CAAHEP
Accreditation Workshops
for Paramedic Programs
“I am a first time program director of five months. I have excellent support from my leadership and administration, but little to no local mentoring. This workshop and the recorded webinars I have watched have been extremely beneficial. The information, shared experiences from other program directors, and the networking were definitely worth the investment of resources. I look forward to attending additional workshops.”
CAAHEP
Accreditation Workshop
- July 19-20, 2022 – Virtual
10:00 am to 2:30 pm Central Time each day
- October 5-6, 2022 – In-Person
Location: Denver, CO
Oct 5: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Oct 6: 8:00 am to 12:00 pm
registration fee is $450Homewood Suites by Hilton
Denver International Airport
4210 Airport Way
Denver, CO 80239
303-371-4555
room rate: $169++/night
Dates in 2023 are being identified now, which will include virtual and in-person options.
These workshops are designed to educate participants on the 2015 CAAHEP Standards and the accreditation process, enhancing the accreditation knowledge of the Paramedic program faculty. Through the use of expert presentations and interactive group learning activities, the workshop will provide best practices to avoid common stumbling blocks.
Virtual CAAHEP Accreditation Workshop AgendaThe following will be addressed:
- Overview of the accreditation process
- Resources
- CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines (2015)
- CoAEMSP Interpretations of the 2015 CAAHEP Standards
- Site Visits
- Site Visit Findings Letters & Progress Reports
- Annual Reports
- Deal Breakers & Other Stumbling Blocks
Registration Information
“Webinars can be rough, but this was a thoughtful, well laid out presentation.”
Space is limited. The first attendees to register and pay in full are guaranteed a spot.
- Payment is required at the time of registration.
- Payment will only be accepted via PayPal. (No PayPal account is required.)
- The registration fee must be paid at the time of registration, there is no holding a spot.
- Registration closes two weeks prior to the first day of the workshop – or – when all seats have been reserved, whichever comes first.
- Cancellations are subject to a $50 cancellation fee. Any cancellations made within 14 days of the workshop will not be refunded and cannot be applied to a future workshop.
- Registration is non-transferable unless prior approval is given.
- Registration is per person, not per program.
“These workshops are absolutely essential for anyone going through the accreditation process.”
“This was a truly worthwhile event. I learned quite a bit and picked up a great number of ‘inside tips.’ Highly recommend this for every newly appointed Program Director and periodically as a refresher for those who have been on the job.”
Workshop Requirements
“I would attend a virtual workshop of this caliber again, with no reservations.”
Virtual CAAHEP Accreditation Workshop
In advance of the workshop, you have a home study to complete. Allow four (4) hours to complete it, which can be done over a span of days. Advance study includes:
- Watching 7-9 webinars
- CAAHEP Overview [12 minutes]
- CoAEMSP Overview [35 minutes]
- Completing the Self-Study Report [52 minutes]
- Available Resources [24 minutes]
- Getting Started: An Action Plan for CAAHEP Accreditation [70 minutes]
- ASPA: The Importance of Programmatic Accreditation [1 minute]
- CHEA: Who We Are [2 minutes]
- Program Directors And Written Exam Item Analysis [68 Minutes] – Optional
- Completing the Scavenger Hunt (CAAHEP Standards, CoAEMSP Interpretations, policies, resources on the website) [allow 45 minutes]
- Completing the quiz here [allow 5 minutes]
- Downloading the Self-Study Report applicable to your program
- Writing three (3) burning questions you have regarding the accreditation process
Tech Requirements
“This was so much better than I was expecting with it being virtual. It still felt like we were all together.”
This online workshop will use Zoom. For a more uniform participant experience, plan to join from a computer with a large screen rather than a phone. You’ll need a computer with a camera and a microphone.
If you are attending to meet a requirement set forth in the CoAEMSP Policy and Procedures Manual, you are required to be on camera. No video = no credit for attendance.
For a more effective workshop interaction and to allow for a realistic, participatory experience, attendees must join with audio and video.
Newly updated
content and delivery!
The CAAHEP accreditation workshop has been updated and improved to make it more beneficial in assisting Paramedic education programs with the accreditation process
- Use of small groups to increase collaboration and problem-solving
- Structured networking to gain new ideas and knowledge
- Increased opportunities for active guest
- Reduced redundancy of course material
- Opportunities to share best practices by guests
- Multiple faculty to provide varied perspectives and improved course delivery
- Less lecture and more interaction
- Use of creative teaching methods to improve knowledge and retention
Workshop Descriptions & Objectives
CAAHEP Accreditation Workshop for Paramedic Programs
This workshop is designed to educate attendees on the CAAHEP accreditation process including the self study, site visit, and on-going issues.
The following will be addressed:
- Overview of accreditation process
- Resources
- CoAEMSP Interpretations of the CAAHEP Standards
- Annual Reports
- Findings Letters & Progress Reports
- Site Visits
- Deal Breakers & Other Stumbling Blocks
Why you should plan to attend
These workshops will focus on the 2015 CAAHEP Standards and the Self Study Report templates.
They will serve as an invaluable resource for new program directors, lead instructors, and deans as well as the seasoned program directors.
Some of the Important Information You Will Learn By Attending an Accreditation Workshop
- Accreditation deal breakers
- Identify documentation to make available to the site visit team and methods to organize it
- How many students the SV team wants to interview
- Tips and tricks for making the site visit efficient
- Why it’s important to pay your medical director
- Why you need to look at the CV of the scheduled site visitor
- How many days a site visit typically consists of
- How many site visitors typically come to a site visit
“Although the workshop stuck to a lesson plan, I enjoyed the open-forum atmosphere and the opportunity to ask specific questions. The group quiz activity was fun and kept guests engaged.I also liked the opportunity provided to network with other programs that are in similar stages of accreditation, as well as those re-accrediting.”
Ted Chialtas, Fire Captain/Paramedic, Paramedic Program Coordinator, City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department
Did You Know?
- 98% of accredited programs are college based
- CoAEMSP does the “heavy lifting” for CAAHEP, but CAAHEP awards the accreditation
- If you submit a pile of forms and papers for the self study report without organizing them or following the directions, your program could be recommended for probation!
- If you’ve submitted your self study report, you will be aware of your strengths and your weaknesses
- Make sure you have the most recent reports when you start your self study
- It’s all about documenting—everything!
- Capstone experiences need to occur at the end of the program
- Student Minimum Competency (SMC) Matrix Recommendations is the CoAEMSP’s attempt to make accreditation evidence-based (student-patient contact)
- The executive analysis gives you the opportunity to fix problems before the team arrives
- There are more than 100 site visitors
- Site visitors are Program Directors and Medical Directors who have experienced the accreditation process at their own program
“The workshop was presented in a way that not only provided excellent information as it pertained to the accreditation process, but also kept the attendee engaged. The opportunity to work with other individuals during the Q&A allowed us to network while focusing on the task/question being asked. The ‘parking lot’ allowed us to post questions that we might have thought of after the presentation.”
Orlando J. Dominguez, Jr., RPM, MBA, PD from Eastern Florida State College
Accrediting Agency