ARC/STSA would like to congratulate the surgical technology programs that have recently received awards of initial and continuing accreditation. Please join us in acknowledging the dedication and hard work it took for these programs to reach these critical milestones.

Surgical Technology Initial Accreditation Award:

Camden County College, Blackwood, NJ

Concorde Career College, Memphis, TN

The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN

Surgical Technology Continuing Accreditation Award:

College of Eastern Idaho, Idaho Falls, ID

Davidson-Davie Community College, Mocksville, NC

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH

Yakima Valley College, Yakima, WA

April Anderson, AA, CSFA, CST, FAST, program director at Camden County College in New Jersey, reflected on the accreditation process:

What does this accreditation mean to me? EVERYTHING!  There were some facilities in our area that wanted the program accredited before they would accept students.  So, I continued to work until it was obtained.  This to me is the seal of approval, showing that the hard work was not in vain.  ARC/STSA sees how hard we work to prepare the students for the Surgical Technology field.  Sometimes we as people feel our hard work goes unnoticed.  ARC/STSA gave me the confirmation that this is not the case and to keep going.

April Anderson has been a CST since 2005 and a CSFA since 2018. She entered the education portion of Surgical Technology in 2009 and served as a program director for several institutions in many states while continuing to work in the OR. She is very passionate about surgical technology and teaches with excitement and enthusiasm. Her goal is to thoroughly train students, so they enter the field with confidence and skills and raise more awareness in various communities about this great profession. Anderson is vice president for the NJAST State Assembly and also serves on the NBSTSA Board of Directors.

Janine Scott, AAS, CST, program director at The University of Memphis, also shared her thoughts:

Going through the initial accreditation process of a brand new program that I designed was a journey that will forever be a part of who I am. I wasn’t looking for a PD position, but when the opportunity presented itself to create and start a brand new program, I knew I couldn’t turn it down. The work and time that was put in to achieve this accreditation was well worth the end result. The students benefit greatly knowing the program is up to the highest standard and that they are now able to sit for the certification exam. The surrounding hospitals are reassured that they can hire graduates from this program knowing that they will be well prepared for the entry level surgical tech position. The ARC/STSA staff were always available to help through the process and are a great group of people to get to work with.

Janine Scott has been a CST for 12 years, with experience in General, GU, OBGYN, Cardio, Plastics, L&D and Robotics. Before becoming a PD, Scott had worked as a clinical educator at a different college.  Scott’s passion is teaching students and watching them succeed within the field.