June 2020
From the President
To say this Spring has been like no other of recent time, is an understatement. The Coronavirus has interrupted all of normal daily routines whether it is working at home, office, classroom, or in a health care facility. New norms have taken shape with social distancing and wearing of face masks and we continue to evolve as we venture through this pandemic.
I want to take a moment and congratulate all of our new allied health professionals who were able to graduate on-time. For those that have not been able to complete your professional program of study, due to the virus, stay strong with a goal of completion in mind. Be sure to stay fresh by staying engaged with your studies so that you will be ready when it’s time to resume. Graduates will be entering the workforce at a pivotal time for healthcare in general. We have full confidence that each of you will step up and represent your respective profession well as you become part of
a
greater team in the healthcare industry.
I’m reminded of a saying that my previous college president would say often, “if you don’t like change, you better run as far and fast as you can away from healthcare.” CAAHEP and all of its CoAs have been extremely busy formulating new plans, processes, and policies to address the dynamic environment of change in which we are operating. To facilitate these plans and act as a conduit, CAAHEP held a special COVID-19 Zoom session with the CoAs to share ideas and plans about the innovative strategies they were employing. All of the CAAHEP family constituents have been resilient and creative meeting these changes head-on in an effort to ensure we are doing everything possible to meet our individual missions.
Our May Board Meeting consisted of a heavy agenda and below are just a few of the outcomes. The Board voted to cancel the July Summer CoA Workshop and change the face-to-face Board Meeting to a Zoom meeting. A group is working on developing webinars on topics of interest in lieu of the Summer Workshop. The Board reviewed the Annual Board Assessment results and the new CAAHEP Standards Template moved forward into the next phase of development. Two (2) policies were revised during the meeting, Policy 302 Public Use of CAAHEP Accreditation Status by Programs and Institutions and Policy 507 Recent Graduate Commissioner. The policy manual and other governing documents can be found on the
CAAHEP website
.
A new slate of officers was voted in, who will assume their roles on July 1, 2020: Glen Mayhew President, Stacy Ocander Vice President, Katie Kuntz Secretary, and Cathy Carter Treasurer. I want to thank the 2019 - 20 officers for all the generous support and guidance they provided CAAHEP this past year: Katie Kuntz, Fred Lenhoff, and Kate Feinstein.
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President 2020-2021
Glen Mayhew, DHSc, NRP
Roanoke, VA
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Vice President 2020-2021
Stacey Ocander, EdD
Omaha, NE
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Treasurer 2020-2021
Catherine Carter, MA
Alexandria, VA
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Secretary 2020-2021
Kathryn (Katie) Kuntz, MEd, RT, RT(R), RDMS, RVT, FSDMS
Woodbury, MN
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Lastly, I want to take this opportunity to thank three (3) great colleagues and friends that will be rotating off the CAAHEP Board of Directors on June 30, 2020: Dr. Kate Feinstein, Melissa McKnight, and Doug York, pictured below. All three of the individuals have given inordinate amounts of their time and expertise not only to the Board, but also serving on committees, task forces, and representing their respective constituents in meeting the mission of CAAHEP.
Thank you to all and I wish you a safe journey until our paths cross again in the near future.
President Glen Mayhew, DHSc, NRP
President
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Douglas York, NREMT-P, PS (NAEMT)
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CAAHEP 2020 Annual Meeting Wrap Up
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On April 20, 2020, CAAHEP held its Annual Meeting virtually for the first time. The meeting began with a keynote from CHEA President Dr. Judith Eaton. Chief Medical Officer for the Red Cross, Dr. David Markenson, presented a session on A
merican Red Cross Resuscitation Education History and Response to COVID-19. This was followed by a Washington Update by Jay Vaughan and Vince Sampson from Cooley LLP.
The Annual Meeting concluded with the Annual Business Meeting of the Commission, where Commissioners present voted to approve the
Red Cross as a new Sponsoring Organization, and approved changes to the
CAAHEP Bylaws
, which includes a reduction of the size of CAAHEP's Board of Directors. There also were reports on CAAHEP activities from President Glen Mayhew and Executive Director Kathy Megivern.
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CAAHEP Board Meeting Summary: May 2020
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The following is a list of highlights from the May 15, 2020 Board Meeting:
- The Board took accreditation action on 40 programs, which included 9 programs obtaining initial accreditation, 30 continuing programs, and one program being placed on probation. A full list of programs is provided below.
- The Officer Candidate Advisory Committee provided its report of those individuals wishing to run for an officer position on the Board for 2020-21. Elected were Glen Mayhew, President; Stacey Ocander, Vice President; Catherine Carter, Treasurer; and, Kathryn "Katie" Kuntz, Secretary.
- Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions' Commissioner Gregory Frazer was reappointed to a three-year term on the CAAHEP Board of Directors.
- Donald Balasa, Chair of the Performance Oversight Committee, brought forward two proposed Policy changes, which were both approved by the Board. Policy 302 Public Use of CAAHEP Accreditation Status by Programs and Institutions was edited so that programs and institutions are allowed to only list the CAAHEP website URL under the accrediting body's name instead of the entire CAAHEP physical address if the program so chooses. Policy 507 Representative of Students was edited to reflect the changes in recent graduate representation on the CAAHEP Board as indicated in the updated Bylaws. An updated version of the Policy Manual is available on the website.
- Jennifer Anderson Warwick, Chair, CAAHEP Standards Committee presented the final draft of the updated Standards Template. The Board approved moving the draft Template on to the public comment period.
- Kathy Megivern reported that the CHEA site visit of CAAHEP will be conducted in January 2021 and that CAAHEP’s current CHEA recognition expires on December 31, 2021. The CHEA self-study is due in November 2020.
Should you have any questions regarding the Board's activities, please contact
Kathy Megivern
.
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Council for Higher Education Accreditation News
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Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Hammond has been named the new President of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the CHEA Board of Directors announced today. She was elected by a unanimous vote of the CHEA board following an extensive presidential search. She will begin as CHEA’s President on August 1, 2020.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond’s higher education experience spans more than 30 years and includes faculty status and tenured professorships, in addition to senior administrative leadership positions. She recently served on the boards of the Thurgood Marshall College Foundation, the 1890 Land-Grant Council of Presidents and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Executive Committee.
She received her Bachelor’s degree from Grambling State University, Master’s degree in Education from the University of Louisiana in Monroe and her Doctorate in Education from Grambling State University.
"I am pleased to serve as president of CHEA and look forward to continuing advocacy of accreditation, member institutions and the work of all recognized accrediting organizations,” Dr. Jackson-Hammond stated.
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The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) has been working with Tuscany Strategy Consulting and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (JHCHS) to create tools designed to assist higher education institutions with operations while the COVID-19 pandemic persists. Their goal is to assure that institutions offer a high-quality education in a safe environment for all stakeholders, whether faculty, staff, or students.
PLANNING TOOLS
* COVID-19 Planning Guide and Self-Assessment for Higher Education
- A robust set of operational activities organized by function. Institutional leaders can assign departmental heads activity sets easily from the Guide.
- More than 500 statements for evaluation, from health and safety steps to equity-oriented elements for staff, faculty, and students.
* COVID-19 Self-Assessment Calculator for Higher Education
- Much like the highly successful Business Risk Assessment Calculator developed by JHCHS, a tool designed to quickly assess the stage of risk mitigation an institution has currently attained.
* Coming Soon -- COVID-19 Project Planning Template (Smartsheet®)
- An online project management planning template to assist with evaluation and implementation across an institution.
CURATED RESOURCES
* Official Guidelines
- Major official guidelines issued by more than 60 health authorities and professional associations. New material is being added on an ongoing basis.
* College and University Announcements Database
- Opening and instructional plans for more than 1,000 U.S. colleges and universities, sortable by type, geographic location, and size of institution.
* Media Reports and Surveys
- Media reports and various surveys are included in this section, updated regularly.
We encourage institutions, accrediting organizations and all involved in higher education to visit OpenSmartEDU.org, to download and use the Guide and Self-Assessment Calculator, and to peruse the resources. The COVID-19 Smartsheet ® Project Planner is expected to be available soon.
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Spotlight on Two CAAHEP Accredited Programs
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AdVantage News
, in Godfrey, Illinois, highlighted how 18
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
students in both the undergraduate exercise science program and the graduate exercise physiology program have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic by moving to a virtual environment to complete their graduation requirements as mandated by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
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Erin Vanderbunt, exercise science/exercise physiology internship coordinator in the Department of Applied Health; and Natalie Hawkins, assistant director of recreational programs in the SIUE Department of Campus Recreation, have collaborated to provide the necessary student experiences.
Most often, students complete their 200-hour internships in settings such as cardiac rehabilitation, athletic performance, fitness and wellness facilities, corporate wellness/fitness, physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training rooms, and chiropractic offices. Suddenly, those options were unavailable as the COVID-19 pandemic spread.
Vanderbunt’s students were given the option to complete their summer 2020 internships by finding a facility that would allow for remote-virtual experiences until on-ground activities resumed, delay their internship to a later semester, or to participate in a virtual internship.
Meanwhile, Hawkins was trying to map out how campus recreation could continue to offer quality programming with a reduced staff during the Illinois stay-at-home order.
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Lactation and Perinatal Education, Lactation Consultant Program, San Diego, California
In the photo below, Crystal Ragsdale, RN, a current clinical student in the UC San Diego Extension Lactation Consultant Pathway 2 Program, assesses an infant’s heart rate. She chose the program because she knew it was CAAHEP accredited and that she would get the education and support she wanted as well as placement with one of the almost 500 clinical partners.
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Crystal shares her experience in her own words,
“I am a Registered Nurse but my #1 role is being Mommy to my two amazing children (ages 4 and 7). I believe that “Support is Best!” To me, this means meeting parents and their babies wherever they are in their feeding journey and giving them the support they need. I am passionate about health equity and educating parents so that they can make informed decisions. I am excited to bring my experiences as a Registered Nurse into this new chapter of my professional life as I become an IBCLC.
I have been working towards my goal of becoming an IBCLC for many years. I knew that with UC San Diego Extension Lactation I would get the education and support I needed to reach my goal. UC San Diego Extension Lactation has a reputation of great relationships with clinical sites and that was important to me.”
Kristina Chamberlain, the Clinical Director and Lead Faculty for the Lactation Consultant Programs at UC San Diego Extension believes that “
The Lactation Program at UC San Diego Extension is so successful because of the relationship we have with our clinical preceptors all over the country. We work with our clinical affiliates to ensure our interns achieve clinical competency in a supportive environment. At UC San Diego Extension, our Lactation Program
meets CAAHEP Standards, produces results and our interns are prepared to promote and
protect breastfeeding in a variety of employment opportunities.”
For more information about the Lactation Programs at UC San Diego Extension, visit the
UCSD website
.
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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 on May 15, 2020 meeting. Actions are identified by profession, action taken, date of the next comprehensive evaluation, and whether a progress report to improve program compliance is required. In some cases, the concentration and/or degree are also specified. To view a copy of the most recent accreditation award letter for a program, which includes information about the accreditation decision, visit the program’s listing on the Find An Accredited Program section of the
CAAHEP website
.
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.
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
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 2027
. This action requires no progress report and was approved on the consent agenda.
Cardiovascular Technology
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 2030
. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.
Surgical 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 2030
. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.
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
continuing accreditation
, with the next comprehensive evaluation to occur
no later than 2024
.
Cardiovascular Technology
Specialist Blood Bank Technology/Transfusion Medicine
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 2027
.
Cardiovascular Technology
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.
Art Therapy
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
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.
Lactation Consultant
Medical Assisting
Neurodiagnostic Technology
Perfusion
Surgical Technology
The following program had a
transfer of sponsorship
approved, with a status of
continuing accreditation
,
with the next comprehensive evaluation to occur
no later than 2027
.
This action requires no progress report and was approved on the consent agenda.
Surgical Technology
The following program was 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 and a progress report required to be submitted to the appropriate Committee on Accreditation (CoA).
Surgical Technology
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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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