Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / March 3, 1994, edition 1 / Page 7
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Accreditation Problem Causes Graduation Delav For Health Info Students (Continued From Page I-A) disappointment, confusion and in conveniencc" at the news. The students and BCC staff arc after the same thing: Both want to see the program accredited with the least amount of inconvenience to students possible. "This is a major inconvenience for us," said Keefer. "I'm confident they will be able to work it out, but some of the other students aren't. Considering how bad the situation is they really are trying to accommo date everyone as best as is possible." At each of the three campuses in volved in the regional program, staff met with students to find out what would best serve their needs and re duce hardships created by the delay. BCC students chose to delay one summer quarter course until fall quarter. BCC To Waive Tuition On Monday BCC reached agree ment with students on how the ex tension will be handled, agreeing to waive tuition for the one class that will be held over until fall quarter and to offer it as an independent study. Most if not all of the 18 second year students on the three campuses knew upon entering the program that it was new and not accredited. They and faculty members anticipat ed the program would receive ac creditation before the first classes were due to graduate this summer. Materials Misleading? Keefer said she and several other of the nine second-year students at BCC didn't know the program's sta tus until shortly after enrolling. "Most of us then considered the time that we had already spent in the pro gram and the assurances that we were receiving about accreditation and we decided that our best option was to continue in the curriculum," the students wrote in their statement. Keefer said she and some others felt misied by materials received in advance of enrollment. No where in BCC's 1992 catalog, the first BCC program brochure and a flyer pub lished by the Southeastern Regional Allied Health Consortium did it state that the program was not ac credited. Some applicants inferred that it was because of vague word ing in the documents. The 1992 course catalog stated, for example, "A graduate of an accredited pro gram is eligible to write the national qualifying examination for certifica tion as an Accredited Record Technician (ART)." The current BCC program bro chure, created about 1 1/2 years ago after a program instructor was hired, is somewhat clearer, if optimistic. It states, "When the program receives accreditation, students will be eligi ble to apply to write the national qualifying examination for certifica tion as an Accredited Record Tech nician (ART). September Site Visit The soonest the Health Infor mation Technology program can be initially accredited is some time af ter a new site visit expccted this September. Becausc they must be enrolled at the time of the site visit, second-year students must extend their enrollment by one quarter if they are to graduate from an accred ited program. The students were to matriculate in August with Associate in Applied Science de grees. On Tuesday, the Southeastern Regional Allied Health Consortium submitted a new letter seeking ac creditation of the regional three campus program from the Council for Allied Health Education through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) of Chicago, 111. When AHIMA had questions re garding the administration of the program following the agency's first site visit last November, the three colleges voluntarily withdrew their application in order to restructure the program. "I think what we did was the right thing," said Simpson. "It was in the best interests of the students. This way we believe they will be able to graduate from an accredited pro gram." BCC, Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington and James Sprunt Community College in Ke nansville had anticipated the year old program would receive either full or provisional accreditation fol lowing the November 1993 site vis it. Cooperative Effort Keait'n information Technology was one of the first allied health pro grams offered under the umbrella of the Southeastern Regional Allied Health Consortium. It is set up with three faculty members, one at each college where courses are offered, and a shared director. BCC Instruc tor Polly Decker, who did not return Beacon telephone calls, b serving as acting director until the position is filled on a permanent basis. Students at a fourth consortium campus, Southeastern Community College in Whiteville, can take some courses at SECC, then transfer to one of the other three campuses to complete the program. Students can enroll full-time or take one or two courses at a time. The consortium was developed as a cooperative effort among the four area community colleges and the Coastal Area Health Education Center in Wilmington to identify re gional health care personnel needs and to act in concert to meet those needs. The Consortium successfully applied for a $947,400 two-year grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, of which $421,200 was divided among the three infor mation technology programs over IW2 and 1?W3. After BCC President W. Michael Reaves and Simpson met last Friday with a group of concerned second year students and at least one parent, BCC agreed to waive tuition for the one course to be delayed until fall. The Health Information Seminar will he offered as an independent study class in fall quarter, which will enable students to seek employment and still complete the program. Students will be working on projects and will meet several times during the quarter with their instructor. At Cape Fear Community Col lege, two classes will be delayed un til fall, said Susan Vinson-Grcene, program instructor. The five second year students will take Health Statistics and the Health Information Seminar, with one offered during the noon hour and the other on Saturday morning. At James Sprunt, instructor Loraine Smith said her four second year students will be taking the Health Information Seminar in the fall, probably at night. Consortium Unique The consortium has hired consul tant Susan Parker to help it redesign administration of the program and to serve as liaison with AHIMA. Tuesday consortium members ap proved a new letter of application for program accreditation and a pro posed new operating structure. The consortium proposes to oper ate with an executive board com posed of the presidents of the mem ber colleges. The program director would be employed through Bruns wick Community College, with all three schools sharing the cost. "We believe inis wili work anu AHIMA says it can work," said Simpson. How the program budget will be controlled hasn't been worked out, but will be within the next few weeks. Only one other consortium hus been accredited by AHIMA. Located in Illinois, it operates as a AT HOLDEN BEACH BRING HOME THEfeBEACON On Sale At ALAN HOLDEN REALTY BARN RESTAURANT BEACH MART CAMP GROUND BY THE SEA CAPTAIN PETE'S GENERAL STORE GINNY'S CHICKEN HOUSE HOLDEN BEACH PIER INDEPENDENT SEAFOOD JEFF'S GROCERY THE BOOKWORM ROBINSON'S HARDWARE SKY MART EXXON SPAN MART A WORD OF APPRECIATION .. . To my patients and the community: I want to express appreciation for the fine way we've been received in the area. It has been more than a year since we moved into the Doctor's Office Complex and in that time, have had literally hundreds of opportunities to assist in the well being of our neighbors. Our medical and surgical care in Pediatric and adult ENT (ear nose & throat), has treated such ailments as the repair of an ear drum, to correcting sleep disorders. It is rewarding to know that our effort has restored peace of mind, while easing the pain of many of our patients who have required facial plastic and reconstrustive surgery. The kind of quality surgery that yields a speedy recovery for the patient. Whatever your needs, our team of medical experts stands ready to provide quality \ \ care, with state-of-the-art equipment. >> fry We continue expanding our medical * knowledge and techniques, to make sure that we do not fall short of that responsibility. Your confidence in our services has always been appreciated and that is why a special thanks goes out to our many patients and good friends' .^Sl^Mark A. Lizak, MD d Certified SPecia,ist: I:AR' nose & THROAT wr> Conveniently located in the Doctor's Office Complex at the Brunswick Hospital, Supply, North Carolina. For Appointments Call: 754-2920 separate legal entity with its own staffing. "They were expecting us to do something we can't do in the com munity college system in North Carolina, to create an independent entity," said Vinson-Greene. "They really didn't have a prob lem with anything else," said Simpson. "They just couldn't get past the questions surrounding the consortium." Coming up with a scheme that could satisfy requirements of both the state Department of Community Colleges and the accreditation agency has been a "challenge," Simpson said, but one that she said should result in "a first class pro gram." "There is no one like us in the United States," she said. "The model we develop will be what others look at." Diminished job opportunities were a chief concern voiced by BCC students over the program delay. Some employers, like Columbus County Hospital or New Hanover Regional Medical Center, either re quire or give preference to ARTs over other candidates for technician jobs, hut also hire clerks at lower wages. ART status can affect starting salaries and opportunities for ad vancement. "Basically all our medical record positions here require accreditation." said Deborah Dallas, employment coordinator of Columbus County Hospital in Whiteville. CCH had anticipated hiring a graduate of BC'C's program to fill a newly-approved coding technician position on its staff, she said, but probably won't be able to. I"he posi tion requires either an ART or some one with two years of previous ex perience, with preference to an ART. At New Hanover Regional Medical Center, said Judy O'Neal, "someone with the ART designation would have the advantage" in hiring. "It would make a difference in the salary range," she said, "and it might make a difference in the future in opportunities for advancement if they did not obtain accreditation." "I'm sure the college is really concerned about this and is doing everything they can," said O'Neal. "We think very highly of (he gradu ates of our community college sys tem and we would not turn them away. We have employment oppor tunities for them here." The most widely known organiza tion that accredits health care facili ties, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Or ganizations. requires that hospitals have an ART available either on staff or as a consultant. Medical Records Director Teresa Anderson at The Brunswick Hos pital is "thrilled" BCC has the tech nology program and looks forward to hiring graduates. Presently the hospital uses a consulting ART avai lable through its management com pany, HealthTrust Inc. Anderson said that could change when the hos pital's census increases. "An ART would be looked at first before someone else in filling any position," she said. "You can't hire someone off the street. You have to have someone with experi ence. An ART has a broad back ground in coding and transcription and those are th; two areas that are really hard to fill." Jle-ep&iiliy Zstkiay, J laxcfi 4tfi! STEAKS * CHICKEN w SEAFOOD GRILLED -k BROILED * BLACKENED * FRIED LV Ot the. PedldlleA. \ jjeaAi... Tlic CALABASH SEAFOOD BUFFET Including Salad Bar and Dessert!! Child 1'riccs ?& Senior IMsi-oimls A All AIM' I'crmits Holdcn Beach Cuusewuy "k H4-ii-00l0 'k Formerly Beuch Cufe^ . ? r>- *? K v.Nn. \ss?*? b r\iNP^ a MEDIUM FIRM nRU ?19rri|, INNERSPRING f' vpa ou/a p ?uw a h . . ... . ^Q95 "TW'N k A AQ 5 "^'N WARRANTY ?Bed sets priced to sell in sets 05/ ea. pc. i49yi> ea. pc. $CQ95 ?More than 15 different models in $53 ...FULL, ea. pc. ea-pc each size to choose from $79 ...FULL, ea. pc. $89 ...FULL, ea. pc. ^ u 5 69""auEEN. set ki89....QUEEN, set B249... 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The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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March 3, 1994, edition 1
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