Navigating the Annual Report
Navigating the Annual Report Annual Reporting is an essential accreditation process to record Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting program status and monitor compliance with the Standards between site visitations. The ARC/STSA reviews program compliance using specific Annual Report (AR) protocols, and this year we have made several changes to the Annual Report platform to further streamline the process. We [...]
Instructor Support to Build a Collaborative Learning Experience
Dr. Margie Crowe, Ed.D., Executive Director of Leadership and Professional Development, South College, Knoxville, TN Distance education has transformed instruction and become a mainstream modality of learning. While this shift has made learning more accessible for students, it has also posed significant challenges for faculty members. Substantive interaction is crucial in distance education because it fosters meaningful engagement [...]
Welcome New ARC/STSA Board Member Kathie-Ann Joseph, MD, MPH
The ARC/STSA is honored to welcome Kathie-Ann Joseph, MD, MPH, to its Board of Directors. Dr. Joseph is Professor of Surgery and Population Health at NYU Langone Health. She is also Vice Chair for Diversity and Health Equity for the NYU School of Medicine Department of Surgery/Transplant Institute and Co-Director of the Welters Breast Health Outreach and Navigation [...]
Chris Keegan Memorial Educator Scholarship
ARC/STSA educators play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of surgical technologists and surgical assistants, ensuring they are prepared to meet the demands of the operating room and advocating for their patients. Professional development is essential as it not only enhances skills and knowledge but also contributes to the overall success of their programs. By staying [...]
A Message from ARC/STSA’s Executive Director Ron Kruzel
By Ron Kruzel, MA, CAE, CST, FAST As we come to the close of a successful 2024 and analyze our Annual Report data, we reflect upon the growth in our community and all that we have to be thankful for. Program enrollments are increasing, and placement rates are at a three-year high! With the increase in post-pandemic enrollment, more [...]
2024 Annual Report Highlights at a Glance
Annual reporting is conducted in the spring to collect and review evidence that our currently accredited programs continue to maintain compliance with the Standards, and meet outcomes benchmarks, between full site evaluations. When this year’s Annual Report data was aggregated and reviewed, some exciting trends regarding program growth and graduate outcomes were collected. Post-pandemic program growth [...]
Congrats to Programs Earning Initial and Continuing Accreditation
Congratulations to Programs Earning Initial and Continuing Accreditation ARC/STSA would like to congratulate the surgical technology programs that have received awards of initial and continuing accreditation 2024. Please join us in acknowledging the dedication and hard work put forth by these programs to reach these critical milestones. Congratulations! The Accreditation Process Programmatic accreditation for surgical technology and surgical assisting is [...]
Welcome ARC/STSA’s New Education Coordinator
The ARC/STSA team welcomed Amy Lawrence as education coordinator in early November. In her role, Lawrence assists with the development, promotion, and implementation of educational services and outreach activities of the ARC/STSA, including gathering and creating content for eNews and website updates, supporting the administration of webinars and workshops, and overseeing social media engagement and web optimization. “I consider [...]
Get to Know Your Newly Appointed ARC/STSA and SASA Board Members
The ARC/STSA Board of Directors recently welcomed three new members: Alicia Buck, MS, BAAS, CST; Jeff Feix, LVN, CSFA, CST, FAST; and Antionette Trujillo-Fergus, MBA, CRCST, CST; and new member of the board’s Subcommittee on Accreditation for Surgical Assisting (SASA), Lydell “Dale” Powell, AAS, Th.A., CSFA, CST, to serve on the SASA. Learn more about these individuals below!Alicia Buck, MS, [...]
Congratulations to ARC/STSA’s 2024 Student Scholarship Recipients
The ARC/STSA is proud to announce the recipients of its 2024 scholarship awards. This year, ARC/STSA awarded six student scholarships of $500 each. Join us in celebrating these accomplished recipients and read what has inspired them to pursue a career as a surgical technologist. Stacy Iannarone Triton College, River Grove, Illinois I found that surgical technology is [...]
Join Us in Welcoming Gabrielle Muzina, AS, CST, as Education Manager
The ARC/STSA welcomed a new education manager, Gabrielle “Gabby” Muzina, AS, CST, in August. Muzina will be responsible for developing educational programming for our educators, as well as planning and coordinating webinars and events, such as AFE workshops and the AccredX conference. Muzina brings a passion in education and exceptional communication and customer service skills to her work. Prior to [...]
AccredX 2024
ARC/STSA and EdAccred’s 3rd Annual AccredX Conference revved into high gear in Indianapolis, Indiana, October 3 - 5 with workshops, hands-on learning labs, roundtable discussions, and individual and panel presentations by nationally respected speakers, all focused on accreditation standards. This year’s event was fueled with creativity, possibility, and empowerment - one for the leader’s podium! This year's demographic. Wednesday [...]
Message from Executive Director Ron Kruzel: Leading by Example
By Ron Kruzel, MA, CAE, CST, FAST Welcome to summer 2023! You heard it right; we are halfway through the year! If you are like me, you are juggling a multitude of projects and catching up on a myriad of deadlines. What a busy five months since January. The current challenges related to the workforce shortage are keeping us [...]
Surgical Technology Exhibition Opens at the International Museum of Surgical Science
On May 25, the International Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS) launched, “The Operating Room: Surgical Technology Then and Now,” the first-ever museum exhibition featuring surgical technology. The evening before, IMSS hosted a reception where more than 200 surgical technologists and other professionals gathered to hear remarks from museum curator Michelle Rinard, ARC/STSA President Janice Grewatz, former AST President Kevin [...]
Surgical Skills Bootcamp: How One Program Director Helps Keep Students’ Skills Sharp
By Chris Ahearn, AAS, CST Achieving high quality surgical care is a priority for any healthcare organization. As surgical technology educators, we are tasked with providing our communities of interest with competent, entry-level graduates. The complex nature of modern surgical interventions has created opportunities for educators to expand and improve clinical instruction while preparing students to enter the workforce. To [...]
Technologist vs. Technician: What’s the Difference, and Why It Matters – Downloadable Version
A resource to share with your community partners. Click to enlarge
Better Together: Sterile Processing and Surgical Technology Synergy
Our amazing educators met in April to support one another, share tips for starting a sterile processing program, and discuss how sterile processing and surgical technology programs can have a mutually beneficial relationship. The word of the day was synergy, since educators reported that the benefits of the two programs working collaboratively were exponentially greater for their constituencies than [...]
ARC/STSA Welcomes New Accreditation Manager
Join us in welcoming Kristy Pierce, BS, CST, to the ARC/STSA team. Kristy joined the ARC/STSA staff on May 1, 2023, as the accreditation manager. She will oversee and coordinate all site visit activities of the ARC/STSA to help fulfill our mission to provide accreditation services that validate excellence of educational programs and ensure quality patient care. Pierce brings [...]
Congratulations to ARC/STSA’s 2023 Scholarship Recipients
The ARC/STSA is proud to announce the recipients of the 2023 scholarship awards. This year, ARC/STSA awarded 10 student scholarships of $500 each and one $1,000 educator scholarship. Join us in celebrating these accomplished recipients, whose quotes are shared below. Our 2024 scholarship applications will be available by October 2023 on the ARC/STSA website Scholarship page. Chris Keegan Memorial [...]
Spotlight on Excellence
The ARC/STSA is proud to highlight excellence in our educator and volunteer communities. Whether you have been recognized with an award or honor, advanced your education, or dedicated your time to serve others, we want to share your good news with our community. Email Erin.Monroy@arcstsa.org to share your or others' accomplishments. Choffin Community & Technical College Surgical Technology Program [...]
Congrats to Programs Earning Continuing and Initial Accreditation-May 2023
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. Congratulations! The Accreditation Process Programmatic accreditation is awarded by CAAHEP following review and recommendation by the Committee on Accreditation (CoA) – [...]
Let AccredX Ease Accreditation Stress
What is AccredX and what makes it different from other conferences? AccredX is designed to support our 400+ surgical technology and surgical assisting programs with accreditation-focused continuing education and professional dvelopment. AccredX offers hands-on workshops, proven program management strategies, and best practices in surgical technology and surgical assisting education, to provide educators with the necessary tools to achieve and [...]
Update from Executive Director Ron Kruzel on Workforce Efforts and Cooperation Nationwide
By Ron Kruzel, MA, CAE, CST, FAST Many thanks to you—all our ARC/STSA educators—who work day in and day out to provide a quality education to your students, develop strong relationships with your partners, including local healthcare centers, and elevate the professions in your communities, states, and across the nation. You make a difference! We want you to know [...]
Hospital Recruitment: Surgical Technologist Residency Program
By Rob Blackston, M.Ed., CST, CSFA, FAST The surgical technologist staffing shortage is a serious issue that can have a significant impact on patient care and safety. It is essential to address this shortage by increasing the availability of, and access to, education programs that attract and retain more individuals in this field. A few months ago, a local [...]
Technologist vs. Technician: What’s the Difference, and Why It Matters
A resource to share with your community partners. Click to enlarge