Maximum 8-year award received by JSCC Radiography

Apr 25th, 2016

After its meeting in March, the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) extended the maximum accreditation award of 8 years to the radiography program at Jackson State Community College. This is a 3-year extension to the 5-year term.

The accreditation process began with the submission of a self-study in July, 2014. The second part of the process was an onsite evaluation in April, 2015. The program received 5 years of continuing education with a progress report due in January, 2016. Due to the merits of the program, JRCERT made the decision in March to extend the award an additional 3 years. As a result, the JSCC program will not go through this process again until 2023.

Beginning in 1968, the radiography program was the first allied health program to be instituted at JSCC. According to the program's first director, Mrs. Neta McKnight, the program at Jackson State was the first radiography program east of the Mississippi River to offer an associates degree in this field. "We were in uncharted territory and pioneers back then," she explained.

Current program director, Kim Todd states, "I am so proud to be a part of the [radiography] program here at Jackson State. Our emphasis has always been on providing our students with the knowledge and tools they need to provide patients with the highest level of care."

"The extension awarded by JRCERT really validates what we do here at Jackson State," Todd continues. "The process of accreditation can be grueling, but an outcome such as this is a win for everyone involved and makes it all worthwhile. It is a team effort that could not occur without the support of the radiography faculty, our students, and the strong commitment of our affiliate hospital radiology staff and administration"

Dr. Tom Pigg, dean of allied health, said that radiography has long been at the forefront of the health-related programs at JSCC. "The success of radiography from the very beginning has paved the way for the array of programs offered at the college today."

Todd also noted that JRCERT is the only agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, for the accreditation of traditional and distance educational programs in radiography, radiation therapy, magnetic resonance, and medical dosimetry.

JSCC students work with a number of partnering facilities that provide hands-on training. These partners include Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, Tennova Dyersburg Regional, Baptist Memorial Hospital - Union City, and Henry County Medical Center. "The support of these organizations has been and continues to be paramount to the success of our programs here at the college," Todd states.

To learn more about radiography and other allied health programs at JSCC, visit http://www.jscc.edu/academics/divisions/allied-health/ or call (731) 425-2612.



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