SRPH Fully Accredited

For Immediate Release
June 3, 2004
SRPH-Accreditation
Contact: Andrea Pool at (979) 458-0773
Office of Communications
School of Rural Public Health
The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center
http://www.srph.tamshsc.edu
School of Rural Public Health Receives Accreditation for Seven Years
The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health (SRPH) received full accreditation this week from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The accreditation lasts for seven years, the maximum amount of time granted to a school, and requires no interim reports from the school. The School began its accreditation process in 1999 and was granted pre-accreditation status in 2001. After a final review from CEPH, the School received its full accreditation.
While still a classic school of public health, SRPH concentrates on traditionally rural and underserved areas. The School currently offers a Master of Public Health, a Master of Science in Public Health, a Master of Health Administration, a Doctor of Public Health, and a Ph.D. in Health Services Research. It also serves students across the state of Texas with distance education sites currently in Laredo, Corpus Christi, Kingsville, McAllen, Temple, and Austin. Previous distance sites include Tyler, Marshall and Mt. Pleasant.
“We are very pleased and proud to receive this accreditation,” said Ciro V. Sumaya, M.D., M.P.H.T.M., dean of the School. “For a young school to make such rapid progress as we have made is a great accomplishment. We have gone from an initial class of 23 students to having over 200 graduates, including 12 doctoral students, as of August 2004. Our research dollars have increased from essentially zero to over $6 million annually. This year, with several major centers of excellence including community health development, long-term care and occupational/environmental health, we are being recognized as a national-level resource in public health affecting rural issues. We are about to begin construction on a building to house the School, which begins the next evolution of our growth.”
Nancy W. Dickey, M.D., president of the A&M Health Science Center and vice chancellor for health affairs for the Texas A&M University System, noted, “This is a very special kudo for the school. Full accreditation for the maximum duration is as good as a school can be with regard to accreditation. It speaks to the quality of the students, the commitment and excellence of the faculty, and the dedication of the staff. We are very proud of our School of Rural Public Health.”
The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center provides the state with health education, outreach and research. Its five components located in communities throughout Texas are Baylor College of Dentistry, the College of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Institute of Biosciences and Technology and the School of Rural Public Health.
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