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In the August 2015 Issue

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Welcome New Commissioners
Welcome to two new Commissioners from our newest professions. 

The American Art Therapy Association recently selected Marcia Rosal as their CAAHEP Commissioner.

The new Commissioner
 for the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Education Committee on Accreditation is Mary Goldberg.

 

CAAHEP Blog 
Check out the August 14, 2015, Blog post "Establishment Goes Alternative" by Executive Director Kathleen Megivern.



 

CAAHEP Board of Directors Meeting Schedule
The CAAHEP Board of Directors takes accreditation actions six times per year (Jan., Mar., May, Jul., Sept., and Nov.). The following are upcoming meeting dates and locations (where appropriate):


September 18, 2015
Conference Call

November 20, 2015
Conference Call

January 20-21, 2016
Tampa Bay, FL 

March 18, 2016
Conference Call 

May 20, 2016
Conference Call 

July 20-21, 2016
Orlando, FL 

 


Join us for the 2016 CAAHEP Annual Meeting

April 10-11, 2016

Memphis, TN

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From the President
Thomas Skalko


Seems that summer has passed and we will be in the midst of fall with a change of leaves before we know it. It amazes me how quickly the year is passing and the accomplishments of CAAHEP continue to grow.
 
July Committees on Accreditation Summer Workshop: The CAAHEP July Workshop was another successful event. There were well-received sessions addressing the Strategic Planning Process, Frequent Citations, How Technology Can Improve the Accreditation Process, Virtual Site Visits, and Sponsoring Organizations: Best Practices, and more.
 
I want to thank all the participating CoAs, and CAAHEP stakeholders for their contributions and assistance in making the workshop such a success. A special thank you goes out to the workshop session planning committee, including the Chair Sarah Marino, and committee members Jennifer Anderson Warwick, Jackie Long-Goding, and Cindy Weiland. Our thanks for an outstanding program!
 
Strategic Plan: The CAAHEP Board, staff, and key stakeholders are actively implementing the 2015-2018 strategic plan. The Board spent time at the July workshop refining the plan and setting target dates and activities to accomplish the goals of the plan. The CAAHEP 2015-2018 strategic plan can be viewed on the CAAHEP site. Please feel free to communicate with CAAHEP Executive Director, Kathy Megivern or me if you have any questions.
 
Evolutions in Higher Education:  Executive Director Megivern posted a very interesting BLOG on the CAAHEP site.  As pointed out by Kathy in the article, "Establishment Goes Alternative"
 
"That was the title of an interesting article which I urge you to read in the August 14, 2015 issue of Inside Higher Ed (www.insidehighered.com). The article was reporting on a "new prototype" of education that is a joint effort of seven "brand-name universities."
 
Megivern's Blog goes on to state that the article explains the initiative as an idea to "create an alternative credentialing process that would provide students with credentials that are much shorter and cheaper than conventional degrees."  While such approaches are interesting, they do not address quality or ensure student outcomes as does the accreditation process. It may beg the question as to whether the prototype actually protects the public from misrepresentation and harm.
 
The other initiative in which CAAHEP has been engaged was introduced in the last Communiqu�. The American Council on Education has been engaged in a project that includes "stackable credentials." As with Megivern's Blog post, the key will be how to ensure that a credential or certificate of training produces value laden outcomes.
 
Keep reading, send us notes when you find something of interest to our stakeholders, and give us a shout if we can be of assistance. 

Thom Skalko, Ph.D., LRT/CTRS, FDRT
President, CAAHEP
Commissioner Needed

CAAHEP has a vacancy for a Commissioner to represent "Vocational/Technical Schools." We have been well served in recent years by Richard Hernandez from Trident Technical College in South Carolina, but Rich has retired and we need to find a new Commissioner.
 
The primary role of a Commissioner is to attend the Annual Business Meeting of the Commission held every April, as well as to participate in any special meetings held by webinar (these are rare). The Commission functions as a sort of "delegate assembly" with oversight of CAAHEP's vision and mission as well as having the final vote on Bylaws changes, whether new professions are eligible to participate in the system, approval of new sponsoring organizations and new Committees on Accreditation. The Commission also elects the Board of Directors from among its members.
 
Of course, Commissioners can choose to be much more involved than merely attending the Annual Meeting, including service on the Board and/or on any number of committees within CAAHEP.
 
If you are a dean or a program director associated with a vocational/technical institution and are interested in applying for this position, please send your resume to Kathleen Megivern ([email protected]) no later than October 1st. An appointment will be made by the CAAHEP Board of Directors at their November meeting.
 
Commissioner terms are three years and there is no limit on the number of terms a person can serve. Interested candidates should be aware that CAAHEP does not reimburse Commissioners for their expenses to attend the Annual Meeting.
The First CAAHEP Accredited Anesthesia Technology Program 

During accreditation actions at its July 2015 meeting, the CAAHEP Board of Directors approved accreditation of the first Anesthesia Technology program. Congratulations to Pulaski Technical College in North Little Rock, Arkansas! This newly accredited program, and all CAAHEP accredited programs, are listed in the searchable database on the CAAHEP website, and include contact information and links to each program's website.
A New Goal for CAAHEP: Influencing Public Policy
Kathleen Megivern, JD, Executive Director          
 
As part of CAAHEP's new strategic plan, the following goal has been identified: "Influence public policy regarding programmatic accreditation in allied health." While CAAHEP has long been active within the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA) and their activities in Washington, monitoring and responding as needed to issues that impact accreditation, this is the first time that we have identified this area as a priority for CAAHEP itself.
 
The first step was to appoint a Public Policy Committee. The Committee will be chaired by Board member John Padgett and will include Don Balasa, Commissioner for the American Association of Medical Assistants and Robin Seabrook, Commissioner for the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education, as well as President Thom Skalko.
 
A major focus for the Committee will be the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. There are many different "visions" floating around for this reauthorization and while most of them focus on institutional accreditation, it is important that we continually educate members of Congress (and their staffs) about programmatic accreditation and its role in assuring a competent, well-qualified workforce.
 
In addition to issues at the federal level, CAAHEP hopes also to be of assistance, when appropriate, on issues that may arise at the state level.
 
One of the strategies under this goal is to "catalog" policy topics and create a repository of information that can be used by our stakeholders to assist in educating policy makers at the federal and state levels. If you have policy topics that you would like to see added to that catalog, please contact the CAAHEP Executive Director at [email protected].
      
Emergency Medical Services Professions Standards Effective January 1, 2016
 

The Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Emergency Medical Services Professions, which were approved by the CAAHEP Board at their meeting in March, have been posted to the CAAHEP website. The new Standards go into effect January 1, 2016. Please visit the CAAHEP website to view the new Standards.

CAAHEP FEES TO INCREASE
July 2016 
This is to serve as a reminder that CAAHEP's institutional fees will increase effective for the year that begins July 1, 2016. This is the first increase in over 15 years! The fee will be raised from $450 per year to $550 per year. This is the fee paid by every institution that sponsors one or more CAAHEP-accredited programs.


 

Kathleen Megivern, JD, Executive Director, said, "The increase in institutional fees will not take place until July 1, 2016, so that our educational institutions will have adequate time to budget for the increase no matter when their fiscal year begins. Programs and institutions will receive notices throughout the coming year as reminders to prepare for the new fee structure."

 

Any educational institution or CAAHEP accredited program with questions on the new institutional fee should contact the CAAHEP office for assistance

CAAHEP Resources Available to Programs
 

There are several resources available to program directors, deans, and others new to the CAAHEP accreditation process. First, before beginning the accreditation process, a visit to the Your Accreditation Mentor (YAM) online tool will assist in building a solid foundation of understanding of CAAHEP accreditation. The YAM provides information about the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, the Committees on Accreditation, the CAAHEP Standards, how to begin the process, what to expect, what is required, definitions, and more. To learn more, visit the YAM website.


 


 

Also, there are archived webinars produced by CAAHEP available to anyone visiting the CAAHEP website. They include such topics as:

  • Effective Interprofessional Faculty Development
  • Your Advisory Committee: Meeting Expectations and Beyond
  • Improving the Quality of Clinical Preceptors
  • Are You Prepared: Integrating Emergency Preparedness into the Curriculum


 

These webinars can be downloaded and viewed at your convenience. For more information, see the Webinar page on the CAAHEP website. More webinars are planned for the near future, so watch for announcements of upcoming events. 

 

Accreditation Actions

Each profession in the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) system has a Committee on Accreditation (CoA) that consists of experts in the profession that are responsible for reviewing programs and making appropriate recommendations for accreditation to CAAHEP.  CAAHEP reviews recommendations received from its CoAs in each profession, assures due process was followed, and takes final action on an accreditation status.

CAAHEP took the following actions at its 7/16/2015 meeting. Actions are identified by profession, action taken, and date of the next comprehensive evaluation. In some cases, the concentration and/or degree are also specified. Where available, a link to the program's website is included.  

The following program was found to be in compliance with the accreditation Standards and Guidelines and was granted continuing accreditation, with the next comprehensive evaluation to occur no later than 2016. This action requires no progress report and was approved on the consent agenda.

Medical Assisting
Everest University-Tampa (Hillsborough Campus), Tampa, FL (Diploma)

The following programs were found to be in compliance with the accreditation Standards and Guidelines and were granted continuing accreditation, with the next comprehensive evaluation to occur no later than 2018. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.

Medical Assisting
Central Arizona College, Coolidge, AZ (Associate)
College of the Mainland, Texas City, TX (Certificate)
Harrison College-Elkhart, Elkhart, IN (Associate)
Lone Star College-North Harris, Houston, TX (Certificate)

The following programs were found to be in compliance with the accreditation Standards and Guidelines and were granted continuing accreditation, with the next comprehensive evaluation to occur no later than 2020. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Angelina College, Lufkin, TX (General)
Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, CA (General)
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI (Vascular)

The following programs were found to be in compliance with the accreditation Standards and Guidelines and were granted continuing accreditation, with the next comprehensive evaluation to occur no later than 2024. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.

Cardiovascular Technology
Harrisburg Area Community College-Lancaster Campus, Lancaster, PA (Adult Echocardiography, Associate)
Harrisburg Area Community College-Lancaster Campus, Lancaster, PA (Invasive Cardiovascular Technology, Associate)
 
Exercise Physiology
Springfield College, Springfield, MA (Clinical)

Exercise Science
Springfield College, Springfield, MA

The following programs were found to be in compliance with the accreditation Standards and Guidelines and were granted continuing accreditation, with the next comprehensive evaluation to occur no later than 2025. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.

Neurodiagnostic Technology
Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, IA (Polysomnography Add-on)
 
Polysomnographic Technology
Southeast Community College, Lincoln, NE (Certificate)

The following program was found to be in substantial compliance with the accreditation Standards and Guidelines, with one or more Standards requiring a progress report to be submitted to the appropriate Committee on Accreditation (CoA).  The program was granted continuing accreditation, with the next comprehensive evaluation to occur no later than 2017.

Orthotist/Prosthetist
Concordia University, St. Paul, MN

The following programs were found to be in substantial compliance with the accreditation Standards and Guidelines, with one or more Standards requiring a progress report to be submitted to the appropriate Committee on Accreditation (CoA).  The programs were granted continuing accreditation, with the next comprehensive evaluation to occur no later than 2020.

Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic

The following program was found to be in substantial compliance with the accreditation Standards and Guidelines, with one or more Standards requiring a progress report to be submitted to the appropriate Committee on Accreditation (CoA).  The program was granted continuing accreditation, with the next comprehensive evaluation to occur no later than 2022.

Medical Assisting
South College-Asheville, Asheville, NC (Certificate)

The following programs were found to be in compliance with the accreditation Standards and Guidelines and were granted initial accreditation for a period not to exceed five (5) years. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.

Anesthesia Technology
Pulaski Technical College, North Little Rock, AR

Cardiovascular Technology
St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford, CT (Invasive Cardiovascular Technology, Certificate)

Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Howard Community College, Columbia, MD (General)
Howard Community College, Columbia, MD (Cardiac)
Howard Community College, Columbia, MD (Vascular)
Mt. San Jacinto College, San Jacinto, CA (General)
South College, Knoxville, TN (General)

The following program was found to be in substantial compliance with the accreditation Standards and Guidelines, with one or more Standards requiring a progress report to be submitted to the appropriate Committee on Accreditation (CoA).  The program was granted initial accreditation for a period not to exceed three (3) years.

Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician

The following programs were found to be in substantial compliance with the accreditation Standards and Guidelines, with one or more Standards requiring a progress report to be submitted to the appropriate Committee on Accreditation (CoA).  The programs were granted initial accreditation for a period not to exceed five (5) years.

Cardiovascular 
Tulsa Community College, Tulsa, OK (Invasive Cardiovascular Technology, Associate)

Exercise Science
 
The following program had a transfer of sponsorship approved, with a status of initial accreditation, which expires on January 31, 2018
 
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Keiser University-New Port Richey, New Port Richey, FL (General)
 
The following programs were placed on probationary accreditation, with one or more Standards requiring critical attention and timely resolution to bring the program into compliance with the Standards and Guidelines. The letter outlining the reason(s) for probation is available upon request.

Medical Assisting
Chabot College, Hayward, CA (Certificate)
College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (Certificate)
North Seattle College, Seattle, WA (Certificate)
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School, Washington, PA (Associate)
 


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