August 2020
From the President
First, let me say I hope that all of you and your families are well during these unsettling times.
COVID-19 has impacted everything that we do (and are unable to do) both at work and in our home lives. As we wrap summer up and look toward fall, I personally can’t remember a summer being as busy as this one. While many of us cancelled our traditional vacations, I certainly hope that each of you has been able to get away from work, at least for a short period of time, for a mental break.
The late spring and summer have been packed with planning different scenarios on which teaching methodology or methodologies you will be using along with social distancing in the classroom and lab environments. Many of you are also faced with the challenges of whether your students are going to be allowed to reengage in clinical rotations both for students that may have been delayed in graduation, as well as for those continuing in your programs. Know that you are not alone and that your respective Committee on Accreditation has been working diligently with their Board to make the necessary modifications to enable programs to continue to graduate competent students.
CAAHEP has published a statement of support for our Committees on Accreditation and our accredited programs during this ongoing COVID crisis. We want CoAs, institutions, and programs to know that CAAHEP appreciates the amount of hard work and tough decisions that are having to be made during this pandemic. Furthermore, CAAHEP supports the innovative and flexible approaches that are being made to achieve the professional outcomes for our future allied health professionals. We are in full support of the decisions being made to incorporate the use of virtual site visits so that the backlog of site visits remains manageable. Additionally, we have increased the number of webinars and communication tools in support of our CoAs, as part of our new strategic plan and it has come to fruition at a very pivotal time to help bridge the gap during this time of separation.
In other news, I am pleased to share with you that the Board formally approved the new Recent Graduate Commissioner and Task Force. Mr. Kevin Sloss (below) was selected to serve as the Commissioner. Kevin is a registered Medical Assistant and was selected from a strong field of over 40 applicants. Kevin will be responsible for leading the Recent Graduate Task Force, which consists of 5 other individuals listed below and is charged with making recommendations to the Board on topics which impact students.
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Recent Graduate Task Force:
Kevin Sloss, BS, RMA (AMT), MHA(c), Medical Assisting (Commissioner)
Matthew Brennan, NREMT-P, Paramedic
Ciera Price, MSPO, Orthotics and Prosthetics
Jessica Pizzo, RDMS, RVT, Diagnostic Medical Imaging
Alayna Simone Decesere, CT(ASCP), Cytotechnology
Lafayette Trey Watson, PhD, CSC, CPT, SNS, CSCS, Exercise Science
The Board also approved the development of a Distance Education Task force. The task force is being Co-chaired by Stacey Ocander, CAAHEP’s Vice President, and Christy Baily-Byers, Director of Education Services for the ARC/STSA. The other members include: Leah Mathews (DEAC), Doug York (CoAEMSP), Christine Robinson (CoAPSG), and Theresa Sisneros (CAAHEP Staff). Their charge is to explore, review, and develop best practice recommendations on distance education related to professional accreditation. These recommendations will be focused on professional accreditation policies, practices, and standards related to resources and outcomes (including assessment). These recommendations are due back to the Board in January 2021.
These two new task forces will help in developing resources for all programs and professions and strengthen the CAAHEP family as we work toward our common mission of providing quality assurance in health professions education.
Be safe; stay well; and don’t forget to take a mental break.
Glen Mayhew, DHSc, NRP
CAAHEP President
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CAAHEP Webinar Offered on Understanding
New Federal Regulations Re: Licensure Disclosures
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On Tuesday, October 6, 2020, at 2:00 pm Eastern, CAAHEP will host the webinar, "Understanding the New Federal Regulation on Licensure Disclosurers." Join us for a discussion of the new federal regulation that calls on Title IV-eligible entities to list all professional licenses that are required for employment for graduates of the various programs that are offered. This is not a CAAHEP requirement, but will impact many of the institutions which sponsor CAAHEP-accredited programs. We are pleased to bring you this session presented by three experts in the field:
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Jeannie Yockey-Fine, JD, Director for Regulatory Relations and Policy Support, at NC-SARA
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Cheryl Dowd, JD, Director for the State Authorization Network with WECT/SAN
- Shari Miller, JD, Consultant, Institutional Compliance MATTERS
Please use the following to register prior to October 1, 2020. Your confirmation provides connection link and call in information.
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CAAHEP Board Meeting Summary: July 2020 |
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The following is a list of highlights from the July 17, 2020 Board Meeting:
- The Board took accreditation action on 36 programs.
- Representative from the technology group KG Labs updated the CAAHEP Board on the development of the CAAHEP database and Annual Report Management System.
- The Recent Graduate Review Task Force reported that 43 applications for the Recent Graduate Commissioner position were received. The Task Force pared down the applications and recommended its selection for the Recent Graduate Commissioner, applicants selected to serve on the task force, and recommended the goals for the task force.
- The Board approved a change to Policy 401.C.6. clarifying who in the sponsoring organization can sign endorsement letters of the CAAHEP Standards. The CAAHEP Policy Manual has been updated and posted on the website.
- Activities among several CAAHEP committees were reported. President Mayhew has asked Doug York to continue to serve on the Recommendation Review Committee and Kate Feinstein to continue to serve on the Performance Oversight Committee. Both have agreed to serve.
Should you have any questions regarding the Board's activities, please contact Kathy Megivern.
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Council for Higher Education Accreditation Update |
CAAHEP is pleased to report that the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), which is the organization that recognizes CAAHEP, has approved the organization's expanded scope of practice. This mean that the following professions, which now have CAAHEP accredited programs, are recognized by CHEA: advanced cardiovascular sonographer, art therapist, assistive technology practitioners, and clinical research professionals.
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Committees on Accreditation Supporting Programs |
Throughout the corona virus pandemic, the Committees on Accreditation have worked hard to keep programs informed of changes in processes and have been flexible in assisting programs to keep the accreditation process moving forward. Some CoAs have provided additional training via Zoom and webinars, while others have worked with programs through the challenges of on-line learning and dealing with the lack of internship sites. If you haven't checked out the CoA's website for your program's profession, you may wish to do so to keep informed of the CoAs activities and offerings. Please visit the CAAHEP website for a list and link to all of the Committees on Accreditation.
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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 July 17, 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. Where available, a direct link to the accredited program's website is provided below.
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.
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.
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Emergency Medical Services-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 2024.
Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic
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 2025.
Emergency Medical Services-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 2028.
Medical Assisting
The following programs were found to be in compliance with the accreditation Standards and Guidelines and were granted initial accreditation with the next evaluation to occur no later than 2025. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic
Neurodiagnostic 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 with the next evaluation to occur no later than 2025.
Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic
The following program had transfers of sponsorship approved, with a status of 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.
Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic
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).
Medical Assisting
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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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