropriate. The CoAEMSP then reports to CAAHEP the process by which the sponsoring organizations obtained consideration from all their applicable communities of interest and any suggestions from those communities of interest that were not incorporated into the proposed Standards and Guidelines, and the rationale for that exclusion.

4.    The CoAEMSP will submit its proposed drafts of the revised Standards and Guidelines to the CAAHEP Standards Committee before the final draft is presented to the sponsoring organizations. The CAAHEP Standards Committee reviews proposed Standards and Guidelines drafts for: a) consistency with the current Standards Template, b) variations from the Standards Template along with the CoAEMSP's written rationale to determine if an exception is warranted, and c) consistency with CAAHEP policy and adherence to due process. If Standard III.C references a curriculum document, the contents of that curriculum document are incorporated into the Standards and Guidelines as Appendix B.

5.    Once the Standards Committee has reviewed and approved the "Open Hearing" draft, it must be sent to the all of the CoAEMSP's 14 sponsoring organizations for endorsement.

6.    After the 14 sponsoring organizations have endorsed the draft Standards and Guidelines, the CoAEMSP will submit the completed "Request for a CAAHEP Open Hearing on Proposed Standards and Guidelines" form, along with the endorsement letters from each Sponsoring organization to the CAAHEP office. CAAHEP will schedule a public Open Hearing on the proposed Standards and Guidelines.

7.    Time and place of the hearing are determined by CAAHEP. Hearings are held in January, April, July and October and, when possible, will coincide with a face-to-face meeting of the CAAHEP Board of Directors. All hearings include the option of speaker phone participation for those who are unable to be physically present.

Immediately following the hearing, the panel meets in executive session to assess testimony and comments to determine which, if any, should be incorporated into the Standards and Guidelines.

8.    The CAAHEP Standards Committee, following consultation with the CoAEMSP chair and senior staff, formulates a recommendation based on the outcome of the Open Hearing and forwards it to the CAAHEP Board of Directors. The CAAHEP Board of Directors takes action on the Standards and Guidelines at its next regularly scheduled meeting, and notifies the CoAEMSP of its decision.

The 14 sponsoring organizations of the CoAEMSP include: American Ambulance Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Cardiology, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, American College of Surgeons, American Society of Anesthesiologists, International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Association of EMS Physicians, National Association of Emergency Medical Services Educators, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, National Association of State EMS Officials, and National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

CURRENT STATUS: On February 8, 2014, the CoAEMSP Board of Directors approved the first draft of the proposed Standards and Guidelines. The draft is being reviewed by the CAAHEP Standards Committee for its formal review and comment.

NEXT STEP: Once the draft is finalized between the CAAHEP Standards Committee and the CoAEMSP Board of Directors, the draft will be disseminated to all the 14 sponsoring organizations and communities of interest. Solicitations will be made via e-newsletters like this, social media announcements, coaemsp.org, CoAEMSP workshops, sponsoring organizations communiqués, etc.

The revision process is expected to take 18-24 months.
Site Map Added to Website

To make it easier to find information, updates, resources and more on the CoAEMSP website, we just added a Site Map. You will find the Site Map link in the footer of every website page.  
 
In addition, the home page of the website has a search box, which allows you to search for a particular item on the website.

We hope these tools will help you to easily and quickly find all you need on the CoAEMSP website! 
Co-sponsored by CoAEMSP & NAEMSE
CAAHEP Accreditation Update &
Evaluating Student Competency Workshop
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MARCH 6-8, 2014
NEW ORLEANS, HOLIDAY INN, DOWNTOWN
SUPERDOME

OVERFLOW HOTEL ROOMS JUST ADDED!
Hampton Inn & Suites, Downtown*
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Accreditation Workshop
This workshop is designed to bring the new paramedic program director and others in on the CAAHEP accreditation process including self study, site visit, and on-going issues as well as provide input on any Standards changes.

Evaluating Student Competency Workshop
This 2-day workshop is designed to assist instructors in appropriately evaluating students in all domains as well as complying with CAAHEP accreditation Standards related to student evaluation. This workshop has an online pre-course component that is approximately 4 hours in length. Information regarding accessing the online component will be sent after your registration and payment is received. More info.
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*Reserved rooms at the Holiday Inn are now sold out. Hotel reservations can now be made at Hampton Inn, Downtown-French Quarter, 226 Carondelet St., New Orleans, LA 70130. $129.00 March 5 & 6; $219.00 March 7th. 1-800-292-0653 (toll free) or 504-529-9990. PROMO CODE: EMS. 
By the Numbers


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Jennifer S. Anderson Warwick, MA
jennifer@coaemsp.org
CoAEMSP