College of the North Atlantic’s (CNA) Rehabilitation Assistant program has been granted national accreditation status by the Joint Accreditation Committee of the Occupational Therapist Assistant (OTA) and Physiotherapist Assistant (PTA) Education Accreditation Program.
“This is a significant achievement for the college and the School of Health Sciences, as it represents the first accreditation of a program delivered entirely through our distance education service,” said Jane Gamberg, CNA’s Dean of Health Sciences, noting the accreditation is quite a feather in the institution’s cap.
“This process has been in the development stages since a national accreditation process for OTA and PTA programs was introduced in 2012. The program attracts applicants from across the country, and students and employers can now be assured that the program meets the national standards of both the OTA and the PTA professions.”
The accreditation will also play a vital role in the development and offering of health care services throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Eastern Health has been pleased to partner with College of the North Atlantic for many years to educate future physiotherapy and occupational therapy assistants,” said Katherine Chubbs, Eastern Health’s Vice-President responsible for Professional Practice. “We congratulate the college on achieving this accreditation milestone as it will ultimately help enhance the quality and safety of the health care we provide to the clients, patients and residents we serve.”
The official
Accreditation Review and Status Report indicated that, “…the Rehabilitation Assistant program demonstrates a high level of innovation, creativity and collaboration in its delivery method and teaching approach. The faculty are to be commended on their dedication and skills in this area.”
Theresa Pittman is CNA’s Chair of Distributed Learning. She says operating a program through distance learning brings together faculty with specific skill sets.
“The program is offered completely through Distributed Learning and it is extremely rewarding to receive this level of national accreditation,” said Pittman. “I am very proud of the quality work and dedication of the program faculty and the Distributed Learning team in helping to make this possible – we are all excited about the future of distance program delivery in Newfoundland & Labrador.”
To learn more about CNA’s Rehabilitation Assistant program visit cna.nl.ca or the Distributed Learning website at dls.cna.nl.ca.
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Media Contacts:
Roger Hulan
Communications Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
(709) 643-7938
roger.hulan@cna.nl.ca
Tracey Boland
Media Relations Manager
Eastern Health
(709) 777-1412
TraceyL.Boland@easternhealth.ca