Meeting & Agendas

Information: Self-Study submitted to JRC-DMS Awaiting assignment of dates for Site Visit Reviewed process of actual Site Visit CAAHEP would vote on re-accreditation of DMS and DCS and initial accreditation of ESC-VT in 2008

Information: Review of graduate and employer surveys (2006 and 2007) graduating classes using Self-Study matrix Discussion: Program is meeting goals Program will continue to monitor; if respondents rate a domain (Cognitive, Psychomotor, Affective) below the “cut score” of 3 on a 5 point Likert scale Information: ARDMS exam pass rates for 2006 and 2007 using the Self-Study ARDMS exam pass rate spread sheet, ARDMS School Reports, and ARDMS website list of credentialed sonographers Discussion: Program is meeting stated goals despite some student procrastinating on taking exams and seeking employment until many months after graduation; Mr. Mackey offered himself as a guest speaker on this topic Changes to CAAHEP Standards and therefore, programmatic accreditation requirements beginning in 2008; Program is currently meeting the Benchmarks that will apply beginning in 2008 Program will continue to provide students with preparation for ARDMS exams (including updates and changes as a result of institution of Sonography Principles and Instrumentation exam (single physics) Information: Faculty and 3 DMS students attended SDMS Annual Conference, 2007 Changes to curriculum implemented with 2006 class Publication of National Educational Curriculum in 2008 (Ms. Swearengin is part of the SDMS Task Force developing the NEC) Ms. Swearengin continues to serve as JRC-DMS Site Visitor Ms. Iselt assisting with DMSO 1441 lecture course and DMSO 1260 lab (including Open Labs) Considering returning to previous physics text with supplements for hemodynamics and Doppler SDMS Educational Foundation Scholarships and Grants available to students including new grant for registry exam fees Upcoming publication of NEC will address Sonography educational content/courses: general education, Sonography core curriculum (physics, patient care, etc.), clinical (The SCAN), and Sonography specialties; anticipated publication date of mid to late 2008 ESC-VT is fully implemented into curriculum and first group of students is enrolled; attrition rate of 50% by the end of DSVT 1300 (due to student health issues, difficulty with AAS degree content, personal issues, and other financial and family issues); 4 students (3 DMS and 1 DCS) registering for final semester of ESC-VT (spring 2008) as one DMS student took a full-time Sonographer position; adjustments to course content will be made (within WECM restrictions) so that ESC-VT students will not receive all vascular content until the final courses are completed A Viasys physiologic testing unit was purchased for the ESC-VT program out of Perkins grant funding Discussion: The committee discussed methods of retaining students in the ESC-VT such as providing these students with part-time or PRN employment during the final ESC-VT semester and strongly supporting the students completing all courses; Ms. Swearengin suggested that the Program work with employers to present employment options to ESC-VT students early in their course-work so that the students can plan their resources; Mr. Ziegler and Mr. Mackey both stated that their facilities place great emphasis on graduates obtaining the RVT credential as soon as possible and that they would be able to provide part-time/PRN employment opportunities for these students to be able to finish the ESC-VT Ms. Garza noted that one student discovered that she did not have an interest in Vascular once she was assigned to that area during clinical rotations; the Program will ensure that all students will have exposure to Vascular studies prior to making a decision to apply for admission into the ESC-VT Ms. Lack stated that the amount of coursework and difficulty of the ESC-VT courses was manageable as long as she planned her study time well Information: Ms. Swearengin, Mr. Marshall, Ms. Garza, Ms. Iselt and Ms. Cornelius related some challenges facing the DMS program in the future: faculty scheduling and need for tutoring (didactic and clinical) limits time for clinical visits; increase in demand for individual tutoring to assist students in passing their Sonography courses; lack of back-up faculty in certain courses; evaluation and adoption of new textbook Scheduling of clinical placements continues to have difficulties, as in all of the other health science programs (new facilities, new hires, heavy case loads, vascular placements in the spring semester, and need for OB sites/placements; lack of back-up sites due to strict scheduling protocols by some facilities, time restraints for securing new clinical affiliations, sites that perform sonograms without employing credentialed sonographers cannot be used for student placements) Discussion: The Program will continue to seek additional OB site affiliations (many OB/Gyn offices are unwilling or unable to accept students); Mr. Mackey stated that there will be additional OB/Gyn physicians at the new S&W University Medical Campus location in Round Rock but it will be next year before that site will be able to accept any student placements Information: Ms. Swearengin related that reports on clinical experiences from students reveal incidences of sonographers not wiping gel from transducers between patient uses, not cleaning transducers with soap & water &/or wipes between patient uses, lack of hand washing between patients, and general lack of cleanliness in some departments; lack of good ergonomics is commonly noted; the faculty feel that it is extremely distressing to have the students learn bad habits and practices in the clinical setting; recent graduates have complained of MSK problems Discussion: Ms. Swearengin asked if the committee approved of brining these issues to the Radiologic Technology Advisory Committee meeting in December and the entire committee felt that it was appropriate to do since these issues affect patient and sonographer safety; Dr. Lines (also the Rad Tech Medical Advisor) was strongly supportive of bringing this issue to the Rad Tech committee; Mr. Mackey stated that S&W requires the sonographer to sign off on declining to use ergonomic devices.

Discussion: The committee discussed the current sonography lab equipment and suggested that the Program and college seek to replace the current equipment with units that are comparable in capability to what is used in the clinical setting; Dr. Lines suggested seeking grant funding for the Program and Dean Klein stated that the college has recently expanded efforts and personnel for grant funding; Dean Klein encouraged the Program to work through the various college systems if upgraded equipment is needed; the Program faculty feel strongly that upgraded equipment will be needed to meet industry standards and practices.

None at this time; the Program will most likely bring changes to courses and/or curriculum once WECM updates, the NEC is published, CAAHEP Standards are reviewed for compliance, and new ARDMS exam content outlines go into effect – 2008/2009.

No other agenda presented. Meeting adjourns.