October 2020
From the President
Fall is in the air as the seasons change and it has been quite the fall season. From the pandemic, wildfires in the west, hurricanes down south, social unrest, and did someone mention there is a Presidential election happening in the midst of this? I hope that all of you are well and are managing your way through these unprecedented times.
CAAHEP and the CoAs have been working overtime, as well, from modifying policies and making decisions to encouraging programs to be innovative and flexible in meeting expected outcomes. I am very proud of how our leadership within our CoAs and CAAHEP have quickly adapted to this ongoing pandemic. An excellent example of this is virtual site visits. Some of you may have already experienced a virtual site visit. Both CAAHEP and many of our CoAs have now adopted policies and procedure for conducting virtual site visits to ensure that we are keeping pace while maintaining standards.
Hearing from many of you through our various Zoom sessions and from surveys being disseminated by the CoAs we know that most of you have had to make tremendous changes this year. I have been so impressed with the innovative solutions that programs have made along the way. We understand that the majority of programs were able to get back underway this fall but with many modifications to ensure that students are achieving the outcomes specific to their chosen profession while doing so in a safe manner. Changes have been made including academic delivery methodologies, skills laboratory environments, and clinical rotations, not to mention that many of you have had to transform your home into an office and teaching platform.
CAAHEP has increased its communication and engagement opportunities, as well, recognizing the increased need for communication during this crucial time. CAAHEP has been having webinars on topics of interest including the latest one “Understanding the New Federal Regulations on Licensure Disclosure.” In case you missed it you can find a recording on the CAAHEP website. Additionally, CAAHEP has been conducting monthly Zoom sessions with the CoAs called “CoA Connections,” where there’s open lines of communications among CAAHEP and the Committees on Accreditation. It’s turned into a valuable opportunity to share success stories and hear how CoAs are working to meet the accreditation needs of the programs.
We are excited about the line-up of great speakers we have for the upcoming virtual CAAHEP Annual Meeting in January 2021. The Board realizes that many of you have had to undergo budget reductions and that’s why we are excited to bring you this wonderful event for only $49. The agenda is evolving, but includes a keynote address from the new CHEA President Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, as well as a session from Dr. Teresa Conner, Associate Provost for Health Sciences at Radford University, on the Next Generation of Healthcare Providers: Understanding the Changing Landscape of Health Discipline Education and Envisioning the Healthcare Workforce of the Future. We are pleased to welcome back Elise Scanlon, JD, to provide the always informative Washington Update. Read more about the CAAHEP 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting in this newsletter. We certainly hope that you will take advantage of this great engagement opportunity and join us January 22, 2021 for this one-day virtual event.
From the entire CAAHEP Board of Directors and Staff, A BIG THANK YOU for all you do and for ensuring our next generation of allied health practitioners and providers are well educated.
Stay Well,
Glen
Glen Mayhew, DHSc, NRP
CAAHEP President
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CAAHEP Board Approves New Standards |
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At its September 18 meeting, the Board of Directors approved the proposed CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Education Programs in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The Standards were drafted by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS) with input from communities of interest in the sonography field and are endorsed by the Sponsoring Organizations: American College of Cardiology, American College of Radiology, American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, American Society of Echocardiography, American Society of Radiologic Technologists, Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Society for Vascular Surgery, and Society for Vascular Ultrasound. The new Standards become effective September 1, 2021. The current set of Standards are effective through August 31, 2021.
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CAAHEP 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting |
CAAHEP is pleased to share highlights of our upcoming 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting, "Alone but Together: Building Virtual Bridges in 2021." Join us on Friday, January 22, 2021 from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM Eastern Time, for the day-long event featuring:
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Keynote speaker: Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, President of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation
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Washington Update with Elise Scanlon, JD, Elise Scanlon Law Group
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COVID-19 Response Update: A panel discussion presented by CoA representatives on adjustments and progress made during the pandemic
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Educating the Next Generation of Healthcare Providers: Understanding the Changing Landscape of Health Discipline Education and Envisioning the Healthcare Workforce of the Future with Teresa Conner, PhD, Associate Provost for Health Sciences, Radford University
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Plus the presentation of CAAHEP Awards
Registration is now open, so use the button below to join us! Registration fee is $49.00. For additional information, please visit the CAAHEP website. Please direct any questions about the CAAHEP 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting to Cynthia Jackson-McNeill.
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While the award season for many of the organizations and institutions under the CAAHEP umbrella may look a little different during this year, trumpeting the achievements and accolades of those recognized is no different, and we congratulate those recently recognized for the efforts. Like all non-profit organizations, recognizing volunteers and individuals within an organization is vitally important. Without the volunteers, many organizations would not be able to function efficiently. Hats off to the following individuals who have been recently recognized for their achievements at the recent Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) annual meeting. ASAHP is a CAAHEP Sponsoring Organization:
Julie O'Sullivan Maillet, PhD, RDN, FASAHP, has received the ASAHP Distinguished Service and Achievement Award. Not only does Dr. Maillet serve as a volunteer for ASAHP, she is also a CAAHEP Commissioner and an active member of the CAAHEP Standards Committee. She is Professor and Director of Rutgers School of Health Professions.
The following are recipients of the ASAHP Fellows Program Award, which recognizes ASAHP members who have contributed significantly to allied health as administrators, educators, clinicians, or researchers. All of these recipients have CAAHEP accredited programs in their institutions:
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Tina F. Walen, PDT, EdD, MPA, Dean and Professor of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Cincinnati
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Abiodun Akinwuntan, PhD, MPH, MBA, Dean, School of Health Professions, University of Kansas Medical Center
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Peter Hu, PhD, FACSc, Dean, School of Health Professions, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
In addition, Thomas W. Elwood, DRPH, Executive Director of ASAHP, received the ASAHP President's Award.
Likewise, CAAHEP congratulates the following institutions which have CAAHEP accredited programs that were recently recognized by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC):
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AACC Student Success Award: Wayne Community College, North Carolina
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AACC Advancing Diversity Award: Seminole State College of Florida
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CAAHEP Webinars Recordings Available |
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Recordings of recent webinars hosted by CAAHEP are now available on the CAAHEP website and provide great resources to institutions, programs, and sponsoring organization personnel. Check out what's available now, along with information on upcoming sessions.
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October is Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month |
Recognizing the importance of increasing public awareness of medical ultrasound and promoting its value in health care, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM), the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS), the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI), the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS), and the Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) have joined together to sponsor Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month in October of each year.
The goal of Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month is to increase the public's knowledge about medical ultrasound and its many uses in health care. Although much of the general public is familiar with the use of medical ultrasound during pregnancy, many people are unaware that ultrasound can be used throughout all stages of life and for various medical indications.
Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month provides ultrasound professionals with the opportunity to educate the public about the many uses of this fast growing technology, as well as a chance to celebrate their profession.
The AIUM, ARDMS, ASE, CCI, SDMS, and SVU are encouraging members of the medical community to participate in Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month by familiarizing and educating their patients and other health care professionals about medical ultrasound through specially planned activities and educational materials.
There are three professions within CAAHEP that educate students in medical ultrasound -Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Advanced Cardiovascular Sonography, and Cardiovascular Technology - with nearly 500 CAAHEP accredited programs across these professions. CAAHEP proudly helps promote Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month.
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Medical Assisting Recognition Week |
Each year, the third week of October is dedicated to recognizing the importance of the Medical Assistant profession. In 2020, October 18-24 is Medical Assistants Recognition Week. Medical assisting is an allied health profession whose practitioners function as members of the health care delivery team and perform administrative and clinical procedures. With their unique versatility, medical assistants are proving to be the allied health professional of choice for this decade and beyond.
This year, the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), a CAAHEP Sponsoring Organization, is collaborating with the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCRRT) to recognize the vital role medical assistants play in preventative health care screening. The AAMA is standing together with NCCRT to empower medical assistants to fight colorectal cancer. This year’s theme “Support Screening, Save Lives” reflects how medical assistants are in an influential position to reduce barriers to screening through practice improvements and committed action. The goal is that this collaboration, along with recognizing medical assistants, is to shine the spotlight on the importance of preventative screening, in an effort to reach 80% in every community.
CAAHEP tips our hat to the Medical Assistants across the country and thanks them for the care they provide to their patients. There are more than 400 CAAHEP accredited medical assisting programs across the United States. We recognize the students currently enrolled in these programs, as well.
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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 September 18, 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 programs' websites 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 2029. 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 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 2025.
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 2028.
Medical Assisting
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 2029.
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.
Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic
Surgical Assisting
Surgical Technology
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).
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Surgical Technology
CAAHEP voted to withhold accreditation from the following program, due to noncompliance with one or more Standards. The appeals period has passed and this decision is final.
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
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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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