CCC-501
Rev. Aug 2010
Application Date
December 2010
California Community Colleges
APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL
NEW CREDIT DEGRREE PROGRAM / CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
PROPOSED PROGRAM TITLE
Cosumnes River College
COLLEGE
Los Rios Community College District
DISTRICT
2011-12 Catalog Year
PROJECTED PROGRAM START DATE
Judy Beachler/Cori Burns
CONTACT PERSON
Dean of Instruction/Professor
TITLE
916-691-7205/916-691-7296
PHONE NUMBER beachlj@crc.losrios.edu/ burnsc@crc.losrios.edu
E-MAIL ADDRESS
GOAL(S) OF PROGRAM (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY):
X
CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE)
___
TRANSFER
___
OTHER

TYPE OF PROGRAM (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY):
A.A. DEGREE
X
A.S. DEGREECERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT
: X
18+ semester (or 27+ quarter) units
___
12-18 semester (or 18-27 quarter) units
PLANNING SUMMARY
Recommended T.O.P. Code 1227.00
Units for Degree Major or Area of
Emphasis
Total Units for Degree
Required Units-Certificate
52
80
52
DEVELOPMENT CRITERIA NARRATIVE & DOCUMENTATION
Number the sections of the narrative to match the lists below. Do not re-number the sections. Provide documentation in the form of attachments as indicated.
Criteria A. Appropriateness to Mission
#2 of CCC-501: Catalog Description
The CRC Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) Program includes didactic, laboratory, and practicum components that are structured to facilitate the achievement of educational and career goals. According to the American Registry for Diagnostic
Medical Sonographers (ARDMS), sonographers are “highly-skilled professionals who use specialized equipment to create images of structures inside the human body that are used by physicians to make a medical diagnosis. Sonographers have extensive, direct patient contact that may include performing some invasive procedures. They must be able to interact compassionately and effectively with people who range from healthy to critically ill.
Although no state requires licensure in diagnostic medical sonography, organizations such as the American Registry of Diagnostic
Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) certify the competency of sonographers through registration.” The program will be applying for accreditation and, if granted accredited status, successful completion of the CRC DMS program will qualify students for registration with the ARDMS as well as prepare graduates for entry-level sonography positions.
Career Opportunities:
Adopted from the ARDMS website: Sonography is a dynamic profession that has grown significantly over the past 20 years. With rapidly developing new technologies and increased use of diagnostic ultrasound procedures, growth is projected to continue in the future with employment opportunities for qualified sonographers in both urban and rural areas nationwide.
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CCC-501
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Sonographers and vascular technologists can choose to work in clinics, hospitals, private-practice physician offices, public-health facilities, laboratories, and other medical settings performing examinations in their areas of specialization.
Adapted from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition: More than half of all sonographers were employed by hospitals, and most of the rest worked in offices of physicians or in medical and diagnostic laboratories, including diagnostic imaging centers.
Employment of diagnostic medical sonographers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012 as the population grows and ages, increasing the demand for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic technology.
#3 of CCC-501: Program Requirements
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:



Perform entry-level skills of a diagnostic sonographer in the clinical setting;
Successfully complete the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers certification examination;
Acknowledge and adhere to the scope of practice of a diagnostic medical sonographer.
Course List
Required Program
1st Summer Semester:
SONOG 205 Ultrasound Physics & Instrumentation
1st Fall Semester:
3
SONOG 210 Abdominal Scanning and Pathology
SONOG 215 Abdominal Directed Practice
2nd Semester (Spring):
4
7
SONOG 220 OB/GYN Scanning & Pathology
SONOG 225 OB/GYN Directed Practice
3rd Semester (Summer):
4
7
SONOG 240 Superficial & Small Parts Scanning
4th Semester (Fall):
3
SONOG 230 Vascular Scanning
SONOG 235 Vascular & Small Parts DP
5th Semester (Spring):
SONOG 250 Sonography Interpretation
SONOG 251 Integrative Study in Sonography
SONOG 255 Advanced Directed Practice
4
7
2
2
9
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CCC-501
Rev. Aug 2010
Total Units:
Program Eligibility Requirements:
52
To be eligible for enrollment in the degree or certificate program, the student must meet the following criteria:


Complete the application process for enrollment in the DMS program;
Fulfill all requirements set forth by the CRC Allied Health Practicum Guidelines including but not limited to: background clearance, physical examination, immunization clearance and drug screening;

Succesfully complete with a C or better all pre-requisite courses as outlined below (course numbers are Los Rios designators):

College-level Intermediate Algebra (or higher math course)

Interpersonal Communications (or equivalent communications/speech course)

Anatomy & Physiology (one year)

Medical Language

Human Disease or Pathophysiology

Conceptual Physics

Introduction to Sonography
Criteria B. Need
#7 of CCC-501: Similar Programs at Other Colleges in Service Area
This A.S. degree and its certificate have been created at the request of the Sacramento Area Hospital and Medical communities and the North Far North Regional Health Occupations Resource Center (RHORC) because there is on other Diagnostic Medical
Sonography (DMS) Credit Level Program offered by a community college in Northern California. The closest community college credit program in DMS is at Foothill College in the San Jose area. The other five programs are in southern California.
#8 of CCC-501: Labor Market Information & Analysis (CTE only)
With rapidly developing new technologies and increased use of diagnostic ultrasound procedures, growth is projected to continue in the future with employment opportunities for qualified sonographers in both urban and rural areas nationwide. Sonographers and vascular technologists can choose to work in clinics, hospitals, private-practice physician offices, public-health facilities, laboratories, and other medical settings performing examinations in their areas of specialization.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the California Employment Development Department (EDD) Labor
Market Division, employment of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers is expected to grow nationally at a slightly lower rate (but nonetheless at afairly high rate, overall) than is the case for California. The need for Sonogrphers is expected to grow by 18.3% nationally, but in California by 21,6%, with 180 average annual openings each year through 2018. The rate of growth in the
Sacramento area is expected to grow at a lower 10.1%, with an annual 27 jobs projected to be available between 2008 and 2018.
Earnings for potential graduates who are hired locally in the Sacramento area are fairly high at an average $39.29 per hour for certified sonographers.
Sacramento Area industries that hire graduates with this education include physians’ offices (there are 1,299), and medical and diagnostic laboratories (there are 87).
Because this program is the only community college credit program that will educate Diagnostic Medical Sonographers in the rather than only in the Sacramento area.
The complete labor market data is available in the attached appendix.
Is this program fully or partially online? YES X NO
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CCC-501
Rev. Aug 2010
If “yes”, what percentage online?
Course delivery will vary; a few have been approved to be offered in all three modalities -- on-ground, online and as hybrid courses.
Date the proposed program was announced to the Regional consortium : 03/12/09
Date the proposed program was approved by the College Curriculum Committee:
Date the proposed program was approved by the district committee (DCCC):
Date the proposed program was approved by the district Board of Trustees:
10/20/10*
11/05/10*
11/17/10*
*
Because the unit requirement for this major is 52 units in order to meet national accreditation standards, the CRC Curriculum Committee decided to approve a certificate, as well, since program accreditation does not require the associate degree for certification. This way, students can be certified to become a sonographer without the 80+ unit requirement for the degree. The certificate is exactly the same as the degree in terms of pre-requisites and major coursework, but does not require the General Education courses that are required to earn a degree. The certificate will be approved by the CRC Curriculum Committee on 1/19/11, by the District Curriculum Coordinating Committee on 2/4/10 and by the Board of Trustees on 2/16/11.
Please Note NFNRC Program Endorsement Guidelines
System Office has delegated 2 responsibilities to Consortium.
1) Assess if there is a sufficient labor market to justify program
2) Not an unnecessary duplication of program
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CCC-501
Rev. Aug 2010
Appendix A
Labor/Job Market Data
CTE Program – Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Occupational Wages in California and the Sacramento MSA: 2010
Area Year Period Hourly Mean
Hourly by Percentile
25th Median
California 2010 1st Qtr $35.91 $29.61 $36.11
Sacramento MSA 2010 1st Qtr $39.29 $34.71 $39.70
75th
$43.13
$44.61
Occupational Projections of Employment in California and the Sacramento MSA: 2008-2018
Area
Estimated Year-
Projected Year
Employment
Estimated Projected
Employment Change
Number Percent
Annual Avg Openings
California 2008 - 2018 5,100 6,200 1,100 21.6 180
Sacramento MSA 2008 – 2018 1,290 1,420 130 10.1 27
Industries Employing This Occupation in California and the Sacramento MSA
Industry Title
Offices of Physicians
Number of Employers in State of California
36,505
Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of
California
27.5%
Medical and Diagnostic
Laboratories
2,458 8.6%
Industry Title
Number of Employers in Sacramento
County
1,299
Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of
California
27.5% Offices of Physicians
Medical and Diagnostic
Laboratories
87 8.6%
Source: CA Employment Development Department, Labor Market Division.
U.S. Employment by occupation, 2008 and projected 2018
(Numbers in thousands)
2008 National Employment Matrix title and code
Employment
Number
Percent distribution
2008 2018 2008 2018
Change, 2008-18
Number Percent
Total job openings due to growth and replacement needs
Diagnostic medical sonographers
29-2032 50.3 59.5 0.03 0.03 9.2 18.31 16.5
Source: Employment Projections Program, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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1,290 1,420 130 10.1 27