NAACLS Board of Directors Update – September 2020
By Dianne M. Cearlock, PhD, Chief Executive Officer
At the September 24, 2020 meeting of the NAACLS Board of Directors, in addition to accreditation and approval awards recommended by the Review Committee on Accredited Programs (RCAP) and the Program Approval Review Committee (PARC), the following items were addressed:
Elections for Board of Director officer positions were held. Peter Hu, PhD, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, CGCM, MBCM, FACSc, FASAHP, continues for a second and final year as President. Elected as President Elect is Maribeth Flaws, PhD, MLS(ASCP) CM, as Secretary is Marisa K. James, MA, MT(ASCP) CM, and as Treasurer is Joel M. Shilling, MD(FASCP). Julie O’Sullivan Maillet, PhD, RD, FASAHP, returns as Member at Large. Additionally, President Hu appointed various Board members to serve as standing committee chairs and review committee liaisons. Leaving the Board after two four-year terms is Patricia Ellinger, MSEd, MLS(ASCP)SBB.
The Board adopted a standard change that was released for public comment in summer 2020.
Proposed changes to Standard VI. Administrative: Maintaining Accreditation/Approval. The proposed changes included clarification on items for which programs are required to submit documentation, fees by the due dates, and items Informing NAACLS of relevant administrative and operational changes within 30 days.
The Board approved a standard change, effective November 1st, 2020. This standard change is considered non-substantive, and therefore not required to be released for public comment.
Changes to Standard I.D 4 “Responsibilities of the Sponsor” from:
“The sponsor must have a formal affiliation agreement with all other entities that are involved in the education of the students, which describes:
a. The relationship
b. The roles
c. The responsibilities of the sponsor and that entity
d. The assurance for completion of students assigned clinical requirements in-the-event that an affiliation is discontinued.”
The changed I.D.4 and 5 are as follows:
“I.D.4 The sponsor must provide eligible students the opportunity to participate in applied clinical experiences.
I.D.5 The sponsor must have a formal affiliation agreement with all other entities that are involved in the education of the students, which describes:
a. The relationship
b. The roles
c. The responsibilities of the sponsor and that entity.”
The Board approved several items for a release to the public with a request for public comment.
Proposed changes to Standard VI.C Administrative: Maintaining Accreditation/Approval The proposed changes specify items that require informing NAACLS of relevant administrative and operational changes within 30 days.
Proposed changes to Standard VII.F. PathA Program Administration/Medical Director. These changes would reword the standard from “The Program must have a qualified medical director separate from the program director” to ”The Program must have a qualified medical director that who does not also serve as the Program Director.”
Proposed changes would phase out the term and process of “approval” and transition Phlebotomy and Clinical Assistant programs to accredited status. The rationale for such a proposal, and instructions on how to submit public comments, will be available on the NAACLS News later this month.
Approved were several editorial or clarifying changes to the Medical Director Approval and Review forms, Standards Compliance Guide (Standards II. B-C and VII.A.1), Progress Report Review form, Self Study Review form, and the Action Plan Template and Review documents. These documents will be updated by December 1st, 2020 and available on the NAACLS website.
Approved were the DCLS Guide to Accreditation and the DCLS Inactive Status. The DCLS Guide to Accreditation will soon be available on the NAACLS website.