NEW PROGRAM PROPOSAL: ACTION AAS IN DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL SONOGRAPHY Agenda Item J-5a ELIZABETHTOWN COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE June 9, 2017 Recommendation That the Board of Regents approve an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Diagnostic Medical Sonography with tracks in General/Vascular Sonography, General Sonography, Vascular Sonography, and Cardiac Sonography for Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (ECTC) to be implemented in spring 2018. Rationale The proposed AAS degree is consistent with the missions of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) and ECTC and supports the statewide postsecondary education strategic agenda and the statewide strategic implementation plan. The Diagnostic Medical Sonography program was structured by the KCTCS Sonography curriculum committee to prepare graduates for the certification exam(s) and meet all Joint Review Committee for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS), and Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) standards. ECTC was approached by the Chief Radiologist of HMH (Hardin Memorial Health), the largest hospital in the ECTC service region, regarding the need for providing a steady stream of a qualified DMS graduates. Recently, the closure of the Sonography programs at St. Catherine s College and Jefferson Community and Technical College have created a reduction in the number of entry-level sonographers in the ECTC service region, just as demand for sonographers has increased. Workforce demand data for Kentucky indicates that there are 60 annual openings for diagnostic medical sonographers and 70 annual openings for cardiovascular technologists due to job growth and replacements. The 2015 median wage for diagnostic medical sonographers in Kentucky was $63,630. The proposed degree is consistent with the strategic plans of ECTC, KCTCS, and CPE. The degree will assist in achieving diversity and student success goals. Furthermore, the program curriculum has already been established and approved at other KCTCS institutions. Since there is significant employer and student demand for the DMS degree, which can be offered with a modest investment of funds, DMS is an optimal choice as an addition to ECTC s list of degrees. Background According to the Kentucky Public Postsecondary Education Diversity Policy and Framework for Institution Diversity Plan Development, ECTC has automatic eligibility. An executive summary of the proposal is attached. A copy of the full proposal has been forwarded to each member of the Board s Academic Affairs and Curriculum Committee. 121
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Associate in Applied Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography Elizabethtown Community and Technical College A Proposal for Initiation of a New Degree Program A. Centrality to the Institution s Mission and Consistency with State s Goals Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) is a skilled healthcare profession where high-frequency sound waves from ultrasound equipment create dynamic images of anatomical structures of the human body. These images are used by physicians to make diagnoses and determine the best course of action if medical treatment is necessary. Due to the reduced patient risk afforded by ultrasound technology, the medical industry is rapidly replacing radiation-based techniques (such as X-ray) with ultrasound technology. Graduates of the program will be qualified to provide diagnostic patient services under the supervision of a licensed physician. Graduates will also have the education and clinical experience necessary to take credentialing exams from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), including the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) certification exam, American Registry of Radiologic Technologist, and Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI). Sonographers have extensive, direct patient contact, and their work often includes performing invasive procedures. Sonographers must be compassionate and demonstrate communication skills that are effective with patients of diverse backgrounds and varied states of health. Sonographers may work in a variety of healthcare settings such as hospitals, medical clinics, physician offices, diagnostic imaging centers, rehabilitation facilities, urgent care centers, research laboratories, athletic training facilities, and trauma centers. Programmatic courses focus on abdominal, obstetrical, gynecological, and/or vascular imaging applications. Sectional anatomy, ultrasound physics and instrumentation, and sonographic imaging are the major components in this program. The program has academic and clinical components that work together to ensure that students have a strong knowledge base, strong psychomotor abilities, and the necessary critical thinking skills to apply cognitive and psychomotor components to providing effective patient care. The academic component includes didactic and laboratory instruction. The didactic component utilizes interactive lectures with an emphasis on analyzing and synthesizing quantitative information, normal anatomy, and physiological and pathological conditions created by disease and/or injury. Students will practice skills and examine patient scenarios during the laboratory component. Ultimately, all the program instruction will coalesce in the clinical component of the course which runs parallel to the academic component. The clinical setting allows students to apply knowledge gained from the academic setting into practice with actual patient care. 122
The nature and objectives of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) degree aligns with multiple components of the ECTC mission statement, ECTC values statement, and ECTC 2016-22 Strategic Plan as well as the agenda, objectives, and strategies of the CPE. The launch of the DMS degree will raise the level of educational attainment in the Commonwealth by further positioning ECTC as the accessible, affordable, and relevant post-secondary education choice for Kentuckians residing in the College service region (ECTC Strategic Goal 1). Since the DMS degree at ECTC is borne out of the need and desire to align programs and curricula with needs of employers, the implementation of this degree will meet the specific priority of identifying and implementing new transfer, technical, workforce education programs that align with business and industry needs (ECTC Strategic Goal 5). This alignment enhances the employability, job placement, and career development of ECTC DMS graduates, and promotes health and wellbeing across the Commonwealth (CPE Stronger by Degrees objectives 7, 9, and 11). This degree will increase access and success for ECTC students, particularly among traditionally underserved populations (ECTC Strategic Goal 2 and CPE Stronger by Degrees objectives 1, 3, and 6). Traditionally, underserved student populations often need to find education programs that are in close proximity to where they live and work. The nearest active Sonography training program (West Kentucky Community and Technical College) is located 175 miles from the main ECTC campus in Elizabethtown. This distance makes it impossible for most ECTC students to pursue a high wage, high demand career in sonography. The DMS degree addresses the Commonwealth s postsecondary education strategic agenda for 2016-21 in terms of student success and research, economic, and community development. This degree will increase health care degree production and help close achievement gaps. The salary and job stability will enhance the lives of graduates, their families, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky (CPE Stronger by Degrees objectives 7 and 9). This degree also benefits the community by providing additional trained healthcare workers to area facilities and increases the educational attainment in Kentucky communities (CPE Stronger by Degrees objective 11). B. Program Quality and Student Success The Diagnostic Medical Sonography program was structured by the KCTCS Sonography curriculum committee to prepare graduates for the certification exam(s) and meet all Joint Review Committee for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS), and Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) standards. The objectives of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program are to: Provide an academically challenging curriculum that produces graduates with the skills, knowledge, and abilities required of diagnostic medical sonographers. Provide local and state employers with skilled entry-level diagnostic medical sonographers. 123
Provide one or more certificate options to enhance the employability and career advancement of current medical sonographers and radiographers. To meet the standards of accreditation under the Joint Review Committee (JRC-DMS) and its umbrella organization, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), the program must prepare competent entry-level general, adult cardiac, pediatric cardiac, and/or vascular sonographers in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains." C. Program Demand/Unnecessary Duplication ECTC was approached by the Chief Radiologist of HMH (Hardin Memorial Health), the largest hospital in the ECTC service region, regarding the need for providing a steady stream of a qualified DMS graduates. That conversation lead to meetings with the Director of Imaging for HMH, who was able to work with a private company to secure the donation and delivery of two complete ultrasound systems to the College. Recently, the closure of the Sonography programs at St. Catherine s College and Jefferson Community and Technical College have created a reduction in the number of entry-level sonographers in the ECTC service region, just as demand for sonographers has increased. The shortage has been further exacerbated by the fact that Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College did not admit a new Sonography class last year. Word rapidly spread that ECTC was exploring the possibility and feasibility of a DMS program. Within a week s time, eleven letters of support arrived from major medical centers inside of the ECTC service region, as well as from medical centers in the closest metropolitan area, Louisville. While the expected program at Bluegrass Community and Technical College will help fill the need created in Lexington from the closure of St. Catherine s College, Louisville does not have an immediate viable option from which to draw graduates, outside of the proposed ECTC program. Workforce demand data for Kentucky indicates that there are 60 annual openings for diagnostic medical sonographers and 70 annual openings for cardiovascular technologists due to job growth and replacements. The 2015 median wage for diagnostic medical sonographers in Kentucky was $63,630. The projected percent change in job growth by 2024 is projected to be at +26 percent; this projected growth is much faster than the average job growth rate. In 2016, HMH commissioned a Service Line Forecast Compendium from The Advisory Board Company, Health Care Industry Committee. In the hospital s service region, which largely mirrors the service region of ECTC, outpatient growth is projected to increase by 14.9 percent from 2015 to 2025. The forecast indicated ultrasounds, depending upon type, would increase between 7.1-16.6 percent. 124
Application and acceptance rates in ECTC s current selective admissions Allied Health programs indicate there is significant student demand for these highly skilled professions. Over past four admission cycles, the ECTC Nursing program averaged 68 applicants for an acceptance rate of 35.3 percent (24 students admitted). The number accepted has ranged from 23-25, and the number of applicants has ranged from 46-85. In the last admission cycle, which was a cycle with a lower than normal number of applicants, 19 of the 34 applicants were not admitted to the Respiratory Care program, making the acceptance rate 44.12 percent. The Radiography program typically accept 16 students from an applicant pool of approximately 50 students, for an acceptance rate around 32 percent. D. Cost and Funding of the Proposed Program Costs for the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program include faculty salaries, equipment, supplies, and accreditation fees. ECTC is working with HMH to obtain access to clinic equipment no cost. A program coordinator, clinical coordinator, and instructor will be needed to offer all four programmatic tracks. E. Program Review and Assessment Evaluation of learning outcomes is incorporated in the annual planning and evaluation processes of all academic programs at ECTC. Both direct and indirect assessments are used as part of the annual program review established by KCTCS Board of Regents Policies, Sections 4.3 and 4.9 and KCTCS Administrative Policies and Procedures, Section 4.9.1. Indirect evaluation will be used to assess the instructional effectiveness of the program from the student s perspective. Presently, ECTC employs the Student Evaluation of Instruction instrument for classroom evaluation. The instrument is used to determine if faculty performance aligns with student expectations. Results are reviewed annually by the faculty member and his or her supervisor as well as the division chair. Another indirect measure of student learning includes the use of Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) to determine the extent to which students believe they are engaged in practices known to promote learning. Aggregate results are made available to Program Coordinators, and examination of the results are incorporated in the annual planning and evaluation process. The data from the CCSSE are used to promote college-wide improvements in student learning and persistence. On an annual basis, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness will analyze and report on credentialing examination performance, programmatic retention/attrition, graduate satisfaction, employer satisfaction, and job (positive) placement. The data is managed using Compliance Assist software. We will also analyze and report on enrollment and number of graduates using PeopleSoft queries. Graduate employment data, collected by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, will be processed using Kentucky s Technical Education Data System (TEDS). This program will be reviewed through standard CPE processes as well as the national accrediting body, JRC-DMS/CAAHEP. Standard benchmarks for success in the aforementioned areas will be established using data from the first two years of the program. 125
Faculty will have access to programmatic data via Compliance Assist. When appropriate, data will be shared in division meetings and reports. ECTC fosters a climate of continuous selfimprovement. As part of the organizational culture, data will be used to improve the program during the annual Compliance Assist based planning and review periods. During the first year, the coordinator, division chair, Chief Academic Officer, and data specialist from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness will meet to review the program profile and to file the official assessment plan. The program will select student learning outcomes (SLO) essential to accreditation reviews to measure as well as their related assessment tools. Over the course of the first year, data collection will take place, culminating in an end of the year assessment. At the end of the spring semester, the coordinator, division chair, Chief Academic Officer, and data specialist from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness will meet to review the results and develop the year two plan which includes budget considerations. The data, documentation, review, budget requests, and improvement plan will be managed in Compliance Assist and available to the program coordinator, division chair, Chief Academic Officer, and all Institutional Research staff. F. Conclusion The proposed degree is consistent with the strategic plans of ECTC, KCTCS, and CPE. The degree will assist in achieving diversity and student success goals. Furthermore, the program curriculum has already been established and approved at other KCTCS institutions. Since there is significant employer and student demand for the DMS degree, which can be offered with a modest investment of funds, DMS is an optimal choice as an addition to ECTC s list of degrees. 126