| NOTE: This electronic communication
is distributed to all those interested in allied health education
and careers.
E-mail: dorothy_grant@ama-assn.org
Web: http://unity.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1534.1.197721
Dear Reader,
I had the pleasure and honor last month of attending -- and
presenting at -- the annual meeting of the Commission on Accreditation
of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in Albuquerque.
Just as historic Route 66 goes through downtown Albuquerque,
I took a brief trip down memory lane to examine what the AMA
has done in allied health since ending its formal involvement
in program accreditation in 1994 -- from expanding the scope
of the Health Professions Career and Education Directory (see
http://unity.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1534.2.197721)
to developing, in 2001, this e-letter.
CAAHEP, too, has had an interesting past and faces many challenges
-- and opportunities -- as it celebrates its 10th anniversary
(see article #3 for more). It is in the best interest of the
allied health community -- and the US health care system --
that CAAHEP continue to be a strong force for ensuring quality
education.
- Fred Donini-Lenhoff
Health Professions E-Letter, May 2004
1. AMA survey now available online
2. Quotable: Physician practices
often underuse allied health professionals
3. CAAHEP: Reflecting on the past,
debating the future of allied health
4. Provide your input on role of
radiologic assistant
5. Allied health advocacy is key
focus of Health Professions Network
6. Health care "wired, integrated,
paperless" by 2015?
7. CSI star William Peterson salutes
lab professionals, addresses shortage
8. Magnetic resonance technology
is "Allied Health Profession of the Month"
9. Meeting the challenges of laboratory
staffing
10. Radiologic science associations
offer "essential education"
11. Interested in asthma education?
REMINDER: Order your copy of the Health
Professions Career and Education Directory online at:
http://unity.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1534.2.197721
1. AMA survey now available online
The 2004 Survey of Health Professions Education Programs
is now online, with nearly 700 programs having completed the
survey already.
Data collected on this survey will appear in the 2005-2006
editions of the Health Professions Career and Education Directory
and Health Professions Education Data Book.
Program directors: Did you receive an e-mail with the
survey login information?
If not, please contact Dorothy Grant at dorothy_grant@ama-assn.org
(312 464-4936) for login information.
2. Quotable: Physician practices often
underuse allied health professionals
"Could nonphysician personnel substitute for physicians
in performing some tasks, thereby decompressing physician
work load? Practices frequently underuse the capabilities
of receptionists and medical assistants. In the case of Dr
R, a medical assistant could have been trained in comparing
the patient's medication list with the pills the patient was
actually taking, saving Dr R 5 minutes of the medical visit.
Low-cost investment in staff training -- either on-the-job
or in local community colleges -- can unleash the full potential
of team members."
- from "Can Health Care Teams Improve Primary Care
Practice?"
Kevin Grumbach, MD, and Thomas Bodenheimer, MD
JAMA, March 10, 2004, Vol 291, No 10, pp 1246-1251
For a complimentary copy of this article, send an e-mail
to meded@ama-assn.org
with the word "team" in the subject line of your
e-mail. You will receive an auto-reply e-mail with the article
attached as an Adobe Acrobat file.
3. CAAHEP: Reflecting on the past,
debating future of allied health
With the departure of the athletic training review committee
and the announcement that the diagnostic medical sonography
review committee may be considering leaving CAAHEP, the Commission
is facing (another) pivotal moment in its now 10-year history.
Meeting in Albuquerque last month, CAAHEP directors and commissioners
grappled with this issue and its repercussions. A chief concern:
What is allied health, and what constitutes an allied health
profession? As one attendee put it, "Some of the professions
that have left CAAHEP have left allied health."
Bill Teutsch, CEO of the Association of Surgical Technologists
(and first president of CAAHEP) set the tone for the meeting
with his keynote address, in which he challenged CAAHEP leadership
to consider possible structural changes.
Other topics at the meeting included workforce challenges,
distance education, the Allied Health Reinvestment Act, health
care quality and patient error, and health literacy.
4. Provide your input on role of radiologist
assistant
Comments are invited on the draft of a Role Delineation document
for radiologist assistants, which will serve as the basis
for certification in the profession by the American Registry
of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT).
Submit your comments by June 15 either online at http://unity.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1534.3.197721
(in theradiologist assistant section) or via mail: ARRT, Dept
ED, 1255 Northland Dr, St Paul MN 55120
5. Allied health advocacy is key focus
of Health Professions Network
As the largest national coalition of allied health professional
organizations, the Health Professions Network (HPN) is concentrating
on allied health advocacy.
The HPN Advocacy Team met recently to discuss how best to
support current pro-allied health initiatives, such as the
Allied Health Reinvestment Act, the Department of Labor’s
health workforce initiatives, and the Health Professions and
Nursing Education Coalition’s (HPNEC) efforts to restore
federal funding for health care providers.
HPN participated in HPNEC’s Hill Day to lobby federal
legislators to restore funding for Title VII and Title VIII
programs in FY2005. Allied health grants and contracts are
funded by Title VII money along with several other programs
designed to increase workforce diversity, primary health care,
geriatric care, and access for underserved populations.
In addition to its political agenda, the HPN will continue
to support the annual promotion of Allied Health Professions
Week, November 7-13, 2004, and through its national campaign
to inform K-12 student of allied health career choices.
To learn more about HPN, see: http://unity.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1534.4.197721
6. Health care "wired,
integrated, paperless" by 2015?
A new bipartisan bill would facilitate "a fully wired,
integrated, paperless" healthcare system by 2015.
Tentatively titled "The Quality, Efficiency, Standards,
and Technology for Healthcare Transformation Act," this
legislation will promote information technology as a method
of improving health care while reducing costs.
In a related story, President Bush said he will create a new
post at Health and Human Services to ensure every American
has apersonal electronic medical record within 10 years.
For more on the importance of a national health information
infrastructure to improve patient safety and patient care,
see Patient Safety: Achieving a New Standard for Care, from
the National Academies Press, at: http://unity.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1534.5.197721
7. CSI star William Petersen salutes
lab professionals, addresses shortage
The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) teamed
up with actor William Petersen, star of "CSI: Crime Scene
Investigation," to promote laboratory professionals as
the "real heroes" during National Medical Laboratory
Week, April 18-24.
Petersen worked with ASCP to create a special 15-second public
service announcement, nationally broadcast on CBS, that delivers
his personal salute to pathologists and laboratory professionals.
To read more and hear the PSA, see:
http://unity.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1534.6.197721
8. Magnetic resonance technology
is "Allied Health Profession of the Month"
Now featured on the Health Professions Network's Web site
is the professions of magnetic resonance technology:
http://unity.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1534.7.197721
Profiled in recent months were surgical neurophysiology,
athletic training, interventional radiology, and orthoptics.
To request that HealthProNet.org feature your health profession
in the future, send an e-mail to: webmaster@healthpronet.org
9. Meeting the challenges of
laboratory staffing
"Meeting the Challenges of Laboratory Staffing: Long
and Short Term Solutions"
June 3, Washington, DC
Sponsored by
- American Society for Clinical Pathology
- American Association for Clinical Chemistry
- American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
Struggling to fill positions and maintain a full staff? Worried
about a workforce on the verge of retirement? Register now!
Early bird price is good through May 12. See: http://unity.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1534.8.197721
10. Radiologic science associations
offer "essential education"
2004 ASRT/AERS Annual Conference
American Society of Radiologic Technologists and
Association of Educators in Radiological Sciences
Adam’s Mark Hotel, Dallas
June 11-15
Courses at the 2004 ASRT/AERS Annual Conference will cover
many topics, such as business management, mammography, radiation
safety techniques, and diversity.
For the first time, AERS and ASRT will offer a student track,
"Career and Professional Development," with information
on leadership opportunities in education, resume writing and
interviewing skills, surviving a dysfunctional workplace,
and balancing work with personal demands.
For more information (Adobe Acrobat Reader required), see:
http://unity.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1534.9.197721
11. Interested in asthma education?
The National Asthma Educator Certification board (NAECB)
is accepting nominations for its 2005-2007 Board of Director
terms.
Allergists, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and nurses
are being sought, and health educators are especially encouraged
to apply. For more information, see: http://unity.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1534.10.197721
Deadline for applications is July 10.
ABOUT US . . .
The Health Professions Career and Education E-letter is produced
by the American Medical Association (AMA).
This periodic newsletter covers educational trends and career-related
issues for more than 50 professions
that participate in the delivery of health care, including diagnostic
and rehabilitative services, therapeutic treatments, health
or information services management, counseling for psychosocial
and cognitive needs, or related services.
Newsletter readers and contributors include staff of health
professions accrediting agencies, educational programs and institutions,
professional organizations, certifying/licensing boards, and
media contacts.
Previous issues are available online at: http://unity.ama-assn.org/UM/T.asp?A40.576.1534.11.197721
GIVE US YOUR STORY IDEAS AND FEEDBACK
What's happening in the world of health professions? If you
have any leads or story ideas, please contact us. Also, let
us know what you think about this newsletter--and feel free
to forward it to your colleagues.
Direct suggestions, comments, compliments, gripes, to:
Fred Donini-Lenhoff, Medical Education Products
515 N State St, Chicago, IL 60610
312 464-4635
312 464-5830 fax
fred_lenhoff@ama-assn.org
http://www.ama-assn.org/go/hpe-letter
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Copyright 2003, American Medical Association
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