Newsletter

After reading a site visitor’s perspective in the ARC/STSA newsletter, I thought it would be a good idea to write a short article from the perspective of the program. As a former ARC/STSA board member and current site visitor, I have spoken to many program directors over the years, and everyone has the same fears when they receive the dreaded letter/email stating your program’s visit is due for its on-site evaluation.

Being a full-time educator along with a student is not always the easiest, but it can be done. Since receiving the scholarship, I have been able to focus not only on my own education but also the education that I am giving my students.

The current CAAHEP Accreditation Standards for Surgical Technology were adopted in 2013 and include a Guideline related to Standard I.A. stating, “Projected for Aug. 1, 2021, all sponsoring institutions should award a minimum of an associate degree at the completion of the program.” What brought us to the 2013 Guideline language, and what will the CAAHEP process look like moving forward?

Photos from the February AFE workshop.

This time last year, as a practicing CST, I was heading up an orthopedics excellence program at the hospital where I was working. I never would have imagined that a year later I would find myself as the program director of surgical technology at Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas.

Serving as a site visitor for ARC/STSA has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my career as a surgical technologist. I started my career as a surgical technologist in 1994 and would have never imagined that I would be where I am today or where my career would take me.

Big things are coming to the surgical technology and surgical assisting education communities! The ARC/STSA Board of Directors met on Saturday, February 18, 2017, to lay the groundwork for the ARC/STSA 2017-2020 Strategic Plan. In conjunction with the AST Educators Conference, the Saturday meeting began with a renewed commitment to the mission and vision of the ARC/STSA.

As program directors, our line of work educating and having the power to make a difference is pretty awesome, but very imperfect! Giving back to the healthcare community and training the new generation of surgical technologists and assistants is very rewarding even when it has its challenges — but challenges are nothing new to us, right? We all strive to make the year ahead of us as positive as possible.

Tamara Simmons joined ARC/STSA as the director of accreditation services on December 1 of last year. She brings an extensive background of service in higher education, having served as the director of student services, director of student affairs and graduate employment, and academic dean at various colleges. We sat down with Ms. Simmons to discuss her new role, and what she’s most looking forward to in 2017.