GREAT FALLS — The Great Falls College Surgical Technology program recently underwent its 10-year accreditation site visit and received commendations across the board — with no areas of concern.
“It feels really good,” said Daisy Gibson, the Surgical Technology program director. “I started work on this in May (2025) and worked on it all summer.”
Reviewers praised the college’s collaboration through the OneMSU Network, which allows the program to be offered on the campuses of Gallatin College in Bozeman and City College in Billings in addition to the cohort in Great Falls, and they also commended the program’s innovative partnership with healthcare providers such as Billings Clinic, which funds the college’s instructor in Billings, she said.
Accreditors from the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting conducted the virtual site visit to ensure Great Falls College’s program is holding up the criteria set forth by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs on Oct. 6, 2025.
“We are so proud of the Surgical Technology program and the hard work of Daisy, the faculty and the students for this achievement,” said Julie Barnwell, Health Sciences division director at Great Falls College. “It is really tough to receive all commendations without any notes of concern, but it didn’t really surprise us. Working with the OneMSU Network, the Surgical Technology program has been a real leader by expanding educational opportunities for Montanans while making the state a healthier place to live.”
Gibson said the three accreditors went through every aspect of the program and visited with current students, graduates, instructors, clinical sites that have hired graduates of the program as well as advisory board members.
“They went through everything,” said Gibson, who spent hours photographing and videographing the entire campus for the accreditors and then uploading the images and other documents. “Even including the support of campus for the students.”
Gibson said it was really nice to get that kind of positive reinforcement from accreditors who see programs throughout the country.
She has been asked by the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting to write about the OneMSU Network for its newsletter to showcase the relationship between the Montana State University system two-year colleges.
Both City College and Gallatin College offer Great Falls College’s Surgical Technology program classroom and lab space on their campuses free of charge as part of the innovative OneMSU Network. Students take the classroom portion online. In Billings, the Billings Clinic pays for an instructor to deliver the hands-on portion of the curriculum. There is an adjunct in Bozeman doing the same.
The model has proven so successful that Great Falls College’s Respiratory Therapy, Dental Hygiene and Physical Therapist Assistant have followed suit by offering their programs in other communities with the OneMSU Network.
CAAHEP accreditation tells students, employers and certifying bodies that a program meets national quality standards. It gives students stronger training and makes graduates more competitive for jobs. Employers benefit because they can trust graduates are prepared for real healthcare work, CAAHEP said.
“Choosing a CAAHEP-accredited program is crucial for students seeking a career in allied
Health, said Dr. Barry S. Eckert, president of CAAHEP. “It ensures that they receive an education that is both comprehensive and relevant to current industry needs, ultimately benefiting their future employers and people receiving care.”