June 2018
From the President
First, let me congratulate our wonderful newly elected Board Officers who will take office on July 1
st
: Greg Ferenchak, Katie Kuntz, Glen Mayhew, and Barry Eckert. Welcome also to our newest Board members: Cathie Rienzo, Don Balasa, Jenny Spegal, Stacey Ocander, and Glenda Carter. I know each will do an outstanding job for CAAHEP, helping to maintain our position as the “Gold Standard” in allied health accreditation!
Second, let me congratulate Thom Skalko and the Planning Committee on a most successful annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. Participants enjoyed dynamic and informative speakers, valuable networking, delicious food and refreshments, and great entertainment. We also had the opportunity to recognize our valued friend and colleague, Hugh Bonner, who has given so much of his time and talent to CAAHEP. Hugh was awarded the annual Bill Goding Award for Exceptional Service.
Finally, I want to congratulate and thank our truly exceptional CAAHEP staff on another very successful year! We are so very fortunate to have such a dedicated, capable, responsive and yes, really awesome staff, Theresa Sisneros, Lorna Frazier-Lindsey, Cynthia Jackson-McNeill, Kalyani Naik, and Katie Davis, operating so effectively under the direction of our Executive Director extraordinaire, Kathy Megivern. Thanks so much to each of you who make this organization run so effectively.
As we transition from one “CAAHEP” year to another, new professions continue to emerge and seek CAAHEP accreditation, CAAHEP services continue to expand and be refined, and highly competent and qualified volunteers and staff maintain the complex and critically important process of accreditation. We all have the great privilege of serving in important roles to assure that allied health educational programs can be recognized for high quality and integrity. I am grateful for having the opportunity to know and work with each of you.
Carolyn O'Daniel, EdD, RRT
President
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CAAHEP Board Elects Officers
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At its May 2018 meeting, the CAAHEP Board elected officers for the coming year, which begins July 1, 2018.
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Gregory Ferenchak,
EdD, RT(R)(QM)
President
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Kathryn (Katie) Kuntz, Med, RT(R), RDMS, RVT, FSDMS
Vice President
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Barry S. Eckert, PhD., FASAHP
Tr
easurer
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Glen Mayhew, DHSc, NRP
Secretary
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Commissioners Vote on New Board Members
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During the CAAHEP Commissioners' Annual Business Meeting in April, four new Board members were elected by the Commissioners. Please join us in welcoming the following Board members. Barry Eckert, above, was also elected to the Board in April. This will be Dr. Eckert's second time to serve on the CAAHEP Board.
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Catherine Rienzo,
MS, RT(R)(ARRT), RDMS, FSDMS
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Jennifer Spegal,
CMA (AAMA), MT, MEd
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Public Member of the CAAHEP Board
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At the March CAAHEP Board meeting,
Glenda Carter, PhD
, was selected as the newest Public Member Commissioner and member of the CAAHEP Board. Dr. Carter is currently Executive Vice President, Accreditation Liaison and Professor of Education at
Wiley College in Marshall, Texas.
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First Assistive Technology Programs Accredited
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CAAHEP is pleased to announce the accreditation of the
first
two Assistive Technology programs! At its May meeting, the CAAHEP Board of Directors approved the initial accreditation of the Master of Science Program in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences with a concentration on Rehabilitation Science and Technology (MSRT Program) at the
University of Pittsburgh
and the Certificate in Assistive Technology & Accessible Design (Graduate) at the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
. The Board took these actions on recommendations from the Rehabilitation
Engineering and Assistive Technology Education Committee on Accreditation
(RATE-CoA).
Assistive Technology is one of the newer professions under the CAAHEP umbrella. The profession first became a part of CAAHEP in 2015, and worked diligently to develop the educational Standards and Guidelines. The Assistive Technology Standards were approved by the Board in 2016.
Congratulations to these two fine programs on becoming the first assistive technology programs in the nation to meet the CAAHEP Gold Standard.
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Policy Change on Confidentiality
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CHEA Requirements Prompt Policy Change
I
n order to address the
Council for Higher Education Accreditation'
s concerns outlined in the most recent submission of CAAHEP's mid-term report, CAAHEP's Board of Directors approved the following changes to Policy 106 D. Confidentiality. The changes to the Policy are in
RED and take effect immediately
:
D. Confidentiality
CAAHEP requires that its accreditation procedures,and those of the CoAs,be sensitive to the need to maintain confidentiality in the accreditation process while also disclosing certain information to serve and protect the public interest.
In order to comply with the need for public disclosure,CAAHEP will
publish the citations of unmet Standards
that appear in accreditation award letters.
However, except as stated above, CAAHEP and its CoAs will hold as confidential the following documents and the information contained therein:
1. Self-Study
Reports
2. Site Visit
Reports
3. All Progress Reports
4. All correspondence between CAAHEP, the CoAs, and the programs which relates to the accreditation process (including the appeals process, as applicable).
Institutions may release any of the above information, at their discretion. CAAHEP and its CoAs will not make public any of the above documents without the permission of the institution,unless the institution misrepresents the information either through public statements or release of selected sections of documents.
In the case of Probationary Accreditation, CAAHEP will release the full award letter upon request.
These confidentiality requirements shall be waived for any of the above documents when CAAHEP or its CoAs are required to turn over information by a bona fide judicial or governmental process.
If you have any questions about this policy change, please contact
Kathy Megivern
. An updated version of the Policy Manual is posted to th
e
CAAHEP website
.
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CAAHEP Webinar for Program Directors
Now Available Online
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In early May, CAAHEP presented the
webinar:
A Consideration of Program Director Leadership in Nationally Accredited Programs, presented by Gordon Kokx, PhD, NRT
The session was recorded and is now available on the CAAHEP website for viewing at your convenience. Please see the
Webinar page on the website for more information.
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CAAHEP Annual Meeting Wrap Up
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CAAHEP's 24th Annual Meeting was held April 15-16, 2018, in Louisville, Kentucky. Despite some wintery weather across the country causing some delays in flights and even cancellations by a few attendees, the meeting went off without a hitch and to extremely positive reviews. With the theme "CAAHEP Accreditation:The Gateway to the Future," presentations ranged from
The Next Generation of Employer Leadership
to an overview of what's happening in Washington, D.C., to
The Expanding Role of Employers in Preparing the Healthcare Workforce
. All of the sessions from the Annual Meeting are posted to the
CAAHEP website
for review 24/7.
During the Commissioners' Meeting, CAAHEP welcomed two new professions, three new Committees on Accreditation, and four new sponsoring organizations.
New Professions:
- Orthoptics
- Rehabilitation/Disabilities Studies (undergraduate)
New Committees on Accreditation
:
- Committee on Accreditation of Orthoptic Fellowship Programs (CoA-OFP)
- Committee on Rehabilitation Accreditation (CORA
- Committee on Accreditation for Clinical Postgraduate PAs (CoA-CPPA)*
New Sponsoring Organizations:
- American Orthoptic Council for membership as a Sponsoring Organization
- Counseling Association for membership as a Sponsoring Organization.
- Association of Postgraduate Physician Assistant Programs*
- American Medical Technologists
- National Healthcareer Association
So, while the new professions will begin working on policies and Standards, CAAHEP can proudly say that we have increased the numbers of professions under the CAAHEP umbrella to 32, thus continuing to be the largest accrediting body of allied health education programs.
We thank all of the Annual Meeting speakers and presenters, as well as the Annual Meeting Planning Committee for putting together a wonderful 2018 program.
Please join us for the 2019 CAAHEP Annual Meeting - Our 25th Anniversary! - April 14-15, 2019, at the Menger Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. Watch for updates in the coming months.
*
Breaking News: As of 6/7/18, the Postgraduate PAs, its CoA and sponsoring
organization have decided to withdraw their participation in CAAHEP accreditation,
because the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) agreed to once again begin accrediting these postgraduate PA programs. We thank Rob Grabenkort and his colleagues for all the work they did in an effort to assure there would be continued accreditation for their programs and wish them smooth sailing as they transition back to ARC-PA accreditation.
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2018 Wm. Goding Award for Exceptional Service
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Each year, CAAHEP has the wonderful opportunity to select a well-deserving CAAHEP volunteer as the recipient of the William Goding Award for Exceptional Service. The criteria for the William W. Goding Award are: advancing CAAHEP’s mission and goals; assuming leadership responsibilities within CAAHEP (e.g., chairing committees and task forces, serving as an officer, assuming responsibility for CAAHEP special programs); exhibiting notable participation in one or more CAAHEP activities and/or programs; and, advancing ideas and/or new strategies to benefit the Organization.
Hugh Bonner, PhD
, is this year's recipient of CAAHEP's highest honor. He has a long-standing history with CAAHEP, serving as a Commissioner representing the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions from 2006 to 2017. He was first elected to the CAAHEP Board in 2006. He served as Vice President from 2009-2011 and was elected President in 2012. During his time on the Board he served as a member of the Performance Oversight Committee (2006-2008) and then chaired the Planning and Development Committee from 2009-2011. He also served on the CAAHEP Standards Committee, 2014-15.
Hugh has been liaison to the Accreditation Review Committee for Anesthesiologist Assistant (ARC-AA) since 2012. In collaboration with Gregory Frazer, Hugh developed and conducted the CAAHEP Generalist Site Visitor training program to assist CoAs needing site visitors to review non-profession specific items. Hugh has also served as a site visitor for several CoAs.
Always willing to help when asked, Hugh has served on numerous ad hoc committees through the years.
Hugh’s commitment to accreditation, in general, and CAAHEP, in particular, is exactly what the William Goding Award for Exceptional Service is intended to honor.
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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 May 18, 2018, meeting. Actions are identified by profession, action taken, and date of the next comprehensive evaluation. In some cases, the concentration and/or degrees are also specified. Actions requiring a progress report list the affected Standard(s) and due date by which the program must submit a report of progress related to the Standard(s).
For a complete copy of the Standards, check the CAAHEP Standards page on the
CAAHEP website.
Where available, links to each program's website has been provided.
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.
Medical Assisting
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 2022. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.
Specialist Blood Bank Technology/Transfusion Medicine
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 2023. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.
Cardiovascular Technology
Cytotechnology
Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Medical Assisting
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.
Cytotechnology
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 2028. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Exercise Science
Personal Fitness Training
Polysomnographic Technology
Surgical Technology
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 2020.
Kinesiotherapy
Standard(s): III.C.
Progress Report Due: July 2, 2018
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.
Orthotist/Prosthetist
Standard(s): III.B.1.b. (1); IV.A.1.
Progress Report Due: May 1, 2019
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 2023.
Cardiovascular Technology
Standard(s): IV.B.1.
Progress Report Due: November 1, 2018
Standard(s): IV.B.1.
Progress Report Due: November 1, 2018
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 2028.
Surgical Technology
Standard(s): II.B.
Progress Report Due: July 13, 2018
Standard(s): IV.B.1.
Progress Report Due: July 13, 2018
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.
Assistive Technology
Exercise Science
Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician
Surgical Technology
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.
Assistive Technology
Standard(s): III.B.1.a. (4)(5); III.B.3.a. (4)(5); V.F.
Progress Report Due: March 31, 2019
Lactation Consultant
Standard(s): III.B.2.a. (2)
Progress Report Due: November 1, 2018
Surgical Technology
Standard(s): II.B.
Progress Report Due: July 13, 2018
The following programs had a transfer of sponsorship approved, with a status of continuing accreditation, with the next comprehensive evaluation to occur no later than 2028. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.
Surgical Technology
MCC/Hartford Hospital, Manchester, CT
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.
Surgical Technology
Standard(s): IV.B.1; IV.B.2.
Progress Report Due: August 3, 2018
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Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
25400 US Highway 19 North, Suite 158, Clearwater, FL 33763
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