One of the examples of “conduct that can harm competition in healthcare” in the press release is “unnecessary healthcare provider recertification or accreditation requirements.” It is described as follows:

(Questions about this article may be directed to Mr. Balasa at dbalasa@aama-ntl.org)

The Annual Business Meeting of the CAAHEP Commission was on Friday, April 26, 2024, and the following items were addressed:

The Commissioners elected the following representatives to serve on the CAAHEP Board of Directors, beginning July 1, 2024.

The Commission approved Clinical Ethics as a new profession in CAAHEP. In addition, two national organizations that support Clinical Ethics were approved as associate members:

• Association of Bioethics Program Directors
• Catholic Health Association of the United States

Another new associate member, the Coalition for the Veterinary Professional Associate, was approved.

A new sponsoring organization, the Collegiate Strength and Condition Coaches Association, was approved as a sponsor the Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences.

At its May meeting, the CAAHEP Board elected the following officers for 2024-2025:

June 30, 2024, marks the conclusion of CAAHEP's 2023-2024 year, and with that the end of the term for the current CAAHEP Board of Directors. We bid adieu to several great CAAHEP champions, who served on the Board for many years. We recognize these volunteers with gratitude and appreciation:

• Donald Balasa, JD, MBA
• Stacey Ocander, EdD
• Catherine Rienzo, EdD, RT(R)(AART), RDMS, FSDMS

We also thank Joy Gutherie, PhD, ACS, RDMS, RDCS, RVT, who graciously filled the Board seat vacated by the late Jennifer Spegal.

Thank you all for your service and dedication to excellence in health science education.

It's not too late to register for the 2024 CAAHEP Accreditation Workshop, the premier two-day event equips you with the necessary tools for navigating the CAAHEP accreditation process. The workshop is designed to aid attendees in assessing their program and understanding best practices for demonstrating compliance with the Standards. By participating, you will gain a deeper understanding of how CAAHEP accreditation can elevate your program.

Who should attend the Accreditation Workshop? Everyone who is involved in health science programs! Educators, deans, program directors (new and experienced), clinicians, and more will benefit from the general sessions, breakout workshops, networking opportunities, and time with sponsors and exhibitors.

The CAAHEP Accreditation Workshop is July 19-20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. Seize the opportunity to take your program to the next level. Check out the Agenda and register now!

By Marianne Boeke, Ph.D.

National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) 

Introduction

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) is a voluntary agreement among 49 member states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. SARA provides a streamlined, reciprocity-based process for participating postsecondary institutions to gain approval to offer interstate distance education in SARA member states without individually applying to each state for such approval, subject to certain limitations.

• Students benefit from SARA by the additional consumer protections provided and additional access for those who take advantage of interstate distance education programs.
• Institutions benefit from SARA by having access to a broader market of students; having fewer state-specific regulations to monitor and applications to submit; and the fees for offering distance education in other states are significantly reduced.

More than 2,400 institutions voluntarily participate in SARA currently. The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) is a private nonprofit organization [501(c)(3)] that, in partnership with the four regional education compacts, coordinates the implementation of SARA nationally. NC-SARA supports, facilitates, and serves the regional compacts, the regional steering committees, the State Portal Entities, and SARA-participating institutions.

SARA and the Triad

Regulation of higher education in the United States takes a three-pronged approach in which the federal government, state governments, and accreditation organizations share responsibility.

• The federal government is responsible for holding institutions to a minimum of financial stability through the Financial Responsibility Composite Score. The government also holds accreditors to clearly defined standards of practice and recognizes them as reliable authorities on the quality of education, and it oversees the Title IV financial aid program.
• Accreditation organizations ensure that academic programs and institutions of higher education meet acceptable levels of quality in teaching and learning.
• State governments authorize institutions to operate and ensure consumer protections.

The regulatory triad ensures institutional quality, financial stability, and consumer protections. SARA relies on the triad and does not seek to recreate or remove the safeguards currently in place. In fact, an institution is only considered for SARA participation after the state has completed its authorization of the institution, the institution’s accreditation has been secured, and the U.S. Department of Education has provided assurances of institutional financial stability through a minimum Financial Responsibility Composite Score.

NC-SARA operates as a collaborative partner to the triad of organizations, including states, the federal government, and accreditors. While the organization was established to help expand students’ access to educational opportunities and ensure more efficient, consistent, and effective regulation of distance education programs, quality assurance and oversight remain a central area of focus in the work.

All SARA institutions must be accredited. Recognizing that accreditation provides an important layer of accountability and quality assurance, only degree-granting institutions accredited by U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agencies are permitted to apply to participate in SARA. It is important to note that not all states require accreditation for degree-granting institutions to operate and those institutions would not be eligible to join SARA.

SARA helps streamline the authorization process for distance education providers operating in multiple states. Accreditation, on the other hand, provides a more comprehensive evaluation of an institution or program's educational quality and is often used by students, employers, and other stakeholders to assess the value and legitimacy of a degree or program.

The Role of the U.S. Department of Education’s Negotiated Rulemaking

Although SARA is a voluntary agreement among states, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) does influence the agreement through its regulations governing postsecondary institutions that participate in the Title IV financial aid program, which includes most SARA-participating institutions. ED uses a process called Negotiated Rulemaking to add, remove, or change regulations related to a variety of topics impacting higher education. As part of the most recent round of rulemaking, which is still underway, ED is considering significant changes to the regulations that govern how states oversee institutions that offer distance education programs. These proposed changes could have serious ramifications for the diverse students and communities served by distance education programs throughout the country and could reverse specific elements of SARA that have made the agreement so beneficial to participating institutions. If you are interested in learning more about the negotiated rulemaking process and finding out how you can get involved in efforts to ensure we protect SARA on behalf of students, please see SARA’s Call to Action webpage.

Looking Forward: SARA's Continuing Commitment to Students

While states and SARA focus on interstate authorization for distance education and accreditation organizations evaluate the overall quality of institutions and programs, all play important roles in ensuring students receive a quality education and institutions and programs meet established standards for educational excellence.

Since its inception, SARA has been, at its core, a national entity established to serve students by ensuring access to quality distance education opportunities across state lines. As the postsecondary distance education landscape continues to evolve, NC-SARA will seek opportunities to strengthen its capacity to serve as an advocate for enhanced consumer protection for students. We always welcome feedback on how we can continue to enhance the policies and processes to better serve states, institutions, and – most importantly – students nationwide.

Stay Informed! Join the SARA eblast list HERE

Check out our website: https://nc-sara.org/

Still have questions? Email NC-SARA staff: info@nc-sara.org

As part of the CAAHEP Standards development process, the Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology (JRC-CVT) is inviting the public to comment on the proposed CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Cardiovascular Technology. To review a copy of the proposed Standards, download: "Proposed CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Cardiovascular Technology."

To comment on the proposed Standards, use the Survey Tool to record your comment.

The JRC-CVT will collect comments until July 8, 2024, at 5:00 PM Eastern.

In addition, an Open Hearing on the proposed CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Cardiovascular Technology will be held in-person and virtually on July 19, 2024, at 5:15 PM Central, at the Westin Austin at the Domain, 11301 Domain Dr, Austin, TX 78758. If you plan to attend the Open Hearing virtually, please register at this link. The virtual connection information will be provided upon registration.