Jun. 17, 2024
Upcoming CAATE Events
SummerTown Hall
August 22, 2024
Join us for our Summer Town Hall on Thursday, August 22 at 1 p.m. ET. We will cover updates from the CAATE. Register and secure your spot in our virtual conference room!
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NATA Convention
June 26-38, 2024
Visit the CAATE at the 2024 NATA Convention in New Orleans, June 26-28! CAATE Staff and Commissioners will be available to answer stakeholder questions. Find us at booth 1403 to learn more about the value of Professional, Residency, and Fellowship accreditation programs, volunteer opportunities, ATCAS/RF-ATCAS, and more. We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans!
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The CAATE Board of Directors is proud to announce that the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Board of Directors has voted to grant recognition to the CAATE for the full seven years as recommended by the CHEA Committee on Recognition. CHEA recognition provides assurance to the public that accrediting organizations, like the CAATE, are competent to engage in quality reviews of institutions and programs based on CHEA standards.
"We are thrilled to receive continued recognition from CHEA," said Toni Torres-McGehee, Ph.D., SCAT, ATC, FACSM, President of CAATE. "CHEA recognition is a testament to our unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest standards in educational accreditation. It reinforces our dedication to quality and excellence, ensuring that our programs continue to thrive and meet the needs of athletic training students. We are proud of this achievement and excited for the future of CAATE."
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Congratulations to the following professional and fellowship programs for achieving initial accreditation status in 2024.
• Hardin-Simmons University
• New Mexico State University
• Hofstra University
• Boston University Fellowship
Congratulations to the following professional and residency programs for achieving continuing accreditation status in 2024.
• Thomas Jefferson University
• Grand View University
• Marist College
• University of Virginia
• Whitworth University
• San Diego State University
• Bethune-Cookman University
• University of Saint Mary
• California Baptist University
• Salem State University
• Radford University
• Camilo Jose Cela University
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Michigan
• Endicott College
• Boston University Residency
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A Seat at the Table: CAATE’s ongoing work with the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professions Education and how it can help your program
By Mark Merrick, PhD, AT, ATC, FNATA, FNAP, Dean, College of Health and Human Services
Are you looking for innovative ways for your program to prepare your graduates for the future of healthcare? Are you interested in forward-looking, cutting edge thought on the issues we face as health professions educators? So is the CAATE. We take seriously our commitment to facilitating quality outcomes, continuous improvement, innovation and diversity to enhance athletic training education.
As health and healthcare continue to evolve, health professions education must adapt and innovate to not only keep pace, but to help set the direction for the future. This happens best when multiple professions from around the globe come together to shape how we prepare future practitioners for the changing world of health and healthcare. Athletic Training is part of these conversations as the CAATE has a seat at the table for the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education (IHPE Forum). The IHPE Forum describes itself as “…an ongoing, convening activity of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that brings together diverse stakeholders to network, discuss and illuminate issues for the benefit and promotion of health professional education. Currently, there are 37 member-sponsors of the Forum who are academic experts and health professionals representing 17 different disciplines from multiple developed and developing countries.” The CAATE has been an important contributor to the IHPE Forum, representing the AT Strategic Alliance, since 2015 and former CAATE President Mark Merrick serves as our representative to the forum.
The IHPE Forum convenes twice annually at the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Keck Center in Washington, D.C. for multi-day workshops on topics suggested and voted on by its member-sponsors. These workshops often have pre-workshop webinars as well. All workshops are open to the public and free to attend, typically through live-streaming with interactive Q&A. Registration for upcoming events is available on the Forum’s website at https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/global-forum-on-innovation-in-health-professional-education. Likewise, a link near the top of the page allows you to sign up to receive emails about the forum. The next forum workshop is scheduled for October 23-24, 2024 and will focus on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Health Professions Education. Registration for the live-stream of this event will open soon.
Each IHPE forum workshop produces a published proceedings document that can be downloaded at no cost from the forum website. Many of the workshop proceedings have gone on to be seminal documents on their topics and have helped shape required educational content across multiple health professions. A few notable examples the CAATE helped to shape include proceedings on measuring the impact of IPE on patient outcomes, educating health professionals in social determinants of health, defining a framework for health professions education, strengthening the connection between education and practice, the role of accreditation in enhancing quality and innovation in health professions education, and many more. The newest proceedings on Artificial Intelligence in Health Professions Education is now available for download.
How can your program benefit from CAATE’s participation in the IHPE Global Forum? First, you already do without knowing it. Many principles outlined in the forum’s work are at the core of our accreditation standards or helped guide our creation of accreditation councils. Another way you can benefit is by tuning in to a workshop or downloading and reviewing the forum’s proceedings. The materials can be helpful in conceiving your program frameworks, courses, preceptor training, or you can even build assignments around them. Some have found the forum’s materials helpful in working across programs, departments, or colleges at their institutions to align content, redesign IPE experiences, inform teaching or assessment practices, or strategically plan for the future. Having students join a forum live-streamed workshop to reflect on the discussions is a great way to explore their affective understanding and appreciation. If you have ideas for future forum topics, please share them with us. We encourage you to take full advantage of our profession having a seat at the table.
Changes to CAATE Residency and Fellowship Standards
Standard 18: The program director is a full-time employee of the sponsoring organization. The program director’s experience and qualifications must include the following:
• An earned post-baccalaureate degree
• Content expertise in the specialty area
• Certification and in good standing with the Board of Certification
• Current state athletic training credential and in good standing with the state regulatory agency in the state in which the program is housed (in states with regulation)
• Verified NPI number with appropriate healthcare field designation
• Engages in scholarship
• Currently practicing clinically Engaged clinically within the specialty area
• Must be active at local, state, regional, and/or national levels
Annotation: The program director is engaged clinically in direct patient care a minimum 8 hours/week in the specialty area.
How to Address This Standard:
• Describe how the program director is engaged clinically a minimum of 8 hours per week in the specialty area
• Demonstrate knowledge, skills, attitudes, and abilities within the specialty area
Changes:
*Standard: Replaced clinically practicing with engaged clinically.
*Annotation: Deleted the Annotation
*How to Address: Deleted “a minimum of 8 hours per week.”
Glossary: Added the definition for engaged clinically.
Engaged clinically: Facilitating the learning experiences of residents/fellows via mechanisms such as, but not limited to: direct patient care, clinical mentoring, or clinical research/scholarship activities.
Approved by the Commission April 9, 2024.
Changes
The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) and Go4 have partnered to bolster student and trainee recruitment efforts within the athletic training profession.
The collaboration between CAATE and Go4 will advance the following key objectives:
Promotion of Accredited Residency and Fellowship Opportunities: Through joint efforts, CAATE and Go4 will promote accredited residency and fellowship opportunities for athletic trainers. These programs offer transformative experiences that not only enhance career outcomes but also pave the way for expanded career opportunities and increased compensation for athletic trainers.
Recognition of the Athletic Training Profession: Leveraging Go4's extensive network and relationships with youth sports leagues, which engage over 3 million athletes and parents across more than 40 states, the partnership will support the recognition of the athletic training profession and athletic training education. By amplifying awareness and appreciation for the vital role of athletic trainers, this initiative aims to elevate the status of the profession.
Support for Athletic Training Program Faculty: In a testament to its commitment to education and professional development, Go4 has generously agreed to serve as a Platinum Education Sponsor, providing vital support for CAATE workshops and online educational opportunities. These resources are specifically designed to empower Athletic Training program faculty in understanding CAATE Standards and delivering quality education that aligns with accreditation requirements.
“We are excited to announce our partnership with Go4, which signifies a major step forward in bolstering the enrollment of our accredited programs. Through this partnership, we aim to educate young athletes about the invaluable role of athletic trainers and foster a culture of specialization among athletic trainers through residency and fellowship programs." - Toni Torres-McGehee, Ph.D., SCAT, ATC, FACSM, CAATE Board of Commissioners President.
"We are excited about our partnership with CAATE. By joining forces, we aim to inspire future generations to consider careers in athletic training. Recruiting future athletic trainers is paramount and an investment in the sustainability and growth of the profession. Together, we are committed to excellence in education through the promotion of CAATE-accredited professional programs, residencies and fellowships that ensure top-tier education, shaping the next generation of athletic trainers." - K Ellis F Mair, EdM, ATC.
The partnership between CAATE and Go4 underscores a shared dedication to enhancing the quality of athletic training education, fostering career advancement opportunities for athletic trainers, and ultimately contributing to improve healthcare outcomes within the athletic community.
The CAATE Board of Commissioners has increased the maximum length of Continuing Accreditation awarded for Residency & Fellowship Programs from seven (7) years to ten (10) years. This change will not apply retroactively for programs and is effective starting with accreditation actions of the 2023-2024 accreditation cycle.
Please contact the CAATE Office (support@caate.net) with any questions regarding the new change.
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The CAATE is partnered with Liaison International, the leader in admissions management solutions, to run the Residency and Fellowship Athletic Training Centralized Application Service (RF-ATCAS™), a centralized application service for candidates applying to residency & fellowship athletic training programs. The system allows candidates to apply to multiple participating programs with a single application and facilitates a streamlined admissions process for programs.
RF-ATCAS is an intuitive, flexible application portal with visual insights into application and enrollment trends that actively target your best-fit students. With application processing and support services, RF-ATCAS streamlines admissions, encourages application completion and provides institution– applicant connection throughout the entire process. RF-ATCAS leverages the “power of partnership” with regular forums for the sharing of best practices in a mutually supportive environment.
Programs participating in RF-ATCAS gain access to:
- Insights and Data. Visual application and enrollment trend reports to facilitate strategic decisions.
- Marketing Services. Expanded applicant pools with branded program listings, advertising, and targeted drive-to-apply campaigns.
- Processing Efficiency. Application processing and applicant support services that saves member institutions time on manual administrative tasks.
Ready to join the RF-ATCAS Community?
Contact Liaison today:
Ann M. Donnelly
Director, Account Management
RF-ATCAS
adonnelly@liaisonedu.com
T: 617.612.2064 | M: 617.872.4058
Learn More About RF-ATCAS
The CAATE attended the CATS 2024 Symposium on May 16 and presented our co-sponsored Residency & Fellowship workshop with the Association for Athletic Training Education (AATE). This session helped implement the 2022 Residency & Fellowship Standards.
The recent editorial, “The Unsung Heroes and Most Valuable Players Are on the Sideline,” by Timothy E. Foster, MD, MBA, MS discusses the critical work of athletic trainers. It also highlights the CAATE’s education resources and opportunities for athletic trainers to continue their training in accredited residency and fellowship programs.
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This report describes Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) accredited Athletic Training programs (professional, post-professional, and residency). Unless otherwise noted, the data included in this fact sheet were derived from the 2022-2023 Annual Report completed in October of 2023, data from eAccreditation software profiles at the time of Annual Report submission, and from information provided by the Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC) regarding pass-rate on the BOC certification examination for Athletic Trainers in December of 2023.
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Thank you to all who attended the Spring CAATE Town Hall!
If you weren't able to tune in live, you can still catch the updates from key CAATE leaders on the topics below by viewing the recorded version.
Covered Topics:
- Program and ATCAS Statistics
- Professional Program Standards
- Educational Opportunities
- Volunteer Recruitment
- BOC pass rate data
CAATE Spring 2024 Town Hall from CAATE on Vimeo.
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