CAAHEP- Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs

The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) is the largest accreditor of the Health Science programs and post-secondary training programs in Health Science in the United States of America. CAAHEP accredits programs with 25 of its Review Committees on Accreditation. 

It is a non-profit driven affiliation that is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and it is situated in Clearwater, Florida.

• The vision of the commission is to remain as a quality standard set for accrediting Allied Health Education programs.

• The mission of the commission is to grant education to the allied health professionals to serve the interest of the public.

The commission began in 1984 as a tax-exempt organization from its parent organization, Commission on Allied Health Education and Accreditation.

It provides accreditation to postsecondary training programs in Health Science. Almost 2,100 individual programs across 30 Health Science occupations are accredited by the CAAHEP. 

CAAHEP is also a member organization of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA).

Guiding values of CAAHEP

CAAHEP works to ensure that professional medical education is standardized and practically prepares students for a challenging medical life. The guiding values of the organization are as follows.

• Integrity

• Accountability

• Collaboration

• Consensus

• Innovation

Eligibility requirements for CAAHEP accreditation 2020

Few conditions have to be met by the institution before applying for the CAAHEP accreditation. A few of them are given below.

• The foundations offering restorative sciences programs must be open or be a private postsecondary institution as per the rules in the U.S. Division of Training.

• The program executive must take responsibility for the association along with the programs that it organizes in order to facilitate timely improvement in the quality of learning that the institution imparts.

• The program chief must be qualified and contribute 40 work-hours in medical assistance.

• A medical consultant who is either a doctor, doctor aide, or expert should be present.

• An Advisory Board should conduct annual meetings to survey the quality of programs.

• The faculty should be learned to provide competent training sessions for their wards.

• Support staff must help in the day by day activities of the organization.

• Sufficient financial resources should be pooled to aid the day to day activities of the organization.

• Necessary equipment should be made available for the students to help in practical sessions.

• An adequate number of hours should be allotted for the academic sessions. 

Source: WorldArtsMe

CAAHEP accreditation process 2020

Few steps in the accreditation process are given below.

• A request for accreditation is submitted

• A self-study report is submitted by the program. The first step in the accreditation process is the submission of the self-study report.

• Representatives from the CoA review the self-study report.

• The next step is the onsite visit by the selected members of the accreditation commission.

• A report is generated as a response to the onsite visit.

• A review of the standard of program accreditation is performed.

• Drafting of the accreditation recommendation is done.

• A continuous review of quality is performed. 

Decision-making bodies of CAAHEP

The CAAHEP Board of Directors is a collection of chosen as well as appointed individuals who together administer the exercises of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The BOD's exercises are dictated by the powers, obligations, and duties assigned by the CAAHEP Commission, the full assembly of CAAHEP individuals.

[Also Read: What is Accreditation in Colleges and Universities?] 

It has 23 Committees on Accreditation (COA) that work with the 30 professional fields for which CAAHEP authorizes programs.

The functions of the Board of Directors are given below.

• Grant accreditation

• Explore self-contemplates

• Plan site visits

• Fill the principal contact of each program

• Perform survey

• Design accreditation proposals

Source: Business Fulcrum Limited

Sponsoring organizations of CAAHEP

Some of the sponsoring organizations of the CAAHEP are given below.

CAAHEP Sponsoring Organisations
American Association of Blood Banks	Accreditation Committee- Perfusion Education
Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education	Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting
Alliance of Cardio Vascular Professionals	American Academy of Paediatrics
American Ambulance Association	American Art Therapy Association
American Clinical Neurophysiology Society	American College of Cardiology

Strategic plan for student's success

The strategic plans framed for the benefit of the students are given here.

• Increase the status of CAAHEP as a brand.

• Delivery of unparalleled services to the students and customers.

• Strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of operations throughout CAAHEP.

Universities with CAAHEP accreditation

There are many institutions that have the CAAHEP accreditation which has helped build better standards of Health Science programs. Some of the universities which have CAAHEP accredited programs are mentioned here. 

Name of the university
Emory University	South University
Indiana University	University of Missouri
Arkansas Tech University	Loma Linda University
University of Alaska Southeast	University of Missouri

Conclusion

The CAAHEP is the association that gives accreditation to colleges and universities offering programs in Health Science largely, being the largest accreditor of such programs. They are striving to improve the services in Health Science by establishing strong standards and guidelines throughout.

The mission, vision, and values of the organization are focused on improving the quality of Allied Health Programs. Hence a CAAHEP accreditation would improve the quality of health services and research.