MCC team attends HLC academy



Academy attendees included (l to r): Penny Tepesch, Anne Dvorak, Greg Sanford, Mindy McCallum, Kimberly Glackin, Cynthia Sexton Proctor from MCC and Robert Mundhenk, HLC mentor.

A team of faculty and administrators from MCC took a trip to Lisle, Ill., last week to participate in the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Academy for Assessment of Student Learning.

HLC, the accrediting body for colleges and universities in and around the Midwest, includes student learning as one component of its accreditation process. The academy provides

Radiologic Technology program receives full re-accreditation status

The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) recently awarded re-accreditation to the Radiologic Technology  program at Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley Health Science Institute.

The re-accreditation was awarded for eight years - the maximum duration that may be awarded by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology in this category.

"Kudos to our Radiologic Technology program for receiving the full eight years of re-accreditation status," says Sandy McIlnay, Health Science Institute director.  "Excellent work from Judy Taylor, Kim Siercks and Scott Sutherland. Thank you for bringing such excellence!"

The JRCERT is the only agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for the accreditation of traditional and distance delivery educational programs in radiography, radiation therapy, magnetic resonance, and medical dosimetry. Specialized accreditation awarded by the JRCERT offers institutions significant value by providing peer evaluation and by assuring the public of quality professional education in the radiologic sciences.

MCC selected for pilot accreditation program

Accreditation is something that every institution of higher learning takes seriously – the ten-year review cycle encourages schools to strive to meet the education needs of the students they serve and prepare them to meet their goals. As it is now, MCC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission via PEAQ – Program to Evaluate and Advance Quality. The campus was last accredited in 2006 and is due for another reaccreditation visit in 2016.

But MCC has been selected, along with other two- and four-year institutions, to participate in a new pilot program from the Higher Learning Commission. Along with other national colleges and universities, MCC will participate in the HLC Open Pathways program. The program was offered to schools with a solid record of accreditation, inviting them to participate in the four-year Academy for Assessment of Student Learning.

The academy will require participating institutions to design a project that meets college needs, appropriate in scope and significance for the institution. During the improvement project, institutions will be subject to regular HLC and peer reviews, and will have access to all the work done by previous institutions undergoing the pilot program.

MCC-Maple Woods takes on “best practices” at spring inservice

To meet the rising challenges of more students, less money and the need for constant innovation, MCC-Maple Woods dedicated spring inservice to looking at best practices in education, from accreditation to connecting with different kinds of students to employees managing their own practices to better serve their departments and themselves.

Cynthia Proctor, Math, Physics and Communications division chair, shared that MCC has been selected, along with other two- and four-year institutions, to participate in a new pilot program from the Higher Learning Commission for reaccreditation, which is due again in 2015-2016. Along with other national colleges and universities, MCC will participate in the HLC Open Pathways program. The program was offered to schools with a solid record of accreditation, inviting them to participate in the four-year Academy for Assessment of Student Learning.

All work conducted for the Open Pathways program will lead to a less mammoth undertaking during reaccreditation visits in the future – electronic files will be required, along with periodic updates, to keep the process streamlined and accessible, resulting in less cost, less labor cost, and a more streamlined process for MCC.

Serving the needs of different groups of students, from traditional high school graduates to returning veterans to those returning to education after many years in the workforce is one of the greatest challenges any institution faces. Andy Forester, evening and weekend coordinator at MCC-Penn Valley and chaplain for the United States National Guard, helped faculty and staff understand some of the needs of veterans returning to school after active duty and some of the challenges they face when transitioning back to civilian life.

Kim Fernandes, Kathryn Barker, Mary Northrup, Mary Ann Blitt, Ayanna Bridges, Crystal Johnson, Jessica Halperin and Kenneth Snell all gave presentations on how to best serve our students and ourselves for the next semester.

Welcome back to MCC-Maple Woods, student faculty and staff – we look forward to an exciting semester!

HSI virtual hospital earns accreditation

The Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) recently granted accreditation in core standards and teaching/education for the Virtual Hospital in MCC-Penn Valley’s Health Science Institute.

“We are honored to be one of the first programs in the nation to earn this prestigious honor. Simulation-based learning is one of the most innovative training methods for nursing and allied health students and professionals that ensures patient safety and quality medical care,” says Sandy McIlnay, Director of MCC-Penn Valley’s Health Science Insitute.

The HSI's Virtual Hospital is a 10,000 sq. ft. healthcare simulation center for students studying nursing, emergency medical services, physical therapy and other healthcare disciplines.

The suite includes: six learning areas that closely mimic hospital departments that provide a clinical environment for students and professionals to practice procedures such as intubation, IV insertion, cardioversion and lung decompression with 12 computer-operated human patient simulators that mimic various patient scenarios, such as: trauma, shock, collapsed lung, chest pain, cardiac arrest, pulmonary emboli, asthmas, neurological events, obstetrical emergencies and childbirth.

The Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) represents the rapidly growing group of educators and researchers who utilize a variety of simulation techniques for education, testing, and research in health care. The membership, now over 2,000, is united by its desire to improve performance and reduce errors in patient care using all types of simulation including task trainers, human patient simulators, virtual reality, and standardized patients. SSH promotes improvements in simulation technology, educational methods, practitioner assessment, and patient safety that promote better patient care and can improve patient outcome.

In order to earn the distinction, HSI’s Virtual Hospital demonstrated competencies in the following Core Standards: mission and governance; organization and management; facilities, application and technology; evaluation and improvement; and integrity.

Additionally, the Virtual Hospital demonstrated competency in the educational standards of: learning activities, qualified educators, curriculum design, ongoing curriculum feedback and improvement, and educational credit.

Accreditation is earned for a three-year period. Accredited facilities will submit a yearly review and apply for reaccreditation at the end of the three year period.