JRC-DMS Covid-19 Statement
CAAHEP-accredited diagnostic medical sonography programs are in the process of planning and making decisions on how best to respond to the impact of COVID-19. Since the spread of COVID-19 is continuing, please know the JRC-DMS supports you as you work through this public health crisis. We will work with our programs to help them navigate issues that impact our students.
As academic institutions are in the process of planning and deciding how best to respond we encourage you to refer to these helpful resources for the latest information on coronavirus:
- WHO
- CDC
- US Department of Education
- Federal Student Aid
- Local public health authority for your county and state
For students in clinicals, decisions made may impact the students’ graduation date. Factors to consider include but are not limited to:
- Meeting with the Program Advisory Committee and clinical stakeholders to discuss options for continued learning.
- Utilizing other clinical affiliations that are accepting students
- Extending the students’ learning
- Following your local public health authority’s recommendations
- Following your program’s and institution’s protocols
- Implementing the academic continuity plan for your institution
- Meeting your institutional requirements for potentially extended graduation for all students, consulting policies for incompletes, leaves of absence, and student enrollment agreements
If suspended from clinical sites, and no other sites are available, then keep documentation during the disruption and if there are any deviation from requirements for students to graduate then the JRC-DMS Board can evaluate on a case by case basis. Our policy has been (as it was for programs impacted by Hurricane Katrina) to not penalize programs for national situations beyond their control.
If graduation dates are delayed, be prepared to provide to the JRC-DMS with evidence demonstrating which clinical sites and students were directly impacted and the length of the disruption.
We are continuing to monitor the available information on COVID-19, which now changes daily, and will stay in communication with you all as we have more information to share.
The Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS) is a nonprofit organization in existence to establish, maintain and promote quality standards for educational programs in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS). Since 1983, the organization has provided a mechanism of committee review to recognize educational programs throughout the United States that instruct students in the disciplines related to DMS through education consistent with standards for entry into practice. Read more about JRC-DMS»
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The JRC-DMS has developed the following series of webcasts to assist Program Directors and other Program or Institution Personnel in understanding the accreditation process, CAAHEP Standards, Self-Study and Site Visit process.
The series is intended to be a useful tool whether you are seeking accreditation for the first time or have been a long standing CAAHEP accredited program.