Meeting & Agendas

Current 2018 DMVS Advisory Committee Members not able to attend: William Lindsley, RDMS (AB, OB, FE), RVT, Ultrasound Educator, St. David’s North Austin Med. Ctr. MFM Celeste Sheppard, MD, Clinical Director of Ultrasound, Dept.of Women’s Health, Dell Medical School Jeremy Orlikoski, RVT, Lead Vascular Sonographer, Seton Heart and Vascular Institute Kristy Kirchofer, RVT, Lead Vascular Sonographer, St. David’s Cardiovascular Imaging Brad White, RDMS, RVT, Clinical Instructor, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, Round Rock Amelia Decker, RDMS, RVT, Staff Sonographer, Austin Radiological Association Carey D’Ambrose, RDMS, RVT, Lead Sonographer, Cedar Park Regional Medical Center Esther Wells, RDMS, RVT, Imaging Manager, St. David’s Round Rock Hospital Ellison Marshall, RDMS, RVT, ACC Sonography Adjunct Faculty (Sonography Principles and Instrumentation) Leigh Ann Iselt, RDMS, Sonographer Cornerstone OB/Gyn and DMS Adjunct Faculty Sharrah Erwin, RDMS, Lead Sonographer, Seton Maternal Fetal Medicine Stacey Corley, RDMS, RVT, Staff Sonographer Austin Radiological Assoc. and DMVS Adjunct Faculty Invited but unable to attend: Dr. Gretchen Rhiel, ACC Associate VP, Workforce Education

Regina Swearingen called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm and extended a welcome to the attendees. Each attendee introduced themselves and what facility they were associated with; Web-Ex attendees were signing on.

Thanks to all attendees for their time and input! Meeting adjourned 7:30 pm. The next DMVS Program Advisory Committee Meeting will be held on April 25, 2019 in conjunction with the DCVS Program meeting.

Regina Swearingen thanked all the current clinical sites.

• 2016-2018 Completion Ceremony held on August 11, 2018 10 DMVS Graduates 100% pass rate with all students graduating with ARDMS credentials of RDMS and RVT Most recent ARDMS Global Exam Performance Summary is from 2017 77% for ABD and 72% for OB/Gyn Total Passed; 84% ABD and 79% OB/Gyn first time test takers 69% for VT Total Passed; 75% VT first time test takers 67% for Sonography Principles and Instrumentation exam; 75% first time test takers • 2015-2016 Outcomes posted on Program website Required by CAAHEP & JRC-DMS Attrition for DMS: 17% (7% academic and 10% health/financial/relocation) Attrition for VT: 22% (5% academic and 17% financial) Job Placement and Credential Success: 100% for DMS and VT 2018 DMVS Graduates: 80% employment to date; unknown status of two grads

• Current survey results  Graduates and Employers: 90% are 4-5 on Likert scale in most categories  Surveys will be sent out using Google or Survey Monkey and can be sent as paper form as well  Will send out early next year due to timing of JRC-DMS Site Visit in April

• We are working through changes approved at the previous Advisory Committee meeting which began in Fall of 2018  Return of Sonographic Sectional Anatomy  Increased clinical hours in the beginning clinical courses (DMSO 1260 and DSVT 1260)  Removal of Cardiovascular Concepts and replaced with intro to Vascular in 3rd semester of the AAS portion of Program  Re-ordering of non-Sonography co-requisite courses in Spring I and Summer II semesters  Increased clinical hours in Spring II  Reorganization of DSVT courses in Summer II • College continues to fine-tune Guided Pathways system for students new to college and Student Services (Advisors and Counselors) • Many changes to Student Services with each campus having a Completion Counselor and a Clinical Counselor; some have a Career Counselor as well • Health Sciences is hiring a Division Retention Coordinator that will work closely with Student Services Counselors; more availability for students • Sonography faculty visited with RRC Counselors and shared information; no Completion Counselor at RRC as yet • Health Sciences will have an Assembly in January at which time the EVC Counselors will give presentations and take faculty questions • Sonography website changed to new format with new expanded Online Information Session • Students took ARDMS credentialing exams prior to graduation within the time frame specified by the Programs (scheduled exams at the end of the Summer II semester) • Using Trajecsys reporting system for all students to enter attendance, case logs and reference documents for Clinical Instructors/Preceptors • We are considering using Trajecsys for some evaluations and other documentation Discussion among attendees regarding use of Trajecsys for off-campus grading/evaluations—most felt it would be not only “doable” but better than paper only evaluations (Sherri Lynn, Heather Lawrence, Tori Veloz); Regina suggested use of paper forms for documenting skills that must be observed and transferring that to Trajecsys form when evaluating the images—significant CI and sonographer training will be needed; Pat asked about CI’s using iPads but majority of attendees felt that would not be feasible or even helpful for sonography. The Sonography Programs will continue to work on using Trajecsys for on-campus grading and develop Trajecsys forms for off-campus grading in the future. • CAAHEP Standards are still in process of updating/revisions; implementation date unknown • State of Texas Program of Study for Sonography still in process; implementation date unknown • Low number of applications for Sonography Programs in 2018 due to unknown causes • Entire pool ranked and students placed in either elected Program or in a Program with seats available • Able to accept 12 students for each Program (DMVS and DCVS) • This process provided both Programs with students who ranked high in the pool and students who ranked just high enough to be accepted Attrition • The DMVS Program continues to see attrition due to a variety of causes in the admission classes of 2017 and 2018. • Causes for attrition continue to be health issues such as experiencing significant pain while scanning, exacerbation of known health issues, occurrence of previously unknown physical/health issues, mental health issues as well as relocations, career change, and academic and clinical failures. Action Plan • Individual advising by Sonography Faculty continues • Revised Online Sonography Information Session and website content • Use of TEAS test Total and Reading Scores • Early intervention with referral to Counselor before in danger of failing • Introduced the LASSI (Learning and Study Strategies Inventory) to identify attitude, study skills, concentration, test strategies, time management, motivation and anxiety levels • Use of Ultrasound Student Assessment test for logic, hand-eye coordination, visualization, math, science, and other pertinent skills and abilities. We are considering using this as part of Admission Process in the future o Debi Flores stated that the X-Ray Program initiated a 4 hour pre-clinical orientation for new admits to ensure that students entering the X-Ray program were more aware of the requirements of the job/workplace. Regina stated that Sonography faculty had been brain-storming to develop something like that but the logistics and time needed to have applicants go to 3-4 different departments to see all specialties would be difficult. It’s potentially possible that during a Sonography Information Session potential applicants could be allowed to hold the transducer and “scan” to see how they do but again, the logistics of that will take time to work out. Clinical Placements • Access to clinical sites is limited and present a significant challenge for student placements  ACC cannot send students outside of service area without permission from other colleges  Planning for clinical rotations without assurance that sites will be available impacts student’ abilities to complete required competencies  Revised CAAHEP Standards will clearly state that competencies must be done on clinical site patients only; scans in on-campus clinical will not suffice • Sharing of DMS and VT clinical sites may have less impact due to closure of another local Sonography Program that utilized the same DMS and VT sites as the ACC DMVS Program. • Some clinical sites only able to accept students on certain days which can conflict with lecture days/times

• Site Visit for re-accreditation for all Sonography Programs scheduled for April 11-12, 2019 • Site Visitors will select 4-5 sites to physically visit during the two day visit (which usually only takes 20 min) • Program accreditation continues during the entire re-accreditation process

• Not all types of vascular exams are performed in all clinical sites  Limited access for students due to sporadic nature of occurrence and level of student instruction and scanning skills  Hospitals primarily performing procedures inhibits a student’s ability to obtain scanning experience in complete studies/scans  Some students have to attend up to 3 different sites per week during a semester to complete required competencies • Students not able to scan during the day  Too busy/ scans on tight, short schedule/ add-ons and work-ins put daily schedules behind  Training new hires  Student skill level: unable to participate during early clinical rotations  Some sonographers not working with students to improve scanning  Disparities between off-campus and on-campus grading with students seeking out “easy grader” sonographers o Discussion on improving quality of grading including grading done by ACC faculty at clinical site for a minimum number of scans per semester; Luis and Jessica remarked on the need for more personnel for that to occur. • Changes to DMS Clinical Competency requirements has all Competencies listed for the 2nd year of the Program with requirements for a minimum number and type of Challenges for a semester but allows students to work on any Competencies that can be achieved at his/her clinical site o Julie Hughes commented that the students appreciated the flexibility of the new format and that graduates encouraged current students to plan on completing as many Competencies as possible during a given rotation. Heather Lawrence, recent graduate, agreed that the new format will allow students to be more proactive in obtaining their Competencies in whatever scans types are available during a semester and not to wait until the end of the Program to complete Comps!

• Clinical Instructor/Preceptor training  Planning major clinical instructor/preceptor training with CMEs  We will put the information and training sessions in Trajecsys and on ACC Sonography website • Added faculty to assist with DMS and VT on-campus sessions: hired Jill Roberts, RDMS, RVT for 3 days/week

 Suggestions for improving clinical rotations: yearly clinical rotation schedules may be possible due to changes in teaching schedules on-campus and with less impact of shared sites allowing more flexibility in clinical rotation assignments; group felt that would be possible and even welcome. The Sono Programs would still check with clinical sites each semester prior to finalizing placements.  Suggestions for improving student evaluations; discussed during meeting  Clinical Instructor use of Trajecsys to complete some student evaluations: discussed during meeting  Suggestions for increasing number of applicants and/or application process ◦ ? Addition of USA aptitude test (visualization, hand-eye coordination, persistence, etc.) ◦ Involving ACC Marketing department and possibly students in ACC Marketing degree plan to develop outreach and advertisements to high schools ◦ Use of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to improve information about ACC Sonography Programs ◦ Continued involvement in ACC career fairs and open house events to demonstrate Sonography ◦ Return to a face-to-face Sonography Information Session that involves current students and recent graduates as well as employers to go along with the Online Information Session…possible once a semester at each campus. ◦ Impact of closure of another local Sonography Program may improve application numbers ◦ Tori, Heather, and Sherri noted that they hear from those outside of ACC that the Program is “too hard to get into”, applicants have to have a 4.0 GPA, there is a “waiting list” that is too long, and other erroneous information about the ACC Sonography Programs. Debi Flores noted that there are still a lot of people who think you have to be an X-Ray tech or nurse to do Sonography. Regina stated that all ACC Health Sciences Programs have a competitive admission processes but some are more stringent than others. Non-regionally accredited institutions usually have few or no admission criteria which allows applicants to start when they want. Regina has heard from potential applicants that the other program (the closed program) appealed to them because they didn’t have to wait to start. ◦ Dr. Lines suggested more information about the successes of the Program on the main Sonography website. Regina stated that the CAAHEP outcomes are posted on the website but the FAQs could be more prominent.