JUNE Edition #1 / IN THIS ISSUE

more information below

Important Dates

June 28 - webinar, CAAHEP Standard V: Fair Practices

July 1 - annual accreditation fee due

July 4 - office closed

July 24 - Call for Comment closes on proposed interpretations of the CAAHEP Standards

August 2 - webinar, Continuous Quality Review: Strategies to Improve the Educational Program

Office Closed

The CoAEMSP office will be closed on July 4 in honor of Independence Day.

Revised Policies and Procedures for Programs

During its May 2023 board meeting, the CoAEMSP Board of Directors approved several policies and definitions, including:

1. Revised language for the Letter of Review application process
2. New language for the established thresholds as they relate to a program’s outcomes (credentialing exam, retention, and job placement)
3. Elimination of some fees for failure to notify or late submissions
4. Revised language for distance learning
5. New language for agreements with outsourced services
6. Extended the time a program has to notify the CoAEMSP of change in program director and medical director
7. Revised language for the lead instructor at a satellite campus
8. Added definitions for agreements for outsourced services, instructional agreements, and public members

The Policy & Procedures Manual for Programs is available here.

CoAEMSP Policy XVI. Personnel

Key personnel are identified as President/CEO, Dean, Program Director, Medical Director, and Satellite Lead Instructor(s). These identified personnel positions are the only positions tracked by CoAEMSP.  

Programs are required to notify the CoAEMSP of changes in key personnel, whether interim or permanent, within 30 calendar days. Failure to notify the CoAEMSP within the times prescribed in CoAEMSP Policies & Procedures, Policy XVI, Personnel, may result in Administrative Probation.

Programs must use the new Personnel Form available on the Personnel webpage. The Personnel Form has been streamlined, so all required supporting evidence will be embedded in this one form as directed. Contact Lynn Caruthers at 214.703.8445 ext 115 if you have questions or would like assistance with completing the Personnel Form.

Effective immediately, programs are required to maintain evidence of the following personnel: Associate Medical Director(s), Assistant Medical Director(s), and Lead Instructor(s). These positions no longer require approval by CoAEMSP. The program's sponsor is responsible for maintaining documentation to demonstrate individuals holding any position meet or exceed qualifications outlined in Standard III.B. of the CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines. [The program must submit personnel forms for the lead instructor(s) at the satellite(s).] 

Call for Comments Ends July 24

Interpretations of CAAHEP Standards

The CoAEMSP developed interpretations for several CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines during its May 2023 Board of Directors meeting and encourages all Paramedic educational programs and interested parties to carefully read the proposed interpretation for each of the specified CAAHEP Standards listed below and submit comments using the provided link.

The CoAEMSP will give careful consideration to the comments received for each interpretation. Please Note: All comments are for the interpretation of the CAAHEP Standards, not the CAAHEP standard itself. 

The public comment period for the interpretations of the CAAHEP Standards specified below will end July 24, 2023, and all comments will be reviewed during the August 2023 CoAEMSP Board of Directors Meeting.

Provide comments on the interpretations for the following CAAHEP Standards here:

• Standard I.B. Consortium Sponsor 
• Standard III.B.1.a.6. Program Director Responsibilities 
• Standard III.C.1. Curriculum 
• Standard V.C. Safeguards 
• Standard V.F. Agreements 

The CoAEMSP Policy and Procedures document and the Proposed CoAEMSP Interpretations of the CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines can be found here.

Upcoming Educational Webinars

Wednesday, June 28 at 1 pm Central Time

CAAHEP Standard V: Fair Practices

Fair practices encompass a variety of responsibilities an educational program must provide to prospective and enrolling students. Clear and accurate information allows students to make informed decisions regarding the policies, procedures, and outcome performance of the program. Have you ever had a student seek to challenge a grade? What kind of process does your program have to guide the student through such a situation? Other than tuition, are all the costs associated with attending and successfully completing the program well-defined? Join us as we review the important components of the CAAHEP Standards regarding fair practices designed to protect students and the program.

At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

• Define the term fair practices.
• Analyze the components of the CAAHEP Standards regarding fair practices.
• Explain the importance of fair practices.

Facilitators:

• Michael Miller, EdD, RN, NRP, Assistant Director, CoAEMSP
• Thomas Platt, EdD, NRP, Associate Dean for Academic Partnerships, University of Pittsburgh

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Wednesday, August 2 at 1 pm Central Time

Continuous Quality Review: Strategies to Improve the Educational Program

Programs should evaluate their services in a variety of ways, obtaining input from multiple sources. Assessment methods include resource assessment tools; regular surveys or evaluations from students; end-of-program evaluations from students; evaluations from students on specific clinical and field internship rotations and preceptors; comments from students, faculty, employers, and Advisory Committee members; CoAEMSP Annual Report; and use of tools such as a SWOT analysis (strength, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). These processes are all part of quality assessment and review and provide the basis for long-range planning. This presentation will review available tools, appropriate intervals, and best practices from participants.

At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

• Describe various methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of their EMS educational program. 
• Identify which evaluation tools are required by CoAEMSP for program and student evaluation. 
• List the timing of the required evaluation tools.

Facilitators:

• Patricia Tritt, MA, RN, Technical Consultant, CoAEMSP
• Lisa Collard, AS, Assistant to Executive Director, CoAEMSP

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Annual Accreditation Fee is Now Due

New in 2023!

The inaugural CAAHEP Accreditation Workshop will be held July 21-22, 2023, at the Radisson Blu Mall of America, in Bloomington, Minnesota. This beautiful hotel is conveniently located near Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport and adjacent to the famous Mall of America.

Who should attend: Educators, program administration, clinicians, and those involved in the accreditation process will benefit from the general sessions, breakout workshops, networking events, and the opportunity to meet CAAHEP leaders and members of the Committees on Accreditation (CoAs).

Attendees can expect to gain a greater understanding of the role CAAHEP accreditation plays in assisting your program to achieve excellence in health sciences education. Review the agenda for all of the Accreditation Workshop's activities.

For more information, click here.

** NOTE: This workshop is different from the Fundamentals of Accreditation Workshop for the EMS Professions presented by CoAEMSP, which is specific to Paramedic education. The CAAHEP Accreditation Workshop (presented by CAAHEP) does not count toward the attendance requirement for CoAEMSP. **