Fundamentals of Accreditation Workshop
for the EMS Professions

Presented by CoAEMSP effective November 1, 2022

Fundamentals of Accreditation Workshop for the EMS Professions presented by CoAEMSP

“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.”

2024

March 19-20 – Irving, TX (Dallas area) *Registration Closed*
Texican Court
day 1: 8:00a-5:00p
day 2: 8:00a-12:00p
Registration fee is $495

Room reservations
rate: $189++
cut-off date: Saturday, February 17
reserve online
call toll-free 833-839-4226
group code: CoAEMSP

May 30 – Oklahoma City, OK
@ACCREDITCON
Omni Hotel
8:00a-5:00p
Registration fee is $350

Register Here

October 23-24 – location TBD
day 1: 8:00a-5:00p
day 2: 8:00a-12:00p
Registration fee is $495
Registration opens on August 1, 2024

 

Workshops are held in person, no virtual workshops are planned.

These workshops are designed to educate participants on the 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.

Fundamentals of Accreditation Workshop Agenda
Jan-2024 Download
Slides: Fundamentals of Accreditation Workshop for EMS Programs
Jan-2024 Download

The following will be addressed:

  • Overview of the accreditation process
  • Resources
  • 2023 CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines
  • CoAEMSP Interpretations of the 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; there is no holding a spot.
  • Payment will only be accepted via PayPal. (No PayPal account is required.)
  • Registration closes two weeks prior to the first day of the workshop – or – when registration is full, 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 ‘insider 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 workshop of this caliber again, with no reservations.”

Advance Homework

In preparation for the workshop, please watch these recorded webinars and complete the Scavenger Hunt and Quiz.

Fundamentals of Accreditation Workshop for the EMS Professions

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. The advanced study includes:

  • Watching 8 webinars

CHEA Recognition [2 minutes] CAAHEP Orientation [24 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

Content and delivery

The Fundamentals of Accreditation Workshop for the EMS Professions 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 the 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

Fundamentals of Accreditation Workshop for the EMS Professions

This workshop is designed to educate attendees on the CAAHEP accreditation process, including the self-study report, site visit, best practices, and maintaining accreditation.

The following will be addressed:

  • Overview of the 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 2023 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.

What Participants Say About the Accreditation Workshops

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 in 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