Ready to Apply
Instructional Letter for Schools Applying for Programmatic Accreditation
(Revised May 2009)
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Only schools that are currently institutionally accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or CHEA are eligible to seek programmatic accreditation for a Medical Assistant, Medical Laboratory Technology, and/or Surgical Technology program.
(See the Section on Basic Eligibility for details).
Thank you for your interest in seeking programmatic accreditation by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). ABHES is recognizedbythe U.S. Department of Education to programmatically accredit medical assistant, medical laboratory technology and surgical technology programs leading to a certificate, diploma, Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Occupational Science, or Academic degree, including those offered via distance education. Please review the Section on Basic Eligibility for the appropriate program(s) (medical assistant, medical laboratory technician, and/or surgical technology) from the ABHES Manual for Allied Health Education Schools and Programs. If, after review of these requirements, you feel that your medical assistant, medical laboratory technology and/or surgical technology program(s) meets the criteria and is ready to apply for accreditation, please complete the Programmatic Application for Accreditation and submit it along with the information listed below:
1)A current school catalog;
2)Completed Ownership Disclosure Form (privately held business, publicly held business, nonprofitor sole proprietorship);
3)signed Attestation of Responsibility; and
4)Appropriate application fee payment (separate fee for each program). Payment must be in the form of a check made payable to ABHES (see User Fee Schedule for current application fee).
APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
ABHES prefers that ALL APPLICANTS submit completed application packets electronicallyvia e-mail to . This may require documents to be professionally scanned as a JPG, TIF, Microsoft-Compatible, or ADOBE PDF to ensure that all information is legible and organized for ease of an electronic review. If the documents are scanned in per page and consist of more than two pages, please combine them into one document. All documents must include the required signatures where applicable.
Application packets may also be submitted on CD Rom(mailed to the address below). When saving required documents, a separate document should be made and appropriately labeled and formatted as described above.
The total number of attachments (to be e-mailed) or files (if using a CD Rom) is dependent on the application plus the number of exhibitsto accompany the application. Each attachment/file should be named according to its content (e.g., “Completed Application”, “signed Ownership Disclosure Form”, “Catalog”, etc.).
It is imperative that the application submission is properly labeled with the (1) institution’s name, (2) city/state, (3) ABHES ID #, if application, (4) Entitled “APPLICATION FOR ACCREDITATION”, and (5) the Date of submission.
The only hardcopy document required is a cover letter of intent and the application payment in the form of a check made payable to ABHES and mailed to the address below. Visit the ABHES website to view the currentUser Fee Schedule. A separate fee applies to each program for which you are seeking programmatic accreditation (Medical Assistant, Medical Laboratory Technology, and/or Surgical Technology).
ABHES
7777 Leesburg Pike, Suite 314N
Falls Church, Virginia 22043
After all information has been reviewed, your institution will be informed of its status and visitation requirements. Should your institution appear to meet the eligibility requirements of ABHES, a Self-evaluation Report (SER) will be provided via e-mail (unless otherwise requested)for completion.
In addition, applicants are required to attend an Accreditation Workshop. The individual(s) designated to attend the workshop should be directly involved in the accreditation and self-evaluation process (e.g., school or program director, director of education, etc.). See the Workshop Registration Form for dates and times of upcoming workshops.
For more details regarding the ABHES application process, see the Accreditation ProcessOutline. Please refer to the ABHES Annual Schedule of Events/Deadline Dates to note the next application deadline. Be sure to plan your time effectively.
If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact India Y. Tips, Director of Accreditation Services at or (703) 917-9503.