Q: What is the relationship between the AC-PE and CAAHEP?
A: The Accreditation Committee-Perfusion Education (AC-PE) is one of 25 health science professions in the CAAHEP system. Each profession has a Committee on Accreditation (CoA) similar to the AC-PE, that works with CAAHEP to develop educational Standards and review educational programs in the respective professions. Much of the discipline-specific review is completed at the AC-PE/CoA level, while CAAHEP provides the framework for the review process and assures due process has been followed at the AC-PE/CoA level.
Q: How do sponsoring organizations fit in?
A: Each sponsoring organization appoints two representatives to serve on the AC-PE, and one representative to serve as its CAAHEP Commissioner. Appointed representatives provide expertise in perfusion and related fields, and participate in setting educational Standards in perfusion and recognizing educational that are in substantial compliance with the standards.