It’s impressive that the CoAEMSP is on the cutting edge of evidenced-based accreditation.”
Paramedic Program Director
What is accreditation
and why is it important?
Accreditation is an effort to assess the quality of institutions, programs and services, measuring them against agreed-upon standards and thereby assuring that they meet those standards. In the case of post-secondary education and training, there are two kinds of accreditation: institutional and programmatic (or specialized). Institutional accreditation helps to assure potential students that a school is a sound institution and has met certain minimum standards in terms of administration, resources, faculty and facilities.
Programmatic (or specialized) accreditation examines specific schools or programs within an educational institution (e.g., the law school, the medical school, the nursing program). The standards by which these programs are measured have generally been developed by the professionals involved in each discipline and are intended to reflect what a person needs to know and be able to do to function successfully within that profession. Accreditation in the health-related disciplines also serves a very important public interest. Along with certification and licensure, accreditation is a tool intended to help assure a well-prepared and qualified workforce providing health care services.
Why is accreditation important?
Accreditation provides key characteristics of accredited programs, identifying what a program should pursue and cultivate (virtues) as well as signal prohibitions (vices) that must be avoided. Regardless of the specialty or programmatic particulars, virtues and vices may be used to define a context in which general competencies may be understood and yield operational guidance upon which ultimate discussions of evaluation, remediation, and graduation may be predicated.
Accreditation assures professional competence: Graduates from a CAAHEP-accredited program have achieved the psychomotor and affective competencies to ensure patient safety.
Accreditation offers standardization, uniformity, and consistency: All CAAHEP-accredited programs prepare entry-level Paramedics, so employers can be guaranteed that the students know a given body of entry-level knowledge.
Accreditation requires external verification, review, and validation: In fulfilling the standards, CAAHEP-accredited programs submit their outcomes to CoAEMSP for an annual review and go through a comprehensive site visit review with CAAHEP every five years.
Accreditation protects resources: The CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines specify that the students and faculty have access to specific resources in order to ensure that the program can comply with the national standards.
Accreditation enhances the institution’s reputation: Institutions participating in programmatic accreditation distinguish themselves from other institutions.
Accreditation is public: CAAHEP-accredited programs are listed in a CAAHEP database for student and educator access, and CAAHEP-accredited programs post their status and outcomes.
Accreditation travels well: Employers across the country recognize the value of accreditation.
Accreditation advances the profession: The standardization, uniformity, and consistency that accreditation ensures, as well as the review of the Standards and Guidelines move the profession forward toward greater recognition in the health field.
Strategic Plan 2023
Approved by the CoAEMSP Board of Directors February 2023
The Mission Statement of the CoAEMSP
The mission of the CoAEMSP is to advance the quality of EMS education through accreditation.
The Vision Statement of the CoAEMSP
CoAEMSP is recognized as the leader in evidence-based standards for accreditation.
The Core Values of the CoAEMSP: CLARITY
Commitment:
Dedication of time, talent, and resources toward the achievement of CoAEMSP’s mission.
Leadership:
Inspiring others to advance the vision and goals of the CoAEMSP.
Accountability:
Advancing the mission of the CoAEMSP with integrity, honesty, professionalism, and high ethical standards.
Respect:
Honoring the perspective of any individual or organization.
Integrated:
Carrying out the work of the CoAEMSP in collaboration with EMS stakeholders.
QualiTY:
Consistently meeting or exceeding established standards and expectations in all CoAEMSP activities.
The Goals of the CoAEMSP
GOAL #1
Expand accreditation services with the implementation of voluntary AEMT accreditation.
GOAL #2
Develop an overarching data management strategy that results in efficiency and value for staff and constituents.
GOAL #3
Develop resources and programs to support (new) program directors with the accreditation process.
GOAL #4
Launch a communications program that promotes and strengthens relationships through a variety of targeted interfaces.
GOAL #5
Provide accreditation services for paramedic educational programs globally, taking deliberate action to market our services to an international audience.
