URSULINE PLANS TO OFFER THREE NEW HEALTH CARE DEGREES IN 2023

Building on the success for its nationally acclaimed Breen School of Nursing and Health Professions, Ursuline College is expanding its health care portfolio to meet Northeast Ohio's demand for Physician Assistants (PA), Respiratory Therapists and Nutritionists.

Last week the Ursuline College Physician Assistant Program, sponsored by Ursuline College, was granted provisional accreditation for its Physician Assistant Studies Program from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Its inaugural class of 30 students starts for this 24-month intensive program in January 2023. These future PAs were selected from a pool of 500 applicants. Employment of physician assistants is projected to grow by 31 percent from 2019 to 2029 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Ursuline's 75-year legacy of educating the area's top nurses and health care professionals created a great foundation for building this in-demand program,” explains PA Program Director Ryan Adler, EdD, PA-C, CHSE, who helped develop this master's degree over the past two years. “The provisional accreditation recognizes Ursuline's commitment to excellence in meeting the ARC-PA standards as well as its dedication to its future alumni.”

When the PA program students start classes this January, recruitment will begin for a new affordable online bachelor's program for Registered Respiratory Therapists who have associate degrees.

“While associate-degree educated respiratory therapists provide great care for their patients, their work is becoming increasingly complex, as evidenced by the recent pandemic,” states John Gallagher, MPH, RRT-NPS, FAARC, the newly appointed program director for Respiratory Care at Ursuline and former education coordinator for Pediatric Respiratory Care at UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital. “The AARC or American Association for Respiratory Care has set the expectation that all respiratory therapists obtain a bachelor's degree by2030. We're building this program to meet that need.”

Patricia Sharpnack, DNP, RN, CNE, NEA-BC, ANEF, FAAN, Dean of Ursuline's Breen School adds, “Ursuline has had a dynamic RN-to-BSN program since 1985. It serves as a great model for us to build the foundation for this exciting new respiratory care program. While we are still working through its accreditation approval process, we hope to have our first class enrolled for fall 2023.”

The College is also launching a hybrid undergraduate degree program in nutrition and dietetics next fall with both online and in-person classes. It plans to hire a director in the near future and hopes to actively recruit students in the next few months.

“Many of our graduates are from Northeast Ohio and remain here after graduation to serve their local communities,” says Dr. Sharpnack. “These programs build on Ursuline's current strengths in undergraduate and graduate nursing, social work and art therapy to improve the lives of all in the Cleveland area and beyond.”

The Full Provisional Accreditation Statement from the ARC-PA – The ARC-PA has granted AccreditationProvisional status to the Ursuline College Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Ursuline College. Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program's ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation - Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students. Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class. The program's accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arcpa.org/accreditation-history-ursuline-college/

What Your Feet Can Tell You About Your Health Understanding peripheral artery disease

(Family Features) If you are living with pain and discomfort in your feet, legs, thighs or butt, it may be a sign of a serious health problem. Many adults in the United States are suffering and may be at risk of amputations of their toes, feet or legs as a result of an undetected disease known as peripheral artery disease (PAD).

PAD affects the blood vessels outside the heart, reducing blood flow to the area with the diseased blood vessel. In the most common type of PAD, lower extremity PAD, blood flow is reduced to your legs and feet.

Learning more about PAD is important for detecting problems and getting early treatment so you can avoid devastating complications such as amputation or even death. Learn more about PAD, including symptoms, risk factors and treatment, from the experts at the American Heart Association:

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of PAD are burning, aching, numbness, fatigue or discomfort in your leg or hip muscles while walking. The symptoms are caused by your legs not getting the blood they need. This pain usually goes away with rest and returns when you are active again.

“These symptoms can impact a person's quality of life, making it difficult to walk and hard to do usual activities at home and work,” said Amy W. Pollak, MD, American Heart Association volunteer expert serving as a leader of the national PAD Collaborative and cardiovascular medicine physician at Mayo Clinic. “For some, PAD can progress to cause pain when you are resting and even amputation of your toe, foot or leg.”

RiskFactors

PAD affects more than 8.5 million people in the U.S , the majority of whom are 65 years and older, according to the American Heart Association. Approximately 46-68% of patients with PAD also have coronary artery disease or cerebrovascular disease.

“We see PAD more commonly in people living with diabetes, people who smoke and people with other common risk factors for heart disease, like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity,” Pollak said.

PreventionandTreatment

While some causes of PAD are beyond your control, the best method to prevent PAD is managing risk factors by making lifestyle changes including quitting smoking, managing diabetes and high blood pressure, staying active and eating a heart-healthy diet.

Working closely with your health care professional at the first sign of PAD is an important step in achieving the best treatment outcomes and avoiding serious complications like amputation.

“PAD is a lifelong medical condition, but people with PAD can lead active and long lives,” Pollak said. “If you notice walking is more difficult, keeping up with others is hard or you have pain when you walk, talk with a doctor and describe when it happens and how it feels. Don't be afraid to get a second opinion.”

Visit heart.org/PAD to learn more.