CAAHEP Communiqué October 2023

CAAHEP Communiqué

October 2023

From the President

Donald A. Balasa, JD, MBA

2023-2024 CAAHEP President

Introductory Overview of Medicare Funding of Allied Health Education

Some of the CAAHEP community may not be aware that Medicare provides cost reimbursement for certain approved nursing and allied health programs in hospitals. In reality, there are CAAHEP-accredited programs that have been participating in this program for several years. Even though some CAAHEP-accredited programs will not be eligible for this Medicare program, Executive Director Scarboro and I thought it would be good to provide our CAAHEP community with some basic information.

Legal Authority

The Social Security Act and the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 are the statutory bases for Medicare payment for approved nursing and allied health education activities. 42 Code of Federal Regulations 413.85(b) “…sets forth the rules for determining Medicare payments to hospitals for the costs of nursing and allied health education activities.” The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the executive branch body that oversees and provides payment under this program.

Payment Rules

413.85(d) sets forth the general payment provisions under this Medicare program.

(1) Payment for a provider’s net cost of nursing and allied health education activities is determined on a reasonable cost basis, subject to the following conditions and limitations:

(i) An approved educational activity—

(A) Is recognized by a national approving body or State licensing authority as specified in paragraph (e) of this section;

(B) Meets the criteria specified in paragraph (f) of this section for identification as an operator of an approved education program;

Approved Programs

As delineated immediately above, “approved educational activities” must meet three criteria to be eligible for participation in the Medicare program. The following paragraph sets forth the recognition required for an educational activity to be eligible for cost reimbursement. Note that CAAHEP is named specifically:

(e) Approved nursing and allied health education programs. CMS will consider an activity an approved nursing and allied health education program if the program is a planned program of study that is licensed by State law, or if licensing is not required, is accredited by the recognized national professional organization for the particular activity. Such national accrediting bodies include, but are not limited to, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission, the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc., and the American Dietetic Association.

The VALUE of ACCREDITATION

How CAAHEP Accreditation Helped Me

Submitted by Alexander J. Irizarry NRP, NREMT-B, TP-C.

SGT, Medical Operations NCO

D Co. 436^th CA Battalion

After two-and-a-half years of paramedic education, I was able to complete the final step in gaining national certification as a Paramedic by taking the National Registry Paramedic Psychomotor Exam. While this length of education was a little longer than most students, my schooling was interrupted due to military service and activation as a US Army Reservist (USAR). Serving my country resulted in a few unanticipated gaps during my education and meant rejoining a different paramedic class after returning from a tour. Despite these obstacles, my education and certification were complete, and I was excited to continue my career as a Certified Paramedic.

My excitement began to fade when I did not receive my credentials for several weeks after passing the NREMT exam. I contacted the certifying body and found out that sometime during my USAR tours the CAAHEP accreditation of the program I attended was withdrawn. The program never informed me of this important change. I was crushed and feared I would have to restart my education again at another accredited program.

Luckily, I was advised by the education specialist in my USAR Unit to reach out to the accrediting agency and see if they could answer my questions and recommend the next steps for me to take. I contacted CAAHEP and verified that my program had its accreditation withdrawn but was informed that additional research would be conducted before a response regarding NREMT eligibility could be made. Just one hour later, I received a call from CAAHEP indicating that Executive Director Gina Scarboro wanted to discuss my situation with the Committee on Accreditation for the EMS Professions (CoAEMSP) and the NREMT. Within a week, I was informed directly by Dr. Scarboro that CoAEMSP and the NREMT reviewed the facts of my enrollment and verified that at the time of my enrollment, the program I attended was accredited, and because my break in education was related to my duties in the US Army Reserves, I was eligible for NREMT certification.

Due to the collaboration of CAAHEP, the CoAEMSP, and the NREMT, my credentials were updated to reflect my status as a Paramedic. I was elated and relieved. I hadn’t expected anyone to stand up for me, but everyone involved went above and beyond. I hope my story helps other students understand how important it is to verify that the education program you select is CAAHEP accredited before you enroll and maintain that accreditation while you are in school. Thank you to CAAHEP and everyone involved for your support and efforts to help me achieve my dream of becoming a Certified Paramedic.

Reminder: Special CAAHEP Commissioners Meeting

There will be a Special Meeting of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs on Thursday, October 26, 2023, commencing at 4:00 PM EDT. This will be a brief meeting with two items on the agenda. CAAHEP Commissioners are asked to review the meeting material and register here prior to October 25th.

CAAHEP Symposium 2024

Save the date and join us for the 2024 CAAHEP Symposium, January 19-20, 2024, at the One Ocean Resort & Spa in Atlantic Beach, Florida.

This year's keynote address, “The Changing Higher Education Landscape and Challenges Facing Accreditors,” will be presented by Cynthia Jackson Hammond, EdD, President of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Check out the draft agenda here, and watch for registration and additional information soon.

Advisory Committee: The Public Member and Their Role

by Jennifer Anderson Warwick, MA

Co-Chair, CAAHEP Standards Committee

Executive Director, ARC-AA

Accreditation Consultant, CoAEMSP

"Must I have a public member on my Advisory Committee? They can't contribute; they don't know anything about education or being a(n) [fill in the profession]."

I often hear this question as a staff member with two CAAHEP Committees on Accreditation, anesthesiologist assistant and EMS professions.

Yes, you must have a public member on your Advisory Committee. Yes, they can and do contribute. They do not need to know about education or your profession.

The CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines require programs to appoint an Advisory Committee comprised of the program’s communities of interest. Communities of interest served by the program include, but are not limited to, students, graduates, faculty members, sponsor administrators, employers, physicians, and the public. Your profession may have additional communities of interest.

The Advisory Committee advises the program regarding revisions to curriculum and program goals based on the changing needs and expectations of the program's communities of interest and assesses program effectiveness, including the program's outcomes. (Butterfly: best practice is having a non-program person chair the Advisory Committee because of the Advisory Committee’s role to advise. Advising one's own group can limit perspective. Plus, what a great way to build engagement with members of the Advisory Committee.)

The purpose of the public member is to provide the perspective and represent the community's interests at large.

What constitutes a public member?

Defining a public member is easiest defined with what they are not. A public member

is not currently or formerly employed as a provider in the profession or healthcare provider;
is not a member of any trade association or membership organization that is related to the practice;
does not hold a status named in the Standards (e.g., a retired physician, retired employer);
is not employed by the sponsor of the educational program;
is not a relative of an individual who is employed by the sponsor of the educational program; and
does not hold any position with a CAAHEP-accredited program.

Where can you find a public member?

Here are some ideas:

Is there a local coffee or sandwich shop your students frequent? Ask the manager or owner to serve on the advisory committee as a public member.
Is there a consumer of your profession that would be a good advocate? For example, a cardiac arrest survivor who is cared for by the paramedics, a regular blood donor who interacts with the specialist in blood banking, or a surgical patient tended to by a surgical technologist, anesthesiologist assistant, anesthesia technologist, or perfusionist.
Connect with the local high school, especially the guidance counselor or a teacher. (Additional benefits: introducing and promoting your profession to high school students.)
Clergy have strong connections to individuals in the community who may be interested in or know someone.

Thoughtful selection of the Advisory Committee representatives is key to the overall program success and long-range planning. The public member can come from many sources; the important factor is their interest in providing input to the program.

Welcome New CAAHEP Staff

CAAHEP is pleased to announce that Mary Ellen Wells, Ph.D., RPSGT, R.EEG T., R. NCS T., has joined the staff as Accreditation Manager. Mary Ellen comes with a wealth of knowledge about CAAHEP and accreditation. She has served as a Program Director and as teaching faculty in CAAHEP-accredited programs for over 15 years. In addition, Mary Ellen has been a volunteer for the CoA-NDT and CoA-PSG, so she is very familiar with CAAHEP's structure, and working with the annual reporting system. She will be working with the Accreditation Services team overseeing the international accreditation process, supporting the CoAs in accreditation-related activities, and managing processes for CAAHEP policies and procedures related to accreditation and quality assurance functions. Mary Ellen joins CAAHEP's virtual office from Burlington, North Carolina. Welcome to the CAAHEP Staff!

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 who 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 September 15, 2023 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. Where available, a link to each program's website is provided below. 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 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.

Medical Assisting

Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute, Hudson, NC (Associate)

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

Albany State University, Albany, GA (Abdominal-Extended)

Albany State University, Albany, GA (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Concordia University, Mequon, WI (Abdominal-Extended)

Concordia University, Mequon, WI (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Concordia University, Mequon, WI (Vascular)

Georgia Northwestern Technical College-Rome, Rome, GA (Abdominal-Extended)

Georgia Northwestern Technical College-Rome, Rome, GA (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Georgia Northwestern Technical College-Rome, Rome, GA (Adult Cardiac)

Georgia Northwestern Technical College-Rome, Rome, GA (Vascular)

Gwinnett Technical College, Lawrenceville, GA (Abdominal-Extended)

Gwinnett Technical College, Lawrenceville, GA (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Keiser University-Fort Myers, Fort Myers, FL (Abdominal-Extended)

Keiser University-Fort Myers, Fort Myers, FL (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Keiser University-Fort Myers, Fort Myers, FL (Vascular)

Keiser University-Melbourne, Melbourne, FL (Abdominal-Extended)

Keiser University-Melbourne, Melbourne, FL (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Sanford Medical Center Fargo, Fargo, ND (Abdominal-Extended)

Sanford Medical Center Fargo, Fargo, ND (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Sanford Medical Center Fargo, Fargo, ND (Adult Cardiac)

Sanford Medical Center Fargo, Fargo, ND (Vascular)

Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic

Auburn Career Center, Concord, OH

Barton County Community College, Great Bend, KS

Central Virginia Community College, Lynchburg, VA

Coastal Carolina Community College, Jacksonville, NC (Associate)

Coastal Carolina Community College, Jacksonville, NC (Certificate)

Columbia Basin College, Pasco, WA

CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College, New York, NY

Itawamba Community College, Tupelo, MS

Joint Special Operations Medical Training Center, Ft. Bragg, NC

North Central Michigan College, Petoskey, MI

Southwestern Community College-Sylva, Sylva, NC

Tarrant County College-Northeast Campus, Hurst, TX

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 2030. This action requires no progress report and was approved on the consent agenda.

Cytotechnology

Daemen University, Amherst, NY

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 2032. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.

Medical Assisting

Anoka Technical College, Anoka, MN (Diploma)

Cecil College, North East, MD (Certificate)

Central Carolina Community College-Chatham Campus, Pittsboro, NC (Diploma)

College of Southern Idaho, Twin Falls, ID (Certificate)

College of The Albemarle, Elizabeth City, NC (Diploma)

Ivy Tech Community College-Columbus, Columbus, IN (Certificate)

Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, ID (Certificate)

Mercy College of Health Sciences, Des Moines, IA (Certificate)

Mid-State Technical College, Marshfield, WI (Diploma)

Ogeechee Technical College, Statesboro, GA (Diploma)

Sinclair Community College, Dayton, OH (Certificate)

Warren County Community College, Phillipsburg, NJ (Certificate)

William T. McFatter Technical College, Davie, FL (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 2033. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Franciscan Health Crown Point, Crown Point, IN (Adult Cardiac)

Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (Abdominal-Extended)

Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (Adult Cardiac)

Surgical Technology

Choffin Career and Technical Center, Youngstown, OH

Gwinnett Technical College, Lawrenceville, GA

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.

Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic

Alvin Community College, Alvin, TX

Northwest Mississippi Community College, Senatobia, MS

Nunez Community College, Chalmette, LA

Seminole State College, Sanford, FL

University of Antelope Valley, Lancaster, CA

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 2031.

Medical Illustration

University of Toronto, Toronto, ON

Medical Assisting

Chattanooga State Community College, Chattanooga, TN (Diploma)

Glen Oaks Community College, Centreville, MI (Certificate)

Henry Ford College, Dearborn, MI (Certificate)

Ivy Tech Community College-Lafayette, Lafayette, IN (Certificate)

Linn Benton Community College, Lebanon, OR (Certificate)

Olympic College, Bremerton, WA (Certificate)

South University-Montgomery, Montgomery, AL (Associate)

The following programs were found to be in compliance with the accreditation Standards and Guidelines and were granted initial 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

Gwinnett Technical College, Lawrenceville, GA (Breast)

Schoolcraft College, Livonia, MI (Abdominal-Extended)

Schoolcraft College, Livonia, MI (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic

Citizens Memorial Hospital, Bolivar, MO

OSF Saint James John W Albrecht Medical Cente r, Pontiac, IL

Richland Community College, Decatur, IL

Tri-County Technical College, Easley, SC

Wake County Institute for Out of Hospital Medicine, Raleigh, NC

Surgical Technology

Crowder College, Joplin, MO

Lasell University, Newton, MA

Miami Dade College, Miami, FL

North Central Missouri College, St. Joseph, MO

Westmoreland County Community College , New Kensington, PA

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 comprehensive evaluation to occur no later than 2028.

Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic

Bladen Community College, Dublin, NC

Sampson Community College, Clinton, NC

Tri County Technology Center, Bartlesville, OK

Medical Assisting

Central New Mexico Community College, Albuquerque, NM (Certificate)

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 2033. This action requires no progress report and was approved on the consent agenda.

Surgical Technology

Virginia Western Community College, Roanoke, VA

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, and a progress report required to be submitted to the appropriate Committee on Accreditation (CoA).

Medical Assisting

Cape Cod Community College, West Barnstable, MA (Certificate)

Surgical Technology

Baptist Health System School of Health Professions, San Antonio, TX

Concorde Career College-San Diego, San Diego, CA

Acknowledgments

The following statuses do not require action by the CAAHEP Board of Directors and were acknowledged by the Board at its September 17, 2023, meeting.

The program sponsors requested voluntary withdrawal of CAAHEP accreditation for the following programs:

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Westmoreland County Community College, Youngwood, PA (Abdominal-Extended)

Westmoreland County Community College, Youngwood, PA (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Medical Assisting