Program Structure 

Ascension St. Vincent Cardiac Sonography Program students are not entitled to the same benefits provided to associates of Ascension St. Vincent since students are not employed. However, enrolled students do receive services and have access to resources as a result of their enrollment in the program. Below is a summary of student services.

  

Counseling Services

Program faculty members offer academic counseling to all enrolled students. Students regularly receive counseling regarding their academic and clinical progress. Sonography Program faculty members are also available for individual academic assistance as needed. However, the Sonography Program does not offer formal tutoring services.

Enrolled students are also entitled to pastoral counseling for matters of personal or religious nature. Pastoral counseling is a private matter between the student and clinical pastoral services and is kept entirely confidential. 

 

Health Services

Sonography Program students are eligible to receive the health services as describe below.

  1. Pre-enrollment Health Assessment. Pre-enrollment services include an immunization screening to assure compliance with hospital and regulatory requirements, respirator fit testing, and mandatory drug screening.
  2. Training-related injury: Should a student become injured during the course of their training, initial assessment and care is provided through the Ascension St. Vincent Office of Associate Health or, if the injury is more severe, through an Ascension St. Vincent Emergency Department. Follow-up care, if directed, is provided by the student’s personal healthcare provider. Approved out-of-pocket expenses are covered by an insurance policy held by Ascension St. Vincent.
  3. Training-related exposure to communicable disease: Initial assessment and care is provided through the Ascension St. Vincent Office of Associate Health.  Follow-up care, if necessary, occurs with the student’s personal healthcare provider.
  4. Annual surveillance to includes annual TB screening and influenza vaccinations.

Students are required to carry their own personal health insurance since health insurance is not provided to enrolled students. Ascension St. Vincent is not liable for any general illness that occurs to a student as a result of clinical training.

   

Malpractice & General Liability Coverage

Sonography Program students are covered under the general liability and medical malpractice coverage held by Ascension St. Vincent provided the student is acting in the authorized capacity and scope of students assigned to clinical sites within Ascension St. Vincent and in accordance to all established program and clinical site policies and procedures.

Career / Employment Placement

While the Sonography Program does not guarantee employment upon graduation, the program faculty assist students in finding employment opportunities relative to their training field. Program faculty write recommendation letters, post position openings, and offer resume’ and interview writing tips to students. The Sonography Program has a rich history of successful student placement in gainful employment. 

Financial Services

The College does not participate in Title IV federal student aid (FASFA) programs and, as a result, students may not be able to have their existing student loans deferred. Students should contact the financial aid of the college/ institution through which the loan was processed to discuss their options.

The College has a no-interest tuition payment plan for financial hardship. A financial hardship payment plan covers only tuition and fees for a given semester. Students must request the plan in writing to the program director prior to the tuition and fee due date for the semester. All tuition and fees must be paid prior to the end of each semester in accordance with the plan.


Library Services

Ascension St. Vincent Hospital, which sponsors the Ascension St. Vincent College, does not have a physical library but instead has a robust digital library including access to numerous research databases and periodicals. Online knowledge-based resources exist to meet the clinical, research, and educational needs of physicians, associates, and students. Online resources are available 24/7 on all networked computers anywhere in Ascension St. Vincent. 

Disability Services

The American Disabilities Act (ADA) defines “disability" as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity or who have a record of such impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability (www.adata.org). The Sonography Program does not request disability information from program candidates. Likewise candidates are advised to not discuss or disclose a disability to  faculty, students or other Ascension St. Vincent representatives. The program does not discriminate on the basis of disability in any of its programs, services or activities. and will not deny any otherwise qualified student with a disability the opportunity to participate in, or benefit from, any aid, benefit or service that the program provides. Ascension St. Vincent strives to ensure that all disabled students have full access to the benefits of the program and will engage in a good-faith interactive process with all disabled students to attempt to identify reasonable accommodations. Reasonable accommodations do not include measures which fundamentally alter the academic programs, which place an undue financial burden on Ascension St. Vincent, or which may endanger students , faculty or other Ascension St. Vincent representatives. Additional information regarding requesting accommodations will be provided to enrolled students.

Language

The Sonography Program is offered only in English. Language assistance is not available.