Sponsoring organizations of the AC-PE and CAAHEP are provided an important voice in the development and implementation of minimum Standards for educational programs in perfusion, as well as other issues affecting the profession.  Having a voice in this process is crucial for the field of perfusion, as well as related fields of thoracic surgery and cardiovascular anesthesiology.

As a sponsoring organization of CAAHEP, you are a part of a larger effort to provide invaluable services and benefits to a diverse audience, consisting of: educators; practitioners; physicians/surgeons; and administrators.  Some of these services can be assigned a dollar amount.  However, arguably the most important benefits are priceless.

From a financial standpoint, below are some expenses that CAAHEP incurs, which directly extend to the AC-PE:

• Board Liability Insurance that covers all AC-PE members ($7000/year)

• Legal services and support, as needed (can reach thousands)

• Go-to-Meeting and Survey Monkey services provided by CAAHEP to assure operational effectiveness at the AC-PE/CoA level ($5500/year)

• CAAHEP invested thousands of dollars developing an online Annual Reporting tool for the AC-PE and all CoAs in the system to use in program evaluation

• CAAHEP undergoes a process of third-party review by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), which extends to the AC-PE and all CoAs in the system ($6000/year)

• CAAHEP pays all expenses for an AC-PE member to attend Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA) staff development workshops, CAAHEP Leadership Meetings (held each year in January), and the CoA Summer Workshops (held each year in July) – ($125,000/year)

 Other significant benefits of belonging to the CAAHEP system include:

• Opportunities for AC-PE members to network and exchange best practices information with peer Committees on Accreditation and other professionals in the accreditation arena.

• The CAAHEP process creates autonomy through an accreditation process that assures no one professional association will be able to exert undue influence over accreditation decisions.

• Assurance to students of programs accredited through CAAHEP that their educational program has undergone an independent review to ensure the program meets the nationally-recognized Standards for preparing competent entry-level practitioners in each profession.