CAAHEP Communiqué February 2023

CAAHEP Communiqué

February 2023

From the President

Donald A. Balasa, JD, MBA

2022-2023 CAAHEP President

The Importance of CAAHEP Accreditation to the Professions it Serves

Without question, accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) is of enormous value to its accredited programs and the professions they encompass. CAAHEP accreditation is also invaluable for the sponsoring organizations of these professions, many of which are professional associations. The focus of this article is the importance of CAAHEP accreditation for the medical assisting profession and my employer (the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)), which is a sponsoring organization of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB), a committee on accreditation (CoA) of CAAHEP.

As the Chief Executive Officer and House Legal Counsel of the AAMA, one of my primary responsibilities is protecting the right to practice of medical assistants. This responsibility can be difficult because medical assisting laws vary (sometimes greatly) from state to state. In addition, there is a plethora of “medical assisting” programs throughout the United States that are vastly different in their depth, breadth, rigor, and quality. Graduates/completers of these programs, consequently and inevitably, have different domains and levels of knowledge, skills, and professional attributes and behaviors.

The lack of consistency in medical assisting education/training programs poses a significant challenge when working with state legislatures. For example, Connecticut legislators were reluctant to support a bill allowing formally educated and credentialed medical assistants to perform vaccine administration under the authority and supervision of licensed providers. This reluctance was due to the fact that opponents of the bill had warned legislators that the bill would endanger patients because some medical assisting training programs were only a few months in length and did not have a clinical component to verify psychomotor competence in administering vaccines.

The solution was to insert language in the legislation that, to qualify to administer vaccines, medical assistants had to graduate from a medical assisting program accredited by an accrediting body recognized by either the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). (CAAHEP is recognized by CHEA.) With the addition of this crucial language, the concerns of Connecticut legislators were assuaged, and the medical assistant vaccine administration bill was signed into law and became effective on October 1, 2022.

Without a uniform, national standard of medical assisting education embodied in the CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Medical Assisting (Standards), this type of legislation would not have been enacted and Connecticut medical assistants would not be able to practice their profession to the full extent of their education.

The CAAHEP Standards help me in another important aspect of my work as AAMA House Legal Counsel. The laws of many American jurisdictions do not have lists of tasks that are and are not delegable to unlicensed allied health professionals such as medical assistants. As a result, I receive numerous questions each week from licensed providers, medical office managers, clinical supervisors, and medical assistants themselves about the scope of practice of medical assistants under the laws of their state. Some of the inquiring parties know very little about who medical assistants are and what they are able to do. If there is no specific language in state law, I point to the Core Curriculum in the CAAHEP Standards that set forth the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective competencies that students in CAAHEP-accredited medical assisting programs must achieve to graduate.

Without the CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Medical Assisting, the accreditation of medical assisting programs by CAAHEP, and the accreditation-recommending activities of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board, I would not be able to answer scope of practice questions in a meaningful and helpful way. The likely result would be that the profession of medical assisting and medical assistants would not be able to thrive, expand, and meet the pressing staffing needs of outpatient settings throughout the United States.

Kathryn Kuntz Award CAAHEP's Highest Honor

Kathryn (Katie) Kuntz, Med, RT(R), RDMS, RVT, FSDMS, has been awarded the William W. Goding Award for Exceptional Service. The award ceremony was held on January 20, 2023, during the CAAHEP Symposium in Tampa, Florida.

The William W. Goding Award for Exceptional Service is the highest honor awarded by CAAHEP. It is reserved for those who are or have been Commissioners, recognizing an individual who has served the Commission in word and deed, someone who has spoken with conviction about the work of the Commission, advanced its purposes, and actively participated as a leader in Commission’s activities for many years.

Katie dedicated much of her professional life to CAAHEP and allied health education accreditation. She began her involvement in CAAHEP as the Commissioner representing the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS). Her passion for quality assurance in health professions education resulted in her election to the CAAHEP Board of Directors, where she served two full terms. During her Board tenure, she served as Vice President and Secretary.

Katie's dedication to CAAHEP's future is evident in her exceptional service record as a Planning and Development Committee member and CAAHEP liaison to the Lactation Education Accreditation and Approval Review Committee. Katie helped to advance CAAHEP's Mission and Vision as a presenter at numerous Annual Meetings, Leadership Conferences, and CoA Summer Workshops. She always welcomed the opportunity to serve the organization innovatively and was instrumental in forming the Recommendation Review Committee, serving as Chair from 2018 – 2021.

In addition, Katie is a fellow of the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. This SDMS honor is bestowed and recognizes the lifetime achievement of individual members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of sonography and the SDMS.

Debut Symposium a Success

CAAHEP kicked off 2023 with the new CAAHEP Symposium in Tampa, Florida, on January 20-21. The sold-out event included 152 attendees joining in person and virtually. Symposium speakers from across the United States and Canada represented the diverse communities across health professions and accreditation.

The keynote speakers on Friday, January 20th, Michelle Hood and Roxie Wells, MD, from the American Hospital Association, and engaged attendees on "Supporting Innovation and Quality Education to Strengthen the Healthcare Workforce." From the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, Timothy Mott addressed "Distance Education is Here to Stay in Health Professions: Where do we go from here?" And, CAAHEP President Donald Balasa and Executive Director Gina Scarboro provided an update on CAAHEP and its new strategic plan.

Afternoon breakout sessions allowed attendees to network and dig into specific topics of interest to them, including:

Planning for the Next Leader: Creating a Solid Succession Plan
Attracting and Retaining Young Health Professionals to Work or Volunteer
Introduction to Higher Education Assessment & Outcomes for New Leaders
Workforce Solutions with Innovative Thinking

Saturday, January 21, began with a plenary session on "Exploring and Communicating the Value of Accreditation," by Jason Frank, MD, MA(Ed), FRCPC, Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, at the University of Ottawa. While a Canadian snowstorm kept Dr. Frank from attending in person, he delivered a thought-provoking conversation about the challenges and opportunities health profession educational accreditors face. The plenary session was followed by Elise Scanlon, JD, and Donald Balasa, JD, MBA, who presented a session on"Balancing Innovation with Regulation in Health Professions Education and Accreditation." The Symposium ended mid-day following an engaging panel presentation from leaders of CoAEMSP and its professional stakeholders from the EMS-Paramedic profession who shared about their experiences "Working Across Organizational Silos: Lessons Learned from the Paramedic Profession."

With the CAAHEP Symposium in Tampa, attendees had the opportunity to tour the International Institute of Orthotics and Prosthetics. The state-of-the-art Institute has a CAAHEP-accredited Orthotics and Prosthetics program. Institute leader, Arlene Gillis, staff, and students provided a tour of the classroom and lab facilities. Current students shared their experiences and projects with visitors eager to learn more about the opportunities for learning and serving patients offered by the program.

Thank you to the International Institute of Orthotics & Prosthetics for a terrific tour!

CAAHEP also wishes to thank the following CAAHEP Symposium sponsors whose support added to the success of the event. Each logo includes a link to the sponsor's website.

GOLD LEVEL SPONSOR

SILVER LEVEL SPONSOR

CAAHEP New Policies

After the public comment period, the CAAHEP Board analyzed the comments received and amended draft policies. The following outlines the policy changes that were approved by the Board:

Policy 101 Policies. Addition of an open period in which each policy is published on the CAAHEP website for public/community of interest input. The revision increases CAAHEP transparency in the policy-making decision process and collaboration with stakeholders.

Policy 115C Operational Characteristics of a Consortium. The changes align the CAAHEP policy with the Standards Template update that occurred in 2020 and include a reference to new regulatory requirements from the Department of Education.

Policy 603 Complaints about CAAHEP or its CoAs. The revisions refine the complaint process for concerns related to CAAHEP and its CoAs. The changes improve efficiency and reduce potential conflict in the procedures conducted during the evaluation of complaints.

Policy 701 CAAHEP Fees

Policy 701B Committees on Accreditation. The revision to this policy includes a new pathway for Committees on Accreditation to request a reduction or waiver in fees based on the CoA's current financial situation in an effort to assist burgeoning CoAs in ensuring their success.
Policy 701C International Eligibility Review Application and Site Visit Coordination Fees. The revision divided the international review process into two phases and adjusted the fees accordingly. The first phase is eligibility review, and the second is site visit coordination.
Policy 701D CAAHEP Accredited Program Fee. The CAAHEP Board favored a change in the fee structure of its annual accreditation fees from an institution to a per-program fee structure. As a programmatic accreditor, the tasks associated with accreditation conducted by CAAHEP are due to individual program actions, not institutional activities, so this change aligns current accreditation tasks with fees assessed. After reviewing and considering the input from stakeholders about the scale of change in fees assessed, the Board approved a revised program accreditation fee schedule that includes a discount based on the number of CAAHEP-accredited programs at a sponsor location (campus). The new fee structure is posted on the CAAHEP website and will be reflected in the June 2023 invoices.

All approved policy changes have been made in the CAAHEP Policy and Procedures Manual, which is available on the CAAHEP website.

CAAHEP Accreditation Workshop

Join CAAHEP, its Committees on Accreditation, and health profession educators at the 2023 CAAHEP Accreditation Workshop. This debut event will be held July 21-22, at the Radisson Blu Hotel - Downtown, in Bloomington, Minnesota. The venue is conveniently located minutes from the Minneapolis Airport and is adjacent to the world-famous Mall of America.

Who should attend?

The Accreditation Workshop is for program directors, faculty, and administration staff of CAAHEP accredited programs, representatives of programs considering CAAHEP accreditation, Committee on Accreditation staff and volunteers, and anyone interested in programmatic accreditation of health profession education programs.

What are the Accreditation Workshop's Goals?

The CAAHEP Accreditation Workshop is designed as an opportunity to:

collaborate on best practices in health professions accreditation;
provide program and institution representatives an opportunity to network with other health sciences programs;
expand your knowledge of CAAHEP and our Committees on Accreditation's role in the accreditation process;
share experiences with other programs in the accreditation process; and
gather ideas and tools that you can use at your institution.

The CAAHEP Accreditation Workshop Planning Subcommittee is putting the final touches on the meeting agenda to be published soon. The Accreditation Workshop includes informative general sessions and focused, hands-on workshops for new and experienced educators. Some of the session topics include:

Outcomes Assessment at the Program Level
Distance Education Instruction Best Practices to Design, Deliver, and Evaluate
Tips for Composing a Self-Study to Demonstrate Compliance
Setting Your Program (and Yourself) up for Future Success
Great Teaching Starts with You
From Patient Care to the Classroom and Beyond: Navigating Academia Successfully
Looking Behind and Ahead – Post-COVID Recovery, the Healthcare Workforce, Student Enrollment, and Health Professions’ Future
EDI Talk: Creating a Curriculum that Reflects and Respects the Patient Population
Value of Accreditation: Program Directors' Perspectives

Several Committees on Accreditation will be hosting meetings just for representatives from their profession on Saturday afternoon, July 22. Details about Committee on Accreditation meetings will be included on the registration form and final agenda.

Registration for the CAAHEP Accreditation Workshop opens on March 1, 2023. Visit the CAAHEP website to learn more.

Community Colleges Recognized

for Student Success

The American Association of Community Colleges recently announced the finalists of its 2023 Awards of Excellence. The AACC awards program has numerous categories, with several community college finalists for each category. Six colleges are finalists under the Student Success category, and all are institutions with CAAHEP-accredited programs.

Community colleges finalists of the Student Success category must

Has developed a comprehensive, bold, and strategic completion plan.
Has achieved measurable and significant increases in:
On-time degree completion.
Certificate completion.
Transfer from 2-year to 4-year institution(s).
Has developed innovative programs that support student success in areas such as developmental education, student support services, and K-12 partnerships/collaboration.
Has substantially contributed to integrating completion goals and principles across the institution.
Suggests scalable promising practices to advance student success.

Congratulations to the following colleges on being nominated!

Delgado Community College (CAAHEP accredited programs in Diagnostic Medical Sonography - 2 concentrations; EMS-Paramedic; Polysomnographic Technology; and, Surgical Technology)
Northern Virginia Community College (CAAHEP accredited programs in Diagnostic Medical Sonography - 4 concentrations; and EMS-Paramedic)
Sinclair Community College (CAAHEP accredited programs in EMS-Paramedic, Medical Assisting, Neurodiagnostic Technology; Personal Fitness Trainer; and Surgical Technology)
Tallahassee Community College (CAAHEP accredited programs in EMS-Paramedic and Surgical Technology)
Westchester Community College (CAAHEP accredited program in EMS-Paramedic)
Yavapai College (CAAHEP accredited program in EMS-Paramedic)

The winner of the Awards of Excellence will be announced in April at the AACC Annual. Congratulations to all of the nominees.

In Memoriam

CAAHEP is saddened to share the news that a strong member of the Committee on Accreditation community has passed away. Bijoy Khandheria, MD, MBBS, FASE, who served as a Board Member of the Committee on Accreditation for Advanced Cardiovascular Sonography (CoA-ACS) passed away while visiting his family in India. In addition to serving on the CoA-ACS, Dr. Khandheria was the 16th President of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), a Sponsoring Organization of CAAHEP. According to the ASE, "He was the Medical Director of Aurora Global & Executive Health Program Services and Medical Director of the Echocardiography Center for Research & Innovation at the time of his death. During his time on the CoA-ACS, he was a tremendous advocate for sonographers and always championed their roles in the organization and in research and teaching. Dr. Khandheria was a dedicated advocate for the field of cardiovascular ultrasound and his commitment to education was unwavering. He had a deep insight into the educational needs of sonographers and physicians and an exceptional ability to tailor his knowledge and presentations to meet the needs of the audience. He was a world-renowned clinician and sought-after speaker and educator throughout his career as a cardiologist. He was a visionary in the field with enthusiasm, generosity, and kindness that touched many lives."

The EMS profession lost a pillar of its community on February 21, 2023, when Rocco Morando passed away. Mr. Morando was a founding member of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians and went on to serve as the NREMT's Executive Director for nearly 20 years. The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians is a Sponsoring Organization of CAAHEP.

According to the NREMT, "During his career at the National Registry, Morando oversaw a number of accomplishments, including the first basic NREMT-A examination, administered simultaneously to 1,520 ambulance personnel at 51 test sites throughout the United States (1971); the first recertification of Nationally Registered EMTs based on a re-evaluation of skills (1973); the development of the first national paramedic curriculum in conjunction with leading EMS agencies and the University of Pittsburgh (1976-77); and the first NREMT-Paramedic examination (1978); the development of the first NREMT-Intermediate curriculum and examination (1980)."

The National Registry has named an award the Rocco V. Morando Lifetime Achievement Award, in his honor. It recognized a lifetime of commitment, contributions, and leadership to Emergency Medical Services.

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 January 19, 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 the program's website is included 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 2023. This action requires no progress report and was approved on the consent agenda.

Surgical Technology

Coastal Pines Technical College, Waycross, GA (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 2027. These actions require no progress report and were approved on the consent agenda.

Medical Assisting

Brunswick Community College, Bolivia, NC (Diploma)

Orthotist/Prosthetist

Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA

Specialist Blood Bank Technology/Transfusion Medicine

American Red Cross Blood Services, St. Paul, MN

Versiti Wisconsin, Inc, Milwaukee, WI

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

Eastern Florida State College, Cocoa, FL (Abdominal-Extended)

Eastern Florida State College, Cocoa, FL (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Nebraska Methodist College, Omaha, NE (Abdominal-Extended)

Nebraska Methodist College, Omaha, NE (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Nebraska Methodist College, Omaha, NE (Adult Cardiac)

Nebraska Methodist College, Omaha, NE (Vascular)

Stautzenberger College-Brecksville, Brecksville, OH (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

West Kentucky Community and Technical College, Paducah, KY (Vascular)

Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic

Central Connecticut Paramedic Education Program Consortium, New Britain, CT

Coastal Alabama Community College, Bay Minette, AL

Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Kalamazoo, MI

Piedmont Virginia Community College, Charlottesville, VA

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, Valdosta, GA

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.

Anesthesiologist Assistant

Case Western Reserve University, Washington, DC

Exercise Sciences

Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, OH

Central Michigan University, Mt Pleasant, MI

Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA

Surgical Technology

Rasmussen University - Romeoville, Romeoville, IL (Associate)

Trocaire College, Buffalo, NY (Associate)

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

Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute, Hudson, NC

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Cincinnati, OH

Metropolitan Community College-Omaha, Omaha, NE

Northeast Texas Community College, Mount Pleasant, TX

Lactation Consultant

Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH (Masters)

Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH (Baccalaureate)

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 2030.

Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring

Laboure College of Healthcare, Inc, Milton, MA

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.

Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic

Carteret Community College, Morehead City, NC

Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, CO

Exercise Physiology

University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC (Clinical)

University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (Clinical)

Exercise Sciences

Concordia College, Moorhead, MN

Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids, MI

Marymount University, Arlington, VA

Norwich University, Northfield, VT

Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, TX

Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA

University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA

University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC

University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Surgical Technology

Baptist Health Sciences University, Memphis, TN

Carrington College-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ

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 evaluation to occur no later than 2028.

Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic

Robeson Community College, Lumberton, NC

The following program had a status correction. The 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 2026.

Art Therapy

Pennsylvania Western University, Edinboro, PA

01/19/2023 Acknowledgements

The following statuses do not require action by the CAAHEP Board of Directors and were acknowledged by the Board at its January 19, 2023 meeting.

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

Emergency Medical Services-Paramedic

Arizona Partnership for Paramedic Training, Mesa, AZ

Great Lakes EMS Academy/Davenport Univ Consortium, Grand Rapids, MI

Jackson College, Jackson, MI

Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH

Medical Assisting

Cisco College, Cisco, TX

Living Arts College High Point, High Point, NC

Miller-Motte College-Conway, Conway, SC

Ohio Business College, Sheffield Village, OH

West Virginia Northern Community College, Wheeling, WV

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

St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital, Indianapolis, IN

Medical Assisting

North Idaho College, Coeur d’Alene, ID (Certificate)

Polysomnographic Technology

Montgomery College, Takoma Park, MD (Certificate)

Surgical Technology

Kapiolani Community College, Honolulu, HI (Certificate)

Lanier Technical College-Gainesville, Gainesville, GA (Associate)

Suffolk County Community College, Selden, NY (Certificate)

West Georgia Technical College, Waco, GA (Associate)

The following programs held administrative probation due to a failure to fulfill administrative requirements for maintaining accreditation (including but not limited to non-payment of fees and failure to submit a report to the appropriate Committee on Accreditation):

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

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

Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic

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

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs

9355 - 113th St. N, #7709, Seminole, FL 33775-7709

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

Website About Accreditation News Events Contact