Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, (or CAAHEP), is an accreditation agency for postsecondary education programs in 30 health science fields. Programmatic accreditation is granted after an education program is reviewed and it is determined that the program is in compliance with the profession's accreditation Standards. A not-for-profit organization, CAAHEP is recognized by the

Council for Higher Education Accreditation The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is a United States organization of degree-granting colleges and universities. It identifies its purpose as providing national advocacy for academic quality through accreditation in order ...

(CHEA). It is based in

Clearwater, Florida Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, northwest of Tampa and St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2020 census, the city had a popu ...

Members and leadership

*CAAHEP's members are organizations that represent the professions accredited by CAAHEP and/or the institutions that teach CAAHEP accredited programs. *CAAHEP's leadership is composed of both a Commission and a Board of Directors. The individuals who serve as Commissioners are representatives from CAAHEP's sponsoring organizations, along with a recent graduate of a CAAHEP accredited program and members of the general public. The Commissioners approve the organization's mission, vision, and bylaws, and decide which health science professions qualify to take part in the CAAHEP accreditation system. CAAHEP is also led by a Board of Directors, whose members are elected from among the Commissioners. When an education program in a health science profession seeks CAAHEP accreditation, the program will work with that profession's Committee on Accreditation (CoA).

Brief History

In 1904, the

American Medical Association The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. Founded in 1847, it is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was approximately 240,000 in 2016. The AMA's sta ...

established its Council on Medical Education (CME). The CME developed a rating system of medical schools in 1905, initiated inspections in 1906, and classified the institutions in 1907. The AMA then collaborated with the Carnegie Foundation to conduct a study of the quality of medical education that resulted in the Flexner Report in 1910. These early efforts subsequently led to the development of specialized accreditation for the education of health professionals. It was also the precursor of accreditation activities for most other professional associations. Early in the 1930s, several national bodies requested the collaboration of the AMA in establishing accreditation for education programs in their areas of interest. These early efforts established a basis and pattern for the role of the AMA in collaborating with other national associations for the accreditation of health sciences education programs. From 1935 through 1976, the recognized agency was the AMA Council on Medical Education. In 1976 the CME delegated to the newly formed Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA) the responsibility and authority for health sciences education accreditation. In October, 1992 the AMA announced its intent to support the establishment of a new and independent agency to assume the accreditation responsibilities of CAHEAThat new agency, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) was incorporated in May, 1994

Programs Accredited by CAAHEP

CAAHEP accredits over 2,200 programs in 28 health science disciplines. The programs reside in more than 1,300 postsecondary educational institutions across the United States and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

Accredited Professions

;by CAAHEP the professions are: *Advanced Cardiovascular Sonography * Anesthesia Technician/Technologist *

Anesthesiologist Assistant In the United States, certified anesthesiologist assistants (CAAs) are clinicians that practice medicine under the direction of licensed anesthesiologists to implement anesthesia care plans for a patient undergoing surgery. CAAs are integral members ...

*Art Therapist *

Assistive Technology Assistive technology (AT) is a term for assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for Disability, people with disabilities and the elderly. Disabled people often have difficulty performing activities of daily living (ADLs) independently, ...

* Cardiovascular Technologist *Clinical Research Professional * Cytotechnologist * Diagnostic Medical Sonographer *

Emergency medical services Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...

Exercise Physiology Exercise physiology is the physiology of physical exercise. It is one of the allied health professions, and involves the study of the acute responses and chronic adaptations to exercise. Exercise physiologists are the highest qualified exercise ...

* Exercise Science *Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring *

Kinesiotherapist Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...

Lactation Consultant A lactation consultant is a health professional who specializes in the clinical management of breastfeeding. The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) certifies lactation consultants who meet its criteria and have passed ...

Medical Assistant A medical assistant, also known as a "clinical assistant" or healthcare assistant in the USA is an allied health professional who supports the work of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other health professionals, usuall ...

* Medical Illustrator *Orthoptic Fellowship Programs *Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician *Orthotic/Prosthetic Assistant *Orthotist and Prosthetist *Pedorthist *

Perfusionist A cardiovascular perfusionist, clinical perfusionist or perfusiologist, and occasionally a cardiopulmonary bypass doctor or clinical perfusion scientist, is a healthcare professional who operates the cardiopulmonary bypass machine (heart–lung m ...

*Personal Fitness Trainer *Polysomnographic Technologist *

Recreational Therapy Recreational therapy or therapeutic recreation (TR) is a systematic process that utilizes recreation (leisure) and other activities as interventions to address the assessed needs of individuals with illnesses and/or disabling conditions, as a mea ...

*Inclusive Rehabilitation Sciences *Respiratory Care *Specialist in Blood Banking Technology *Surgical Assistant *

Surgical Technologist A surgical technologist, also called a scrub, scrub tech, surgical technician, or operating room technician, is an allied health professional working as a part of the team delivering surgical care. Surgical technologists are members of the surg ...

References

External links

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs- Official WebsiteCommittees on Accreditation Roster"''CAAHEP Accreditation Manual''," CAAHEP revised 2016, pp.6, Clearwater, FLSearch listing of CAAHEP accredited programs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Commission On Accreditation Of Allied Health Education Programs School accreditors Allied health professions-related professional associations Health education in the United States