Occupational Therapy Receives Full Accreditation, Other Programs Receive Official Visits

East Central College is proud to announce its Occupational Therapy Assistant Program has earned its full accreditation! The program received full approval from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) this semester and will remain accredited for the next seven years. The program consists of a combination of general education, professional level coursework, classroom and laboratory practice and clinical fieldwork experiences.

Meanwhile, other programs in the Nursing and Allied Health Department are also going through the accreditation process. In September, the Paramedic Technology Program received an on-campus visit from the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

“The formal report will take a few weeks to process,” said Robyn Walter, Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs, “but the site visitors shared comments during their exit review.  They were highly impressed with the quality of the program, student outcomes and community reputation.”

Students in the program receive instruction in the recognition, treatment, and transport of patients with medical emergencies and trauma.

The team from CoAEMSP will soon make accreditation recommendations to the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP). The process is a five-year cycle.The program was last accredited in 2015, which is good through February 2020.

The Nursing Program also recently received an approval visit. In early October, members of the Missouri State Board of Nursing (MSBN) came to campus.

Vice President Walter believes the continued success of the program should lead to full accreditation.

“They were very impressed with our well-developed curriculum, excellent use of evidence to inform the systematic evaluation of the program and students and strong student-centered approach,” she explained. “We expect the MSBN to make a recommendation for a full five-year approval.”

Walter also added the program NCLEX RN exam pass rates are higher than the national average.

East Central College offers two programs leading to an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing.  The main campus in Union, as well as the Rolla site, offers a complete pre-licensure program for those interested in becoming a registered nurse. A LPN to RN Bridge program is also available at the Rolla location for LPNs interested in becoming registered nurses.