CAAHEP Communiqué

April 2023

From the President

Donald A. Balasa, JD, MBA

2022-2023 CAAHEP President

United States Department of Education Issues Enforcement Bulletins of Relevance to CAAHEP

The Biden Administration and its Department of Education continue to make announcements and take actions to tighten the regulation of schools. Although the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and not by the United States Department of Education (USDE), most CAAHEP-accredited programs are in schools accredited by bodies recognized by the USDE. Also, in order for schools and their students to be eligible to receive funds (including scholarships, loans, and grants) under Title IV of the Higher Education Act, the school must be institutionally accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the USDE. These USDE enforcement bulletins, therefore, are pertinent to CAAHEP-accredited programs and their schools’ administration, faculty, and students.

Servicemembers and Veterans

One of the enforcement bulletins issued by the USDE addresses unfair treatment of veterans and those currently serving in the military. (Many of the costs of education for “military-connected students” are covered by the GI Bill.) Among the concerns expressed by the USDE are military-connected students being led to believe that their GI Bill benefits would cover the total cost of an education program, only to find out later that this is not the case. Some of these students are required to take out personal loans to pay for the additional costs of the education.

A previous statement by the USDE reflects the concerns of the Biden Administration:

"Predatory, deceptive practices that target veterans and servicemembers have no place in higher education, period," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. "The Biden-Harris Administration believes educating our veterans and service members should be about honoring their contributions to our country, not exploiting them for financial gain. These proposed regulations enact welcome changes by Congress to better protect students who have served, and continue to serve, our nation. These rules will also ensure that efforts by for-profit colleges to convert to nonprofit status are genuine changes, not mere ploys to evade accountability to students and taxpayers."¹

Secret Shopper

The Enforcement Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) of the Department of Education announced that it was beginning a “secret shoppers” program to increase oversight of schools. The following is a description of this secret shopper program:

Secret shopping involves trained individuals posing as potential students to investigate whether an institution is engaging in deceptive practices.²

These excerpts from the USDE press release set forth the background and objectives of this program:

Practices that secret shoppers will look for may include—but are not limited to—misrepresentations related to the transfer of credits into or out of the school, job placement rates, completion rates, withdrawal rates, future earning potential of graduates, the career services offered by the school, the total cost of attendance, the amount of Title IV aid available to students, and the institutional or programmatic accreditation, along with any other violations of the Title IV regulations.

If an investigation or other review demonstrates that an institution is engaging in deception, substantial misrepresentation, or other predatory recruitment and enrollment practices in violation of the Title IV regulations, FSA will consider all appropriate corrective actions and sanctions. In such cases, borrowers subject to such misrepresentations or fraud could be entitled to discharge of their student loan(s) based on borrower defense to repayment or other applicable regulations, and the institution could be held accountable for the cost of those discharges.³

(Questions may be directed to the author at dbalasa@aama-ntl.org)

1. (2022, July 26). Education Department Releases Proposed Regulations to Protect Veterans and Service Members, Increase College Oversight, and Increase College Access for Incarcerated Individuals. Www.ed.gov. Retrieved April 4, 2023, from https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/education-department-releases-proposed-regulations-protect-veterans-and-service-members-increase-college-oversight-and-increase-college-access-incarcerated-individuals

2. (2022, July 26). Education Department Releases Proposed Regulations to Protect Veterans and Service Members, Increase College Oversight, and Increase College Access for Incarcerated Individuals. Www.ed.gov. Retrieved April 4, 2023, from https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/education-department-releases-proposed-regulations-protect-veterans-and-service-members-increase-college-oversight-and-increase-college-access-incarcerated-individuals

3. Prochaska, J. 2023, CSPEN BREAKING NEWS: Department of Education Focuses On Institutional Accountability and Enforcement Through "Enforcement Bulletins"

CAAHEP Comments on Recent ED Dear Colleague Letter; Others Follow Suit

On March 28, 2023, CAAHEP shared its comments of concern submitted to the US Department of Education on proposed regulations about Third-Party Servicers and Institutions (TPS). In the mailing, CAAHEP noted that the guidance is broad and has the potential to impact health professions educational programs and the healthcare workforce negatively. CAAHEP encouraged others in its community to consider commenting on the ED's Dear Colleague Letter found in the regulations.gov link at Regulations.gov, under Docket ID ED-2022-OPE-0103.

The following week, Inside Higher Education published an article, "Federal Outsourcing Guidance Prompts Concerns of Unintended Consequences," noting that "expanding the definition of third-party servicers has been delayed to September because of initial pushback by the higher education industry." In the article, IHE indicates, "Commenters said the new guidance would jeopardize study abroad programs and international student enrollment and have a host of other unintended consequences, including possibly disrupting educational services. Some organizations said the guidance was a critical step to protect students. More than 1,000 comments were submitted last week before the comment period on the guidance closed."

Review the full Inside Higher Education article here.

Annual Business Meeting of the Commission

The 2023 Annual Business Meeting of the Commission will be held virtually on Friday, April 28, 2023, at 3:00 PM Eastern. Attendees must register prior to the event. Additional information on the meeting is provided on the CAAHEP website.

The VALUE of ACCREDITATION

Providing Input to a Profession’s Education Standards, External Validation and Relationship Building: the Value of CAAHEP to a Sponsoring Organization

By Catherine Carter, MA

Executive Director, American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics

As a CAAHEP Commissioner from a sponsoring organization and a member of the CAAHEP Board of Directors, I love to talk about CAAHEP, especially the value to sponsoring organizations. But first, you may be wondering:

What is a sponsoring organization? Sponsoring organizations are organizations or agencies that establish or support one or more Committees on Accreditation (CoA) and the CAAHEP accreditation system.

How do we become a sponsoring organization? When a national professional organization believes that its membership has legitimate concerns about, and responsibilities for, the quality of personnel prepared in educational programs accredited by CAAHEP, the organization may petition the CoA for approval to join them as a sponsoring organization. The full CAAHEP Commission votes on final approval of sponsoring organizations.

And now you ask, what is the value of CAAHEP accreditation to a sponsoring organization? That is where this gets exciting—there are many reasons why accreditation is valuable to the sponsor, but the main ones for my organization, the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics (ABC), are providing input to the profession’s education standards, external validation and relationship building.

As a sponsoring organization we have an opportunity to participate in the process of establishing standards for the education of orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) professionals. We cooperate with the CoA, the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE) to establish, maintain and promote appropriate standards of quality for educational programs in orthotics and prosthetics. We assist with making sure the standards consider the profession’s scope of practice and contemporary state of the science, that they reflect required knowledge and skills needed to successfully provide and support O&P patient services and that the outcomes being tracked are appropriate for our profession.

The CAAHEP Standards are developed in collaboration with practicing professionals and academic specialists and are approved by each profession’s sponsor(s) and the CoA. Being a sponsor means we are an identified community of interest that supports quality assurance and protections for the profession, which in turn allows us to appreciate and support the education and accreditation process. Greater understanding has led to supporting the process at a higher level, making sure clinicians have a voice in the process and having an active role in the future of the profession.

In CAAHEP we have an objective body to help set standards for quality assurance in the education of orthotic and prosthetic professionals.

Another aspect of the value of being a sponsoring organization is external validation. Participating with CAAHEP means we can measure the standards of our profession against other allied health professions. We use this as an opportunity to learn from the innovations of others and improve our processes. In CAAHEP we have an objective body to help set standards for quality assurance in the education of orthotic and prosthetic professionals. Additionally, we benefit from the reputation CAAHEP has in the allied health community. Recognition by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) affirms that CAAHEP’s standards and processes are consistent with the academic quality, improvement and accountability expectations that CHEA has established.

Lastly, the opportunity to build relationships with other allied health professions is a value of being a sponsoring organization. The other sponsor of orthotics and prosthetics, the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP) describes several instances where we learned from other professions and/or shared our expertise with them on best practices. These are important relationships to build that come about through participation as a sponsoring organization. Also, each sponsoring organization designates one Commissioner to represent their organization at the Commission’s annual business meeting. This relationship allows our profession to stay apprised of any changes in accreditation that occur in allied health education and to have a vote on any proposals that affect our profession.

The value provided by CAAHEP is as varied as the professions we serve. Providing input to a profession’s education standards, external validation and relationship building are all part of the voice we have through CAAHEP.

Open Comments on Proposed Policies

CAAHEP invites members of its communities of interest, the public, and practitioners to submit comments on the following proposed policies:

Removal of Standard 1.A.4. from the 2021 CAAHEP Standards template, Attachment 1, Alternative Wording for Sponsorship.

Proposed changes to Policy 602 - Complaints Against Accredited Programs.

Both proposed policies and comment areas are posted on the CAAHEP website. The comment period is open April 1, 2023 to April 30, 2023, 5:00 PM Eastern. Submitted comments collected during this time will be compiled and shared with the CAAHEP Board of Directors for review. The CAAHEP Board will take final action on the proposed Policy change at its next regularly-scheduled meeting on May 19, 2023.

CAAHEP Accreditation Workshop

There's still space available for program directors, faculty, and administrators of CAAHEP accredited programs, and representatives of programs considering CAAHEP accreditation at the 2023 CAAHEP Accreditation Workshop. This premier event will be held July 21-22, at the Radisson Blu Mall of America, in Bloomington, Minnesota. Here are just a few of the agenda highlights:

Outcomes Assessment at the Program Level

Marilee Ludvik, PhD, Associate Provost and Director of the Office of Institutional

Effectiveness, Loyola University Chicago

Best Practices for Online and Blended Education: Integrating IDEAS

Florence Martin, PhD, Professor, Learning, Design and Technology, Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences, North Carolina State University

EDI Talk: Creating a Curriculum that Reflects and Respects the Patient

Population

Denise Rismeyer, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science

From Patient Care to the Classroom and Beyond: Navigating Academia

Successfully

Gordon (Gordy) Kokx, PhD, NRP, Program Director, Emergency Medical Services,

Inver Hills Community College

A special thank you to the Accreditation Workshop Platinum Sponsors

Visit the CAAHEP website for the full Accreditation Workshop, registration information, and sponsorship opportunities.

Inactivation Pedorthic Standards

Upon the request of the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE), a CAAHEP Committee on Accreditation, the CAAHEP Board approved making the Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Pedorthics inactive effective March 17, 2023. The rationale for the request submitted states:

"The NCOPE board decided to place the CAAHEP Pedorthic Standards on inactive within the CAAHEP system.

This decision was based on many factors and data.

There is no current flow of graduates to provide Pedorthic patient care.
No institutions have formally contacted NCOPE to inquire about the development of a pedorthic program.
We do a dis-service to prospective students and the public by having a set of standards and an accreditation system in place with no accredited programs and no applications in the pipeline to establish a program.

The NCOPE board recognizes and supports the pedorthic profession and the services they provide but believes returning their education to a course level and outside the academic, credit barring arena is a better fit for the pedorthic profession."

CAAHEP 2022 Annual Report Published

In Memoriam

The Joint Review Committee for Education on Cardiovascular Technology (JRC-CVT) shared the passing of one of its very active members, Sr. Marie Buckley, known to the JRC-CVT as Sister Mary. She was a founding member of the JRC-CVT and was an active reviewer.

Sister Mary attended St. John's University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology. Specialties in the health field were just coming into being at that time and Mercy Hospital had initiated its first Cardio-Pulmonary Department to which Sr. Mary was assigned and where she ministered for all of her professional career. She earned her Master of Science in Medical Biology, majoring in Pulmonary Physiology from C.W. Post College in 1970.

Sr. Mary was a pioneer in the Cardio-pulmonary field and was recognized for her accomplishments by receiving the Lifetime Service Award in the field of noninvasive diagnostic imaging. This was one of many awards, recognizing her extraordinary accomplishments including most recently having an award named for her by the JRC-CVT, the Sister Mary Buckley Award, which she received upon her retirement from the JRC-CVT in February 2020. Sr. Mary was instrumental in the development of the Allied Health Degree and in establishing the Cardio Pulmonary Program at Molloy College where she was a full-time Professor.

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 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 at its March 17, 2023 meeting. Actions are identified by profession, the action that was taken, the 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 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 2026. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Nova Southeastern University-Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Abdominal-Extended)

Nova Southeastern University-Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Nova Southeastern University-Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Vascular)

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

Orange Technical College-West Campus, Winter Garden, 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 2028. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Rowan College at Burlington County, Mt. Laurel, NJ (Abdominal-Extended)

Rowan College at Burlington County, Mt. Laurel, NJ (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ (Adult Cardiac)

Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic

Akron General Medical Center, Akron, OH

Arkansas Tech University, Ozark, AR

College of Emergency Services, Clackamas, OR

Eastern Gateway Community College, Steubenville, OH

Kansas City Kansas Community College, Kansas City, KS

Lake Technical College, Eustis, FL

Lurleen B Wallace Community College, Andalusia, AL

NCTI - Springfield, Springfield, MA

Pennsylvania College of Technology, Williamsport, PA

Wharton County Junior College, Wharton, TX

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.

Cytotechnology

University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR

Neurodiagnostic Technology

Bellevue College, Bellevue, WA

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

Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo, Buffalo, NY (Associate)

Chattahoochee Technical College-Marietta, Marietta, GA (Diploma)

Forsyth Technical Community College, Winston-Salem, NC (Diploma)

Greenville Technical College, Greenville, SC (Certificate)

Manchester Community College-Manchester, Manchester, NH (Certificate)

Niagara County Community College, Sanborn, NY (Associate)

Northwood Technical College-Superior, Superior, WI (Diploma)

Northwood Technical College-New Richmond, New Richmond, WI (Diploma)

Palm Be ach State College, Lake Worth, 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

Greenville Technical College, Greenville, SC (Abdominal-Extended)

Greenville Technical College, Greenville, SC (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Middlesex Community College, Bedford, MA (Abdominal-Extended)

Middlesex Community College, Bedford, MA (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

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

Central Jackson County Fire Protection District, Blue Springs, MO

Columbus Div of Fire, Columbus, OH

Polk State College, Winter Haven, FL

Neurodiagnostic Technology

Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS (including Polysomnography add-on)

Medical Assisting

Blackhawk Technical College, Janesville, WI (Diploma)

Ivy Tech Community College-Muncie, Muncie, IN (Associate)

Madison Area Technical College, Madison, WI (Diploma)

Medina County Career Center, Medina, OH (Certificate)

South College-Asheville, Asheville, NC (Certificate)

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.

Anesthesiologist Assistant

Bluefield University at VCOM-Auburn, Auburn, AL

South University-Orlando, Orlando, FL

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Bismarck State College, Bismarck, ND (Abdominal-Extended)

Bismarck State College, Bismarck, ND (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN (Adult Cardiac)

Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic

Aiken Technical College, Graniteville, SC

Finger Lakes Community College, Geneva, NY

Isothermal Community College, Spindale, NC

Ogeechee Technical College, Statesboro, GA

Virginia Peninsula Community College, Hampton, VA

Exercise Physiology

Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ (Clinical)

Exercise Sciences

Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ

Central College, Pella, IA (including Strength and Conditioning add-on)

Saginaw Valley State University, University Center, MI

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (including Strength and Conditioning add-on)

University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (Strength and Conditioning add-on only)

University of Vermont, Burlington, VT

Medical Assisting

Enterprise State Community College, Enterprise, AL (Associate)

Neurodiagnostic Technology

Aurora Health Care Metro Inc. St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI

Perfusion

Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN

The following program was found to be in compliance with the accreditation Standards and Guidelines and was granted initial accreditation, with the next comprehensive evaluation to occur no later than 2031. This action requires no progress report and was approved on the consent agenda.

Art Therapy

University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN

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 initial accreditation, with the next comprehensive evaluation to occur no later than 2028.

Medical Assisting

South College-Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN

CAAHEP voted to withdraw accreditation from the following programs, due to non-compliance with one or more Standards. Programs are given the opportunity to appeal actions to withdraw accreditation, so this action is not yet final. This list will be updated with the final action, once determined.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Houston International College Cardiotech Ultrasound School, Houston, TX (Adult Cardiac)

Pittsburgh Career Institute, Pittsburgh, PA (Abdominal-Extended)

Pittsburgh Career Institute, Pittsburgh, PA (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic

Cypress Creek EMS, Spring, TX

Oak Hill Hospital/Nature Coast Emergency Medical Institute Consortium, Lecanto, FL

Medical Assisting

ASA College, Brooklyn, NY (Associate)

Surgical Technology

Pittsburgh Career Institute, Pittsburgh, PA (Associate)

March 17, 2023 Acknowledgements

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

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

Anesthesia Technology

College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL

Medical Assisting

Bryant & Stratton College-Albany, Albany, NY

Carrington College-Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM

Carrington College-Boise, Boise, ID

Carrington College-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV

Carrington College-Mesa, Mesa, AZ

Carrington College-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ

Carrington College-Pleasant Hill, Pleasant Hill, CA

Carrington College-Portland, Portland, OR

Carrington College-Reno, Reno, NV

Carrington College-Sacramento, Sacramento, CA

Carrington College-San Jose, San Jose, CA

Carrington College-San Leandro, San Leandro, CA

Carrington College-Spokane, Spokane, WA

Carrington College-Stockton, Stockton, CA

Carrington College-Tucson, Tucson, AZ

James A. Rhodes State College, Lima, OH

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, Johnstown, PA

Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, UT

White Mountains Community College, Berlin, NH

The following programs held inactive status; students may not be enrolled in the program during a period of inactive status:

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Cox College, Springfield, MO (Adult Cardiac)

Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic

Arkansas Northeastern College, Blytheville, AR

Black River Technical College, Pocahontas, AR

Garden City Community College, Garden City, KS

St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital, Indianapolis, IN

Medical Assisting

North Idaho College, Coeur d’Alene, ID

Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician

St. Petersburg College, Pinellas Park, FL

Polysomnographic Technology

Montgomery College, Takoma Park, MD

Surgical Technology

Kapiolani Community College, Honolulu, HI

Lanier Technical College-Gainesville, Gainesville, GA

Suffolk County Community College, Selden, NY

West Georgia Technical College, Waco, GA

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs

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W: www.caahep.org P: 727-210-2350 E: mail@caahep.org

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