Meeting & Agendas

Amanda Brown called the meeting to order. Regina Swearengin welcomes the members and introduces the new DMS &VT Clinical Coordinator, Luis Garza, RDMS, RVT. In addition to clinical coordination for students, Luis is assigned to DMS and VT on-campus clinical sessions.

Remarks: • College has completed the regional accreditation process with SACS. • Programs completed ACC Internal Program Review process • The Sonography Program received a 5 year CAAHEP accreditation in November of 2013

Remarks: • 2013 DMS Graduates: 11 with 8 RDMS (AB and OB); 3 non-passing AB or OB (late information: 1 additional graduate passed AB and OB on second attempt and 1 graduate passing AB on the second attempt bringing the total to 12 grads obtaining RDMS credentials out of 12 attempting at least one exam: 100% pass rate • 2014 DMS class: 14 with 100% pass rate for SPI exam; projected graduation in December of 2014 • Will send out Graduate and Employer Surveys in March • We are proposing the addition of a vascular component to the current DMS program. • Texas State legislation has mandated the decrease in Credit hours from a maximum of 72 to 60 credit hours for Associates Degree Plans (AS/AAS). Discussion occurred later during the meeting. • Addition of PHYS 1410 Applied Physics to ACC Course Inventory and will be offered in Fall of 2014; requirement of PHYS 1401 General College Physics will be phased out; students may take either but curricula will list PHYS 1410 only

• Number of clinical sites for OB student placements; DMS Program is still seeking OB clinical sites that meet CAAHEP Standards and who are willing to accept student placements; some General sites are performing some OB scans; students will have shorter rotations through OB only sites (ARC, Dr. Darby, and NAMC MFM); Mr. Garza may be able to schedule Spanish speaking volunteers for on-campus clinical sessions; Continue to monitor and contact OB offices and clinics • Vascular Program attrition is still a major threat to the program. Many students drop the program because they receive full time employment with the promise of on the job training in vascular. o ARDMS does not require formal education to take the vascular registry if they are already credentialed in General or Cardiac ultrasound. o Students are unable to receive financial aid for this additional semester. o These issues were assessed during our SWOT and IPR (Internal Program Review) in 2013 • Impact of another CAAHEP accredited ultrasound program in Austin teaching Medical and Vascular in two years; some sharing of sites, primarily ARA sites, with unknown impact on an ACC student’s ability to obtain sufficient scanning time and appropriate scanning experiences at shared sites; will continue to monitor student’s case logs and clinical progress and will continue to maintain close contact with all clinical sites • Other clinical challenges include some clinical sites declining student placements, sites too busy for student to obtain scanning experience in first clinical rotation, student communication with CIs/sonographers (not communicating semester requirements, some inappropriate communication with patients/doctors; some attendance policy miss-understandings; confusing communication and expectations in sites with multiple sonographers); will continue to re-iterate Program expectations with students and clinical sites; will continue to monitor • Impact of 60 credit hour maximum-State of Texas mandate on DMS and VT curricula is unknown at this time o The ACC “Workforce Based Associates Degree Programs” are approaching the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to ask for special consideration/ an exemption in regards to the decrease in credit hours. o Although we have just received our CAAHEP accreditation, the credit hour reduction may require another site visit. The JRC-DMS about the mandated credit hour decrease to ask how this will affect the program accreditation. o Impact of the timing of required curricula changes and admission cycles; adequate time for publication of new curricula and Admission Process to meet CAAHEP Standard V. Fair Practices • Curricular proposals for a 60 credit hour DMS Program with concurrent Advanced Technical Certificate Program in VT were presented to the committee

Some members noted that graduates of other Sonography Programs do not always have the necessary skills to meet their needs Concerns from multiple members for reduction in clinical hours in a 60 credit hour curricula; most felt that a reduction from the current clinical hours of the DMS and VT Programs will have a negative effect on students’ skill levels and ability to obtain employment upon graduation; loss of clinical hours will also reduce the time students are able to interact with Radiologists at their sites Dr. Lines commented that the only thing radiologists see (the exam images provided for interpretation) is what the sonographer does. The radiologist cannot provided an accurate reading (report to patient’s physician) without a good scan from the sonographer. Concerns from multiple attendees that the DMS Program would become “watered down” or that less content will be included; Ms. Swearengin assured the committee that all CAAHEP Standards will be met with the same high quality of courses and education currently provided but that some content may be shifted to other courses; in reality, the students will pay less for AAS degree but will receive the same quality of education Ms. Jones noted that students will not be able to develop confidence in their clinical skills as scanning time is already difficult to obtain in some sites. Ms. Jones strongly recommended that the DMS and VT Programs be combined so that all students complete both curricula. Several members noted that the current amount of clinical time in the ACC DMS and VT Programs set the graduates apart from others Members were concerned that the Programs would need to offer more on-campus open lab scanning sessions so that students would be able to develop their scanning skills There was discussion of courses that might be eliminated from the AAS degree plan (Med Terms, Pathophysiology, Intro to Sonography, the two special topics courses); no courses required by the state for the AAS degree plan can be eliminated; no courses specifically required by accreditation (college algebra, college level physics, anatomy and physiology, and communication skills) can be eliminated from the AAS degree plan; Ms. Layne said that Pathophysiology was important to the curricula. Members discussed the ability of admitting all DMS students to the VT Program so that graduates have all the skills required by the vast majority of employers in the region served by ACC. Several stated that grads MUST have RVT to obtain employment! The committee members concluded that the DMS and VT Programs should be combined under one Program title: Diagnostic Medical and Vascular Technology Program. The DMS & VT Programs will keep the Advisory Committee informed of the progress of these curricular changes.

Personnel Resource Surveys were completed

Meeting adjourned.