Your Future in
HEALTHCARE
TwoThousandSeventeen
Georgia Healthcare Science Technology Education Foundation Healthcare Science Technology Educators Association, Inc.
2
Your Future in Healthcare
Georgia Healthcare Science
Ta b l e o F C o n T e n T S
Technology Education Foundation
Welcome to Our Seventh Edition of Your Future in Healthcare ............4
Executive Director | Carole Ray
A Special Thank You to Our Supporters .......................................................5 In Loving Memory...............................................................................................6
Georgia Department of Education
Scrubs Camp ~ Hands on Adventure in Healthcare...................................7
Healthcare, Public Safety,
A Guide on the Path to a Real-world Career in Health Care....................8
and Personal Care Services
A Special Invitation from HSTEA....................................................................9
Phyllis Johnson | Program
From A. R. Johnson to College to Pharmacy School..................................11
Specialist
Being an Ombudsman Representative ........................................................12
Healthcare Science Technology
Sisters in Health Care: Elizabeth and Victoria’s Journey.........................12
Educators Association, Inc
Preparing to Put the Patient’s Experience First..........................................14
(HSTEA) Past-President | Lynne Clarke President | Sandra Martin Published by
Careers That Build on ECG Technician or Patient Care Technician Certifications .....................................................16 Georgia HOSA Providing Exceptional Opportunities Healthcare Science Students ......................................................................17
A4 Inc.
Using Counseling Resources to Ensure Success .......................................18
1154 Lower Birmingham Road
Alfred Ely Beach High School HOSA Students Set Record.....................19
Canton, Georgia 30115
My Life’s Journey Respiratory Therapy ......................................................20
Tel. (770) 521-8877 Pamela S. Petersen-Frey
Richmond Hill High School’s Third Annual “This Day was a Disaster” Drill!.................................................................22
Director of Art and Design
HOSA-Future Health Professionals ~ Priya Rathakrishnan....................23
e-mail: pfrey@a4inc.com
Healthcare Career Journey into Home Medical Equipment Sales.......24 Occupational Therapists Help Their Patients
Cover Art photo credit: Rick Brower,
“Live Their Lives to the Fullest!” ...............................................................26
Bremen High School.
How I Made It to My Destination ................................................................27
Students are from Randa
My Career in Ultrasound................................................................................28
Smith’s Healthcare Science
hem • or • rhage................................................................................................29
Program.
September 2017
Brace for Impact: Telehealth is Taking Off!................................................30 3
Welcome to our Seventh edition of Your Future in Healthcare This magazine is designed to appeal to Healthcare Science students and teachers across Georgia, as well as Healthcare business and industry professionals. Working together with the Healthcare Science Technology Educators Association (HSTEA) and the GA Healthcare Science Technology Education Foundation (GAHSTEF), we believe we have produced a magazine that will be utilized in the Healthcare Science classroom as a resource for our future Healthcare professionals. We want to thank all of the industry representatives and education agencies who contributed articles for use in our magazine. We will distribute some hard copies at conferences and events, but also are able to send out an electronic copy, which makes it easy for the teachers in the classroom. We also have activities that the teachers may utilize in the classroom to supplement the articles and other contributors. We have over 40,000 students in high school and middle school Healthcare Science programs in our rural and urban counties across the state, where a wide vari-
ety of healthcare science courses/pathways are offered. Not only are students taking these classes, they are also successful passing national assessments and many are earning industry validated credentials prior to leaving high school. This past school year, students became Certified Nursing Assistants, Patient Care Technicians, Phlebotomists, Emergency Medical Responders, EKG technicians, Pharmacy Techs, and
Medical Office Assistants. To view our pathways and the curriculum for each course you can go to: http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/CTAE/Pages/clusterHS.aspx Over 14,700 healthcare science students are also participating in our career technical student organization called HOSA - Future Health Professionals, where they learn leadership and teamwork skills and participate in healthcare and leadership competitive events (over 55 different ones are available). HOSA is offered through healthcare programs across the state and is an integral component that compliments the classroom experience. For more information: http://georgiahosa.org/
For more information: Phyllis Johnson, Healthcare Science Program Specialist, Georgia Department of Education. pjohnson@doe.k12.ga.us or 470-270-4008
ou r Supp orTe rS abraham baldwin agricultural College . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover Georgia Highlands College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Homecare assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 HomeTown Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 life university . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . back Cover passassured . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4
Your Future in Healthcare
“Your Future in Healthcare” magazine would like to say a special thank you to supporters of our programs, teachers, and students. Those who contributed articles and content for the magazine. Foundation Board members Healthcare Science Technology Educators Association (HSTEA) GA Healthcare Science Technology Education Foundation (GAHSTEF) Hometown Health and Hometown Health University GA Athletic Trainer’s Association Pass Assured ------------Travel World of Crosby Home Care Assistance ---------- A4inc.com Conference & other Professional Development presenters All vendor and Silent Auction participants at HSTEA/TIEGA Winter Conference Magazine contributors and Ads as well as others who participated in our other fundraisers Matt Johnson, Carole Ray and Lynne Clarke
Whether it is financial support, in kind donations of time and/or supplies, or support with marketing through this magazine, without which this magazine and support of teachers and students would not have been possible. v
September 2017
5
This Issue is Dedicated In loving Memory of Matthew Thomas Johnson June 28, 1983 – September 1, 2016
Matt Johnson was a great friend, mentor, and teacher to all who met him. He inspired so many during his life. He loved working with children and young people, whether through his love of music or working with the Georgia HOSA Foundation. His devotion to family was also evident by the amount of time he spent with them and the family trips taken in both the United States and abroad. One of Matt’s visions was to raise awareness of the healthcare programs throughout the state. Therefore, this magazine was begun seven years ago. Without him, it would never have been possible. He was very dedicated to creating it each year. Matt was the director of the Georgia HOSA Foundation for many years. His main goal through this foundation was to raise awareness of Georgia HOSA and to help students to be able to attend Georgia HOSA events, especially the national conference. Thousands of dollars have been raised and given out to students over the past years for this purpose, mainly through his diligence of procuring donors. He was an inspiration to everyone who met him and will be greatly missed by all. 6
Your Future in Healthcare
Scrubs Camp Hands on adventure in Healthcare By Phyllis Johnson
Over
thirty-five high school students came from across Georgia to attend the first Scrubs Camp in Columbus, GA, June 13-15, 2017. This Scrubs Camp was hosted by the Hughston Foundation, Three Rivers AHEC, and Columbus Regional Healthcare for high school and collegeage students who have an interest in the medical field, especially orthopaedics and sports medicine. Every student received their own scrubs tops, which many of them wore to camp each day. In addition to tours of each facility, including one virtual tour of the pharmacy at Midtown Medical, the students visited an interactive career fair and were able to experience many handson activities. Some of the speakers and topics covered during camp included healthcare administration, medical research, neuroscience, pharmaceuticals, medical writing, medical illustration, radiology, surgical nursing, surgical technologist, physician and medical residency program, physician assistant, physical therapy, and athletic training. In the athletic training component, students learned how to apply athletic tape to help prevent injuries, and under the direction of the Foundation’s athletic director, they were able practice taping each other. During the presentations, the students watched videos showing athletic injuries as they happened, and how athletic trainers assist athletes immediately after an injury occurs. They also saw how casts are applied, got to see a demonstration of rehabilitation techniques, and learned about concussions. Some of the most exciting things they were able to do involved knee
September 2017
structure and surgery. Kurt E. Jacobson, MD, discussed knee anatomy and demonstrated an open knee dissection using a cadaver knee. Additionally, they watched a total knee replacement surgery that was narrated by the orthopedic surgeon, John I. Waldrop, MD, as he performed the surgery. The students watched a knee arthroscopy on a cadaver knee with Dan Morris, DO, and a few volunteers were able to participate in the surgery as well. The students especially enjoyed trying their hand at knee surgery using the arthroscopic knee simulators where they removed “corn kernels” from the knee. After receiving excellent reviews from the students who participated, program organizers plan to offer Scrubs Camp again next year. This is an especially good opportunity for students who are interested in the Healthcare Science Sports Medicine pathway, but the camp is also great for anyone who is considering a career in healthcare. v
7
a Guide on the path to a real-world Career in Health Care By Allison Daniel, RN | Higgins General Hospital in Bremen
After
more than 40 years at the bedside, nursing technician Bobby Bonner knows that, when it comes to delivering exceptional patient care, there are no shortcuts, and the best way to learn is through a hands-on approach.
It’s a lesson he’s eager to impart to the next generation of healthcare professionals. “There is no use in letting them do it the wrong way,” said Bonner, who’s worked the past 32 years of his career at Higgins General Hospital in Bremen, part of Carrollton-based Tanner Health System. “I teach them the right way and then they keep doing it the right way, every time. Working in health care is no place to take shortcuts.” Bonner is part of a long-standing partnership between Tanner and Bremen High School dating back to 1996, providing health sciences students an early look at what a career in health care can offer. Health science students who have demonstrated competencies in the school’s lab can hone their skills at the actual bedside — with Bonner’s supervision and guidance. The program was piloted under the hospital’s then-director of nursing, Norma Norton, RN. Another program offered through the hospital, Tanner Connections, began in 2010 and provides high school students from Carroll and Haralson counties with experience in other areas of health care, including the pharmacy, lab, physical therapy, nursing and more. More than 220 students have seen the ins and outs of health care through the Tanner Connections program. Under Bonner’s tutelage, students learn more than “hospital corners” and other basic skills: he provides practical, real-world insight into keeping patients safe by preventing the spread of infection, greeting patients with a smile and a friendly attitude, and
8
demonstrating confidence in the work to put patients at ease. “Trust is essential in health care,” said Bonner. “If you always do your best, the patients and their families can tell and they will trust you more. I want these students to know good patient care and respect. Patients depend on that.” For the students, the programs offer not only real-world experience, but a chance to decide early whether or not their calling is really in health care. “I can tell if they’re really interested in a career in health care,” said Bonner. “Those who are jump in and ask a lot of questions. They have a natural interest in helping people.” It’s a lesson that’s becoming generational, from the old guard like Bonner to the less-tenured staff and, ultimately, the new healthcare professionals just beginning their careers. “Bobby trained me when I was a tech at Higgins,” said Cheri Pesnell, who worked at the hospital in the 1980s. “My daughter, Sydney, was in the Bremen High School program and was Bobby’s student in 2015. He’s a very good teacher and a wonderful advocate for patient care.” While the benefit to the students, learning from seasoned professionals like Bonner in real-world clinical fields, is evident, there’s also a benefit for hospitals and health systems — especially those in rural areas, where the shortage of healthcare professionals is the most acute. Kelley McPherson, RN, BSN, who was appointed the director of nursing at Higgins General Hospital last year and is now pursuing her master’s in nursing, knows first-hand the value of such a program in attracting potential professionals to rural facilities like Higgins General Hospital. “I never thought about working at Higgins until I was part of the program,” said McPherson. “I believe it’s the reason I am at Higgins now.”
For the students, the experience has proven invaluable. “Bobby truly has a heart for helping people that can be seen in
Your Future in Healthcare
his work every day,” said Ally Hindman, a Bremen High School student who’s participated in the program. “He is a meticulous and outstanding teacher who invests in and impacts his students. Having this experience with Bobby further solidified my decision to pursue a career in nursing.” Bonner knows that great patient care is a product of a team approach, and he’s quick to credit is colleagues at Higgins General Hospital for making the program successful and helping him serve as a guide for so many into the world of health care. But those he works with are quick to offer their testimony for what Bonner
brings to the table. “Bobby is the heart and soul of our high school program,” said Allison Daniel, RN, a registered nurse who works in nursing administration at Higgins General Hospital. “All the students love Bobby. You can tell that he eases their minds but challenges them at the same time. It’s a gift he has.” More information on the services at Tanner Health System, including Higgins General Hospital, is available online at
tanner.org. v
Photo credit: Rick Brower, Bremen High School.
a Special Invitation from HSTea Health Science Technology Educators Association By Lynne Clarke | HSTEA Past President
The executive board of Georgia HSTea would like to invite all Health Science teachers to join Your professional teacher’s organization. HSTEA works with Georgia Association of Career and Technology Educators (GACTE) to provide support and resources for YOU. Membership privileges include discounts for the annual Winter Conference as well as the GACTE Summer Leadership Conference. Each conference offers educational sessions, vendor displays and tons of networking opportunities. Your membership can also provide your students with scholarship opportunities! If you are interested in getting involved with a leadership role, there are yearly elections for board positions or committee roles. HSTEA also recognizes several outstanding Health Science teacher members each year at the summer conference. You can get more information at hstea.org or gacte.org. If you have specific questions, please feel free to contact Sandra Martin, President or Lynne Clarke, Past President using contact information on the website. We look forward to meeting you at one of our conferences! v
September 2017
9
10
Your Future in Healthcare
From a.r. Johnson to College to pharmacy School By Breanna Wyche
I started attending A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet School in Augusta when I was in the eighth grade. When I was in school, I didn’t think it would help me that much with furthering my education and career goals. I just knew I went to one of the best schools in the state of Georgia. This school helped me with scholarships, courses, and future goals. When it came time to graduate, I noticed that I was offered more money with scholarships from colleges. A.R. Johnson’s higher academic rigor showed colleges that I was taking advanced classes. Scholarship competition for outside scholarships was hard but it wasn’t impossible. My classmates and I received several outside scholarships that paid for books, housing, and more. The two pathways offered at A.R. Johnson are not at any typical high school, plus we still had fast paced, challenging academic courses to face. I felt overwhelmed at times. Many times, I wished I had gone to an easier high school. However, I am grateful to have had hard teachers that pushed me to my full potential. I was able to learn about different areas in the health field and get certified in CPR, First Aid and EKG Technician. My friends were certified as C.N.A’s, Phlebotomists and PCTs. The engineers had to do real engineer problems that engineers faced on a daily basis. The school also offered duel enrollment and work-based learning. The duel enrollment allowed students to leave after lunch to go to a university to take college courses for credit. Work-based learning was a program where students could go to a job and shadow at their dream job. I worked in the University Hospital Operating Room Pharmacy. I was able to do almost everything that a technician would do. I wanted to be a pharmacist and was blessed to have an opportunity to see if this was my dream goal. This picture is of me at the hospital making an
September 2017
ortho injection for a total knee replacement. This school helped me with my future by the providing classes, clinical, and HOSA-Future Health Professionals opportunities that prepared me for college. The main goal for this high school was to prepare us for the next chapter in our life and to be the best next future leaders of our generation. HOSA-Future Health Professionals is one organizations for students. We learned about different health care careers and were able to compete in events that were related to our individual career choices. The clinical hours at Augusta University Medical Center, Richmond County Health Department, and University Hospital helped us see what happens in different sections of the hospital like Cardiac Cath Lab, Emergency Room, Labor and Delivery, Day Surgery, and others. When I applied to pharmacy school, I though back over the years and saw how this little high school made a huge impact on my life. I am at Hampton University and am currently a second year professional pharmacy student. In undergraduate school, I was able to keep up with the teachers because I was used to the fast-paced learning and being taught the information in high school. Most of my college friends didn’t know how to study since their school was easy. I developed my study skills in high school and enhanced them. This really impacted my grades, because I was able to study ahead instead of finding ways to study just to keep up. While in pharmacy school, I was able to get a pharmacy technician job at a local hospital because of my experience with my work-based learning. I was able to handle courses because I had seen the material before. My EKG certification really helped me in pharmacy school with learning the heart. We had to actually learn and read EKG graphs. I got all the questions right due to my certification. This school gave me more than I ever knew it would and I am thankful for my ARJ. I am happy to say that this high school prepared me, helped me grow, and gave me the knowledge to reach my full potential. v
11
being an ombudsman representative By Cat Young, LTCOR | South LTCO Program
As long term care Ombudsman Representative we visit Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Communities and Personal Care Homes on a regular basis. We monitor conditions through observation and visiting with the residents. We learn from the residents their thoughts on conditions and issues of concern to them. We investigate complaints and work to solve issues to the satisfaction of the resident. Observations of issues that negatively impact the residents are brought to the attention of the facility management during the LTCOR visit. We also educate the residents and staff on the Residents Rights to be sure the Residents voice is heard. We advocate on behalf of the residents for change in their direct care, systematic facility changes and legislative changes. For example residents on Medicaid are only allowed $50 per month for personal expenses. That amount has to cover any personal grooming products, clothes, shoes and any personal spending (Examples: sodas, eating out and puzzle books). LTCO Program on the State level at this time is advocating for that to be increased which will benefit all residents. The Nursing Home
is only required to provide the very basic of needs. LTCOR provide education to the public on the laws governing Long Term Care and Residents Rights. We provided information to the community on Long Term Care and related services. We promote Community Involvement in Long Term Care Facilities by relaying the needs of all LTC residents to the public. Residents benefit from good community support. In my community education programs I remind people that entering a LTC facility can be isolating without that community interaction. Also as a LTCOR we collect data, information gathered from our visits to provide law makers with the information to make needed changes in the Aging Services System in facilities as well as in the community. We are all aging and must work to insure adequate resources and services for all of us to (as my mother would say) “age gracefully.”
Sisters In Health Care: elizabeth and Victoria’s Journey By Elizabeth Payne Whitaker, MSN, APRN, FNP-C & Victoria Payne Field, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Elizabeth’s story I have always felt blessed to have known “what I want to be when I grow up”. Both of my parents were in a health related profession: my father was a chiropractor and my mother was a registered nurse. Even from a young age, I was drawn towards the nursing field. I took several health occupation classes in high school; I got my certified nursing assistant certificate when I was sixteen, and chose a college based on its nursing program’s prestige. Prior to starting the nursing program, I decided that I wanted to be a labor and delivery (L&D) nurse. My last class, in the final semester of my nursing school program, was women’s health. I felt both exhilarated and terrified during my L&D practicum. I was worried that I had based my entire nursing education on the foundation of wanting to be an L&D nurse, and terrified that I may
12
end up hating the practicum. Thankfully, I loved working alongside L&D nurses and helping to bring life into the world. It was then that I realized it was my calling in life. My first nursing job was in a high-risk obstetrical unit in the second largest hospital in Georgia. It was there that I really learned how to be a nurse. I learned that nurses wear many different hats on any given day. Yes, first and foremost I was a nurse, but I was also a patient advocate, support person, friend, waitress, masseuse, coach, therapist, and grief counselor. I felt honored to help others in so many different ways. I felt like being an L&D nurse was better than being any other type of nurse, because I went to work to help people who were happy to be in the hospital. Ninety percent of my job was exciting and fun. However, the other ten percent was filled with sadness and grief from mothers dealing with health complications, fetal demise, and pre-term labor. Nurses get a chance to help others in their time of need, and make a profound
Your Future in Healthcare
difference in the way they recollect the most memorable days of their lives. With experience I found that no matter the situation a patient was faced with, the compassion and support they were provided made the biggest difference in their care. During my nursing career, I was also given the chance to teach women’s health practicums for a university. I found so much joy in being able to pass along my knowledge to the next generation of nurses. After gaining several years of nursing experience I decided to further my education and career. I obtained a master’s degree in nursing and became a family nurse practitioner. I now work in an obstetrics and gynecology office where I get to continue pursuing my passion of working in women’s health. For me, the best part of being a nurse practitioner is the relationship I get to develop with my patients. I have the ability to
continue to provide compassionate care to others while diagnosing, treating, and educating women of all ages. Teaching is a large part of what I do every day, and it is the part I enjoy the most. I teach a variety of different topics every day including: basic hygiene, birth control use, preventative health, breast-feeding, newborn care, and chronic disease management. However, with every career come challenges. The largest challenges I have been faced within my career include diagnosing women with sexually transmitted diseases, treating young teenage expectant mothers, caring for abuse and rape victims, and assisting women with care after the loss of a pregnancy. These sorts of challenges are the driving force behind my care as a nurse practitioner. I work diligently to form trusting relationships with my patients so I can help in guiding them through some of the most challenging situations they may ever face.
Victoria’s story
tinue my education and improve myself professionally. I have long known I wanted to attend graduate school but again, I wasn't sure what my next step was. I considered becoming a midwife and continuing my career in L&D. I considered a research-based program that would lead to becoming a nursing professor. When I considered the nature of the different paths, and my unique requirements of flexibility due to my frequent moves, I decided to become a family nurse practitioner. Due to moving in the middle of my master’s program, I completed internships in clinics in Tennessee, Georgia, and Texas. My first job as a nurse practitioner was in a medical home in Texas that provided patient-centered comprehensive healthcare to children and women that were Medicaid eligible. I provided primary care and sick/urgent care for children from newborns to adolescents. My patients were from underprivileged, poorly educated, and poverty backgrounds. During a typical ten to twelve hour shift, I would see one patient every fifteen minutes. Keeping up with a high turnover of patients during the day was one of the hardest aspects of my job. With education being one of my most important tasks, it was very difficult to assess, diagnose, treat, and educate patients and parents within the fifteen minute window. More than fifty percent of the patient population did not speak English, and I quickly learned about the challenges of practicing medicine through a telephone interpreter. The greatest reward for me in my new role is educating my patients. I encountered a lot of caring parents who tried to help their children, but who also had strong misconceptions about vaccines, antibiotics and common medication use. Educating parents about their child's diagnosis, viral causes versus bacterial, and the necessary and unnecessary treatments for these illnesses, was a rewarding part of my job. I again found myself in a position where I could make a significant positive impact in the lives of my patients every day. This has always been the best part of being a nurse. I am so glad that I chose this career and that I was lucky enough to have a registered nurse mother and sister to guide me in the right direction. v
I was not as certain as my sister about becoming a nurse. I always viewed a career in healthcare as part of family tradition, but as a young student I explored other interests. I put equal weight in the possibility of becoming an actress or an interior decorator, as I did becoming a pharmacist or physician. Even through my senior year in high school I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I completed a pharmacy college course and worked for a short time at a pharmacy where I realized that wasn't the career for me. After researching what seemed like hundreds of possible career paths, I kept coming back to nursing. I realized what amazing care nurses provide, the differences they make in people's lives and the opportunities that the field provides. Ultimately, I was influenced by two powerful role models I grew up with, my mother and sister. I followed Elizabeth to nursing school which became one of the most amazing and interesting times in my life. I found joy in every nursing field and had difficulty choosing between working in the ER, ICU, home health, nursing homes, and labor and delivery. Again, my sister was an amazing mentor and I wanted to be near her. So, after graduating from nursing school I followed in her footsteps and worked in the same labor and delivery unit. We both value that time we spent in our nursing careers working together and growing professionally. In addition to being a nurse, I am also a military wife. I move with my family every one to three years. I found it is true that nurses are in demand nearly everywhere. I worked in Alaska as an L&D nurse for two years, where I had some amazing professional and personal experiences. Working at an Army hospital, I had the rewarding experience of helping deliver babies to women whose husbands were deployed. With that extra stress of separation from their husbands, my patients relied on the nursing staff for emotional support as much as medical care. The work involved long hours but I was rewarded with a sense of purpose that drove me through each shift. After being a labor and delivery nurse for three years and two moves across the country, I looked for ways to con-
September 2017
13
preparing to put the patient’s experience First By Jennie Price, Director of Business Development HomeTown Health, LLC/HomeTown Health University (HTHU.net)
Healthcare
is full of acronyms; however, one has become an area of focus for current and potential new hires within hospitals: “HCAHPS.” Referred to as “H-Caps” or Hospital CAHPS, HCAHPS stands for the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems. HCAHPS is the first national, standardized survey collected from hospital patients in order to capture their unique perspective on the care they received. Like so many other industries rated and posted on websites, this information is publicly reported for communities to compare available options for care. So, what is different about the HCAHPS scores from, say, a hotel comparison website? It’s not merely a patient “satisfaction survey.” HCAHPS specifically provides feedback on the behaviors of staff. This means each and every hospital staff member is “graded” on how well their entire team collectively contributes to the patient’s experience from registration to discharge. It allows a hospital to measure their performance through the patient’s eyes rather than through their own hospital employee’s perceptions of how well they are providing care. Patients often perceive quality care differently than health professionals. (Hospital HCAHPS scores are posted on www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare). The HCAHPS survey was developed in 2002 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) together with Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); however, survey results were not publicly reported until March 2008. Not only was this meant to enhance public accountability in healthcare by increasing the transparency of the quality of care, it was also designed to create incentives and penalties for hospitals to improve their quality of care. The resulting change in focus for many hospitals didn’t come until October 2012 when HCAHPS scores began being used in the calculation of value-based incentive payments in the hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program. In other words, it began to affect how much the hospital was paid for the services provided. HCAHPS has become increasingly important, and hospitals have shifted the focus of training and hiring to include traits and characteristics meant to increase these patient satisfaction scores. What are hospital staff measured on? Patients are asked to provide feedback on various areas of their experience through
14
their HCAHPS survey, including the following composite areas: • Communication with nurses and communication with doctors - During this hospital stay, how often did nurses and doctors treat you with courtesy and respect? How often did the nurses and doctors listen carefully to you? How often did the nurses and doctors explain things in a way you could understand? •
Responsiveness of hospital staff During this hospital stay, after you pressed the call button, how often did you get help as soon as you wanted it? How often did you get help in getting to the bathroom or in using a bedpan as soon as you wanted?
• Pain management - During this hospital stay, how often was your pain well controlled? How often did the hospital staff do everything they could to help with your pain? • Communication about medications - Before giving you any new medicine, how often did hospital staff tell you what the medicine was for? How often did hospital staff describe possible side effects in a way you could understand? •
Cleanliness of hospital - During this hospital stay, how often were your room and bathroom kept clean?
•
Quietness at night of hospital - During this hospital stay, how often was the area around your room quiet at night?
•
Discharge Information - During this hospital stay, did doctors, nurses or other hospital staff talk with you about whether you would have the help you needed when you left the hospital? Did you get information in writing about what symptoms or health problems to look out for after you left the hospital?
•
Care Transitions - During this hospital stay, staff took my preferences and those of my family or caregiver into account in deciding what my health care needs would be when I left; When I left the hospital, I had a good understanding of the things I was responsible for in managing my health; and when I left the hospital, I clearly understood the purpose for
Your Future in Healthcare
taking each of my medications. Finally, patients are also asked to summarize their experience by providing an “overall hospital rating” on a scale of 0 (worst) to 10 (best) along with their “willingness to recommend” the hospital to others. What are hospitals doing differently in response? Many are looking at creating a new/different culture for all hospital staff, and reexamining or adjusting the vision of hospital. They are looking for the emerging “best practices” in the industry to manage and improve scores. Hospitals are investing time (and money) to train staff. They are also looking to hire people that want to meet the patient needs and have specific skills in place to do so. Hospitals are establishing cultural values of “patient-centered care” and including those within their job descriptions. What does this mean for those interested in entering healthcare? Many of these skills hiring hospitals look for are not solely technical or care-based, but instead, are focused on communication skills and overall attitude- the “soft skills.” Hiring managers are looking beyond the candidates’ ability, skills experience and placing more focus on their motivations. Both clinical and non-clinical staff members play a role in the HCAHPS scores, starting from the first face a patient sees at the hospital through their discharge. If a patient has a bad experience along the way, it can be difficult to change the patient’s perception of their overall care received by the organization. Therefore, all staff must be prepared and trained in areas such as professionalism and providing respectful and courteous patient encounters. They must be trained to be constantly aware of their role and participation in this new environment, and continually provide successful communication with each patient. This “Every Patient, Every Time, All the Time” mentality is the goal set for many hospitals. Many HR managers are incorporating questions related to core values as pre-qualifying interview questions, and incorporating more behavioral-based questions to see how the individual might best fit within the organization’s culture. An important item to note: while HCAHPS measure the patient experience in the hospital, CMS has developed or is working to develop other CAHPS for the Physician Office, Home Health, Hemodialysis Centers, Hospice, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Children, and more. (You can see examples of other CAHPS surveys online at www.ahrq.gov/cahps). This means that other care settings will have similar skills required of staff outside of the hospital setting. What can students do now to better prepare? Being educated and prepared can help a student get a competitive edge when entering the industry. Learning about the emerging HCAHPS best practices in the industry and having the opportunity to practice these skills daily now, both within a care setting or with peers in the classroom, is important. This might include the
September 2017
“Ask 3, Teach 3” method or AIDET. Thinking ahead to college education, students interested in healthcare might also consider other areas of education that might serve as a benefit to set them apart, such as hospitality or technology. In addition to HCAHPS measures, there are also many other quality indicators that hospitals must report on, which means there is a need for individuals with skills to analyze clinical outcomes and data. This also means more reliance on technology and systems to extract the data necessary for reporting purposes. Some of these things are not related to direct patient care but are growing needs within the industry. As a part of our commitment to support rural hospitals and future workforce development, HomeTown Health and HomeTown Health University (www.hthu.net) offer training for Healthcare Science Teachers on the subject. This includes tools to teach HCAHPS to students as well as industry best practices for each composite area. Students can utilize the end of pathway “Certified Healthcare Hospitality Specialist” program. Schools and students can also utilize the “HCAHPS Certification” and other online coursework on HTHU.net, such as courses on customer service or the “AIDET Model” of communication. (Many of these resources are available to health care science teachers who are working through their industry certification or re-certification at no charge as a part of the HS EIC Grant offered through the Department of Education and HomeTown Health.)
about HomeTown Health, llC HomeTown Health (HTH) is a network of rural hospitals, healthcare providers, and best practice business partners who collectively pursue ways to help its members survive in this environment of constant change in reimbursement, operations and technology. HomeTown Health, LLC is committed to providing legislative representation, best practice solutions and continuing education and training through research and the continuous improvement of processes for healthcare providers. HomeTown Health University (HTHU) is the education arm of HTH, offering online and live accredited continuing education and training to meet the needs of healthcare staff. For more information about resources available for teachers and students in Georgia, contact Jennie Price at jennie.price@hometownhealthonline.com v
15
Careers That build on eCG Technician or patient Care Technician Certifications By Patricia Thomas | Program Director & Harry T. Harper Jr. M.D. | School of Cardiac & Vascular Technology
Are you
one of the many Georgia high school students who will be preparing for the EKG Technician or Patient Care Technician certification test? If you like the heart and find all those squiggly little lines on the EKG graph paper interesting, then you might want to consider the Associate Degree in Applied Science at Augusta Technical College. Augusta Technical College has partnered with University Hospital’s Harry T. Harper Jr. M.D. School of Cardiac and Vascular Technology to offer three associate degree programs: Cardiovascular Technology, Echocardiography, and Vascular Technology. All three programs offer extensive classroom, lab, and clinical instruction with very low teacher to student ratios and one to one preceptor to student ratio. Cardiovascular Technologists, Echocardiographers, and Vascular Technologists work beside nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients in various environments including the operating room and cardiac cath lab. Currently, in 2017, the school has a 100% pass rate for certification exams and a 100% job placement rate. The job forecast for these medical professionals is excellent throughout the United States. The required core courses for entry into the programs at Harry T. Harper School of Cardiovascular Technology are very similar to the core requirements for most nursing program with the exception of physics. Each program requires that students who apply take core curriculum of Algebra, English, Anatomy and Physiology with Lab, Statistics, and Introductory Physics with Lab. Cardiovascular Technology, Echocardiology, and Vascular Sonography are programs of Augusta Technical College and University Hospital‘s Harry T. Harper, Jr., M.D., School of Cardiac and Vascular Technology. The off-campus site is centered at the Heart and Vascular Institute at University Hospital. All three programs are accredited by The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs—Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology. The Cardiovascular Technology program is a sequence of courses that provide educational opportunities to individuals in didactic and clinical environments that will enable them to obtain skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to graduate and become successful entry-level Cardiovascular Technologist
16
specializing in Invasive Cardiac Catheterization. Cardiovascular Technology is a health technology profession centered on the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of patients with cardiac diseases. A cardiovascular technologist performs examinations at the request or under direct supervision of a physician, is proficient in the use of analytical equipment, and provides a foundation of data from which a correct anatomic and physiologic diagnosis may be made. Echocardiography is a technical program designed to prepare students for work in the allied health field as Echocardiographers. The technologist obtains skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for successful entry level Echocardiographer to provide sonographic images and data to evaluate the heart and structures surrounding the heart. The program offers both clinical and didactic instruction. Upon completion of the Echocardiography program, the student is eligible for a national certification examination. Vascular Sonography is a technical program providing educational opportunities to individuals in didactic and clinical environments that will enable them to obtain skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to graduate and become successful entry-level Vascular Technologist in an allied health profession, specifically concerning the diagnosis and treatment of patients with vascular diseases. The profession requires critical thinking skills, judgment, and the ability to provide appropriate health care services. A vascular technologist performs examinations at the request or under direct supervision of a physician, is proficient in the use of a variety of diagnostic imaging and monitoring equipment, and provides sonographic images and data from which a correct anatomic and physiologic diagnosis can be made. Vascular Technology uses high frequency sound waves to perform venous and arterial diagnostic procedures. The information is evaluated by physicians to make a medical diagnosis. Course work includes sonographic physics, sonographic identification of normal and abnormal anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pathophysiology of the venous and arterial systems, journal and case reviews, and a comprehensive registry review. For more information on these programs, visit augustatech.edu or call 706-771-4000 to schedule a visit. v
Your Future in Healthcare
Congratulations to these excellent Healthcare Science Teachers for successfully completing this industry certification process.
6. North Oconee High School, Bogart, GA - Jan Galloway, MA, RCP, RRT 7. North Oconee High School, Bogart, GA - Nelson Foell, MEd, EMT-1
The 8 schools and 10 teachers are: 1. Bremen High School, Bremen, GA - Randa Smith, MSN, BSN, RN
8. Oconee High School, Watkinsville, GA - Kelsey Lee, BSHP, MEd, EdS
2. Cook High School, Adel, GA - Pamela Dobbins, RN, BSN, M.Ed.
9. Oconee High School, Watkinsville, GA - Katie D. Terrell, MS, ATC, NREMT-B, L/MT
3. Mary Persons High School, Forsyth, GA - Debra Christian, CCMA, M.Med.Sci. Cert, PGCE
10. White County High School, Cleveland, GA - Libbye Sills, EdS, MEd, BSN, RN
4. Hardaway High School, Columbus, GA - Natalie Kelly, BS, RT
For more information, contact Georgia Department of Education – CTAE staff, Phyllis Johnson (pjohnson@doe.k12.ga.us), Mamie Hanson (mhanson@doe.k12.ga.us), and / or Sharon Norman, Coordinator of statewide Healthcare Science Education Industry Certification (Sharon.norman101@outlook.com). v
5. Northside High School, Columbus, GA - Bethani McNelly, MEd, ATC/L
Georgia HoSa providing exceptional opportunities for Healthcare Science Students Georgia HOSA is a student organization created in 2000, which now serves over 14,700 members in Georgia high Schools and middle Schools. HOSA creates driven, determined student leaders that are excited about healthcare and all that HOSA has to offer. HOSA is 100% healthcare and connects all hubs of the healthcare field. Students can participate in their local school chapters, community service activities, attend HOSA Fall Leadership Rally, Fall Leadership Conference, and Officer Jumpstart Training, to help them on their way to becoming leaders in their schools, communities, and future healthcare careers. Through the HOSA Competitive Events Program, members can compete in teams or as individuals in over 57 different events related to all aspects of the health care industry. The competitive events program begins with the State Qualification Test (for some events) where the top 40 in the state move on to the State Leadership Conference, other events go straight to the State Leadership Conference, and those who compete at the state level, potentially move on to the International Leadership Conference. Healthcare Science programs across the state are encouraged to start a HOSA Chapter in order to provide students with these exceptional opportunities. For more information on how to start a chapter a school can contact: http://georgiahosa.org/start-a-chapter or you can also send an email to contactus@georgiahosa.org
Mission of HoSa: The mission of HOSA is to enhance the delivery of compassionate, quality health care by providing opportunities for knowledge, skill and leadership development of all health science technology education students, therefore, helping students to meet the needs of the health care community.
GA HOSA State officers: Kaylee Blount President Callahan Thompson President Elect Smriti Suresh – Vice President September 2017
MaKayla Wright – Secretary Hrithik Saride – Reporter Information obtained from www.georgiahosa.org 17
using Counseling resources to ensure Success By Irene Silfa, AS, RCIS
From an early age, I have always enjoyed learning, which made me a great student. I always turned my work in on time and made good grades. I even remember coming home from Pre-K telling my grandmother that my after- school snack had to wait until I finished my homework. However, as I grew older, it started to become harder and harder for me to stay on task. I would get called out in class for staring out the window and to this day my mom still jokes that a speck of dust passing by could distract me. Yet, I was still making decent grades. It wasn't until I started my Echocardiography program when it started to become a serious problem. All of my classes were heavy loads and none could be put on the ‘back burner’ while I focused on the other. I was staying up late and waking up early every day trying to keep up, but was still falling behind. My professors talked to me about my failing grades and suggested I go to
18
the school’s counseling center. We agreed that perhaps I needed a refresher on some study skills. When I meet with the counselor, we talked about not only how to better prepare for my assignments, but also some test taking tips. Something that was also mentioned was the possibility of speaking with my primary care physician to see if ADD was an issue. Shockingly, I was put on medication. I updated my professors on my visit with both the counselor and PCP. For my next test, I put into practice strategies for effective time management, used study techniques that worked for my learning style and learned to cope with some testing anxiety. The combination of medication therapy, study skills, and support from my professors allowed me to make a thirty-point jump in my grades. I am very grateful that I had such a great support system that was willing to work with me in order to see me succeed. Not only was I able to complete and graduate from my program, but I was given lifelong skill that I still use today in the workforce.v
Your Future in Healthcare
alfred ely beach High School HoSa Students Set record Students educate peers and register as organ donors and challenge issued to the rest of the state By Tracy Ide | Sr. Public Affairs Coordinator | LifeLink of Georgia Tracy.Ide@LifeLinkFound.org
Alfred Ely Beach High School Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) organized an educational campaign in February in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. week, to debunk myths surrounding organ donation and to highlight the number of African Americans awaiting a lifesaving transplant. Inspired by King’s quote, “What have you done to help others?” students chose to advocate for organ and tissue donation. Throughout the week, HOSA students talked to their peers about the importance of donation. The campaign resulted in two hundred and ten donor designations, a record number of donor designations coordinated through a HOSA event in Georgia, and Alfred Ely Beach High School, their HOSA program and the students and teachers involved received local recognition and an award. The students created a weeklong campaign to answer questions and provide information about donation to engage their peers and teach them about donation. With the guidance of HOSA advisors and LifeLink of Georgia Educational Specialist, Amanda Hollowell, HOSA students learned the facts about organ donation, such as that one organ donor can save up to eight lives and improve dozens more. Then, they took their newfound knowledge to their peers to make sure their peers understood the gift of life organ donors provide those waiting for a transplant. Their campaign worked. Classmates were interested to learn more. They asked questions and, after hearing how donors provide the gift of life, decided to register themselves as organ donors. Alfred Ely Beach High School’s HOSA program was inspired by their counterpart in Kentucky, who created a similar campaign and registered sixtyseven students as organ donors. You can join the effort to increase organ and tissue donation education in your school. LifeLink of Georgia is host-
September 2017
ing a challenge to high schools throughout the state, asking them to implement a similar program to the one initiated at Alfred Ely Beach High School. To learn more, or to register for the challenge, contact Amanda Hollowell at Amanda.Hollowell@LifeLinkFoundation.org or visit www.LifeLinkFoundation.org/events/gahighschoolchallenge/. Currently, more than five million Georgians have designated their decision to be a life-saving organ and tissue donor on the Donate Life Georgia donor registry at www.DonateLifeGeorgia.org. There is no cost to the donor’s family for organ and/or tissue donation and one person has the potential to save or improve up to seventy-five lives. Organ donation provided life to more than thirty-three thousand people in 2016 through heart, kidney, lung, liver, pancreas or intestine transplants and hundreds of thousands more are helped annually through life-enhancing tissue transplants. Without the generosity of organ donors and their families, who support the decision to carry out their loved one’s wishes, a number of those waiting would not live. Almost everyone can donate to help others, regardless of age or past medical history. In fact, age is rarely a factor when determining who can give the gift of life. Additionally, all major religions support donation as an act of charity. LifeLink of Georgia is the non-profit organ and tissue recovery organization in Georgia. As a member of the non-profit statewide coalition to increase donation, Donate Life Georgia, LifeLink is dedicated to empowering the public to save and enhance lives through organ and tissue donation. Learn more about organ and tissue donation and register to be an organ donor at www.DonateLifeGeorgia.org.v
19
My life’s Journey respiratory Therapy By Mark D. Thorne Sr., MS, RRT
I will tell you
a little bit about myself and my life’s journey. My father served twenty-two years in the United States Army and I was born during his last tour of duty in Germany. I was only three years old when my mother and father returned to the United States. I grew up as an average kid in Columbus, Georgia. By average, I mean that I did the same things most boys do growing up. I played baseball and was in the Boy Scouts of America. Growing up, I never gave it much thought as to what I wanted to be when I grew up. When I got to high school, I began to think about joining the Army like my father and oldest brother did. I participated in Junior ROTC for four years. I joined the Army Reserves and went to basic training in the summer of my junior year and completed training as a medic upon graduating high school. However, during my senior year at Columbus High School, my mother encouraged me to go to college and be the first one in our family to obtain a college degree. She didn’t want me to make the military my career. I did what any good son would do and followed my mother’s dream. One of the reasons I chose the medical field was because during my Boy Scout years, I helped out at summer camp in the first aid station and earned the first aid merit badge. When I went to sign up for college at Columbus State University, then known as Columbus College, I chose the Nursing Program. After one and a half years of college, I failed a course in the Nursing Program. At that time, my choices were to either wait until the following year and continue the Nursing Program or choose another program in the healthcare field. After researching the healthcare programs at the college, I decided I would try Respiratory erapy which I didn’t even know existed. is was a decision I have never regretted. After four years of college, I graduated with an Associate Degree in Respiratory erapy. During my last term in the Respiratory Therapy Program, I obtained a job as a Respiratory Therapist Technician. Upon graduation, I was offered a full-time job and worked for twenty years at the Medical Center Hospital in Columbus as a Registered Respiratory Therapist. After working ten years, I began
20
teaching as a part-time Clinical Instructor at Columbus State University. In 2006, I resigned from my fulltime position at the hospital and accepted a job at Columbus Technical College as the Director of Clinical Education for a brand-new Respiratory Care Program. Going from the hospital to the classroom was a big change for me. After working at the college for three years as the Director of Clinical Education, I accepted a position as the Assistant Dean for the Division of Health Sciences. Several years later, I completed my Master’s Degree and accepted the position of Dean of the Health Science Division. Growing up, I never imagined myself being involved in education, much less becoming the Dean of a technical college. Even though Respiratory erapy was not my first choice, it was the best choice for me. I have continued to work part-time on weekends as a Respiratory erapist along with my duties of Dean. Working as a Respiratory erapist can be challenging, but it has been a most rewarding career. As a Respiratory erapist, you can work in many areas of the hospital to include general medical units, emergency rooms, surgical intensive care units, medical intensive care units, pediatrics, and pediatric intensive care units. erapists also have opportunities to work in a patient’s home as a Home Care erapist or work in a physician’s office. ere are also opportunities to work as a Flight Respiratory erapist on helicopters. e areas I enjoy working in the most are the Intensive Care Unit and the Emergency Room. Some of my most rewarding experiences have come from working in these two areas. When a mother brings her sick child into the Emergency Room having an asthma attack, and I am the therapist on duty and provide respiratory treatments to relieve the symptoms, it makes me proud to know that I have the medical knowledge to provide
Your Future in Healthcare
the care needed. ere are days that are extremely busy in the life of a Respiratory erapist. Even when I am so busy that I don’t have time to take a lunch break, it is all worth it when the mother of a child looks at you and says, “ank you.” One of my responsibilities at the college is to advise students. As I sit down with a college or high school student, I always talk of the rewarding career of a Respiratory erapist. e minimal education needed to become a Respiratory erapist is an Associate Degree. Not only is this a very rewarding career, the pay is very good. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics* the median pay for a Respiratory erapist is $58,670 per year or $28.21 per hour. Employment of Respiratory erapists is projected to grow twelve per cent from 2014 to 2024, which is faster than the average for all occupations. e cost of a college education in Georgia is very affordable. e tuition at the technical colleges in Georgia is only $89 per semester hour. Yes, only $89 per semester hour. Students living here in Georgia are also very fortunate to have HOPE to assist with college tuition **. Columbus Technical College is one of twenty-two technical colleges within the Technical College System of Georgia. I personally think most students and parents in Georgia do not know of the great opportunities that are available at a technical college. Here are two advantages of attending Georgia Technical Colleges. Georgia’s Technical Colleges Train for In-Demand Jobs in
Today's Workforce: Georgia's technical colleges offer more than six-hundred in-demand programs from which to choose at twenty-two colleges. Learn more about in-demand careers here. Ninety-four per cent of Georgia’s technical college graduates rate themselves as being satisfied or very satisfied with their Georgia technical college education. Ninety-five per cent of our graduates would recommend attending a Georgia technical college to others. Georgia Technical Colleges Offer a Guaranteed Education: If a TCSG student graduates under a standard program and an employer finds that the graduate is deficient in one or more competencies as defined in the standards, TCSG guarantees that the technical college will offer retraining at no instructional cost to the graduate or the employer ***. Georgia High School students are able to take advantage of a program at the technical college called Move on When Ready (MOWR). Under MOWR, students may take academic core courses that can transfer to TCSG colleges or USG colleges and universities. Students may also take occupational and career courses that can help jump start a career. ese classes are offered with free tuition and textbooks are provided by the college****. I have worked at Columbus Technical College for eleven years now and I feel a great sense of satisfaction with the quality of education that is provided by this institution. I also get great satisfaction in knowing that I can help students get an education in the healthcare field that has many job opportunities. It does my heart good to see all of the graduates at graduation walk across the stage with their college diplomas. *https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/respiratory-therapists.htm ** https://tcsg.edu/press_detail.php?press_id=202 ----HOPE changes *** https://tcsg.edu/top_10_reasons.php ****https://www.mowrga.org/ v
September 2017
21
richmond Hill High School's Third annual “This Day was a Disaster” Drill! By Mary Jo Fina
It was a dark and stormy day. Explosions rocked the ground while ashen debris mixed with the falling rain and caked the barren road. Victims lay in muddy puddles, either pleading for help or stoically awaiting their fate. A ten year old girl, motionless, with water rivulets running down her face, stared out into the distance. And so started Richmond Hill High School's ird Annual "is Day was a Disaster" drill! When the county wide drill announcement came, students in the Emergency Medical Responder class partnered with their Bryan County EMS evaluators and took to the streets. Victims were quickly triaged, stabilized and transported as students demonstrated their skills under pressure - mindful of their ABC's (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) and other well-learned mnemonics to help with patient care. It's a cooperative effort, with Bryan County Emergency Services assisting the high school not only with the drill, but also with instruction throughout the semester. Richmond Hill Police Department and Air Evac also respond on the day of the drill to add to the authenticity of the learning experience. Graphic art students help to design the logo and theme for the event's posters and t-shirts; broadcast video students create a video; and drama students volunteer as victims and assist with moulage. Since the start of the Emergency Medical Responder Pathway three years ago, disaster scenarios have included a tornado touchdown, train wreck, roof collapse, and this year's plane crash with an explosion. e Emergency Medical Responder Pathway is part of the Health Science Career Cluster and students successfully completing the course become Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Responders. v
22
Your Future in Healthcare
HoSa-Future Health professionals ~ priya rathakrishnan By Priya Rathakrishnan
Live, breathe, & lead with passion. Live, breathe and lead with passion. This is what HOSA-Future Health Professionals allows each of its members to do all around the world. Priya Rathakrishnan is excited to serve as your National HOSA President this year and looks forward to sparking a passion that will lead all of HOSA’s members to success. From Duluth, Georgia, Priya is a sophomore at Emory University majoring in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology on a pre-health track. As a six-year-old, Priya knew she wanted to be involved in the health community. During her elementary and middle school years, Priya did the best she could in school, knowing that it would help her achieve her goal of becoming a Future Health Professional. She also began to serve the community volunteering at the public library and at various school functions. In high school, Priya wanted the opportunity to not only become as involved as she could in the surrounding community, but also make a difference in the health community; as she was searching for her chance to grow her passion for the medical field, HOSA opened its doors to her, and she immediately joined and became an active member. Outside of HOSA, Priya is a South Indian Classical singer, plays tennis and will watch The Lion King any day since it’s her favorite Disney movie! Being her sixth year in HOSA, Priya has served as the Lambert HOSA Chapter Secretary and President and the Georgia HOSA State President-Elect and State President. Priya aspires to become a pediatric neurosurgeon and she is inspired by a quote from John F. Kennedy: “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” Her passion for HOSA and the medical field is never-ending. Now honored and privileged to serve on the National Executive Council, Priya hopes to continue learning and making a difference in this manner, while further encouraging and motivating numerous other students to do the same! Olivia Datta from Georgia is also the Eastern Region Vice President for this year.
September 2017
23
Healthcare Career Journey into Home Medical equipment Sales By Kellie Seawright | Care Medical
From the time I was a young girl, I always knew I wanted to work in the medical field. Originally, my dream was to become a pediatrician. Since I had several family members who were nurses and I loved children and helping people, the medical field seemed like a perfect fit. Fast forwarding to high school, my career goals began to change after being involved in a major car accident and spending time in ICU. I knew I wanted to become a respiratory therapist after encountering numerous professionals in this line of work during my stay at the hospital and experiencing first hand the level of care they provide to their patients. I began technical school as soon as I graduated high school. Two years later, I began working in a hospital setting. For the next ten years or more, I spent my career working in an acute care setting in several different hospitals. I furthered my education and received training in polysomnography, aka “sleep medicine”. After helping start several sleep labs in northeast Georgia, I had the opportunity to change careers and enter the world of education. Again, I returned to school to obtain my teaching certification in Healthcare Science Technology. I spent fifteen years in public education. During that time, I continued to work part time in hospitals and kept my respiratory therapy license active. In 2015 I decided to go back into the healthcare field and pursue a career in medical sales. I currently work for Care Medical, which is a Durable Medical Equipment supplier with branches in Atlanta, Gainesville, Athens, Savannah, and Augusta. The areas I cover are in northeast Georgia between Gainesville and Athens and the surrounding cities. DME Companies pro-
24
vide medical equipment and supplies for patients to use in their homes. The goal of our company is to keep the patient at home and out of the hospital. Hospitals face many regulations in order to be paid for patient care. Our job is to make sure patients have the correct equipment and supplies ordered by their physician or healthcare provider. Equipment could include a wheel chair, bedside commode, oxygen, or a home ventilator. Although all of these devices are very different, they are each equally important in safely maintaining a patient in their home. Another part of our company focuses on patients with respiratory diseases and disorders. We provide disease management for patients in their homes. Our staff respiratory therapist not only educates patients on their respiratory equipment, but also on their disease, as well as helping them stay healthy and out of the hospital. My job consists of working with healthcare professionals to ensure we have all of the proper medical documentation needed to provide insurance companies proof of medical necessity for the different types of durable medical equipment ordered for each pa-
tient. That means educating and communicating guidelines to physicians, nurses, case managers, and other healthcare providers so we are able to get the needed information. My referral base includes case managers, nurses, Pulmonologists, Cardiologists, Primary Care Physicians, ICU and administration documentation. I do in-services for our referral sources on a regular basis to keep them up-to-date on any new equipment or changes in regulations for medical equipment. In my field of work, it’s important to know your customers’ needs. You have to know all of the requirements for patients to get approved for the devices we provide. Part of my job is going into clinical settings and searching a patient’s medical record to find documentation needed for their insurance to approve their equipment or supplies. Educating our referrals frequently helps make this process easier and quicker. The most rewarding part of my job is helping chronically ill
Your Future in Healthcare
patients obtain respiratory equipment that will allow them to remain in their homes and improve their quality of life, while also being able to spend more time with loved ones. It is such a fulfilling process to witness the improvements patients are able to achieve in terms of their respiratory status once they are given the correct equipment. Some can barely make it to the bathroom initially, but over time are able to attend pulmonary rehab and regain physical abilities they had lost. The biggest challenge of my job is dealing with insurance companies that deny a patient equipment they truly need. It is difficult to explain to a patient that they will either have to pay out of pocket for the equipment or accept another piece of equipment that may not necessarily be what they need medically.
To be successful in any career, you should always be learning. Your education doesn’t stop once you get your degree…it is only just beginning! v
If you are interested in a medical sales career, there are a few things you should know. You must be very flexible. Your schedule can change in a second and all of your plans have to be adjusted to meet the needs of your patient/referral. You also have to be very organized and have the ability to follow up on each and every item that comes your way. That could mean calling a patient to let them know they’ve been approved for equipment, getting documentation from a physician so the patient can keep their equipment, or letting someone in your office know about a concern you may have. You also have to be competitive in nature. Your sales manager will set goals or “quotas” for you to reach based on your referral area and past sales. Meeting or exceeding the quotas can be beneficial for you and your company. I love my job! Being able to meet new people every day, as well as making relationships with my referrals and our office staff is very rewarding. Just knowing I played a small part in helping a patient in their healthcare journey is satisfying.
September 2017
25
occupational Therapists Help Their patients “live their lives to the fullest!” By M. Irma Alvarado, PhD OTL | Professor, Brenau University and co-owner | Essential Therapy Services | Cumming and Lula, GA and Marianna Byrne | graduate MSOT student | Brenau University
While working in the healthcare field with a variety of healthcare professionals, one might see many critical interventions. For instance, doctors prescribe lifesaving cardiac medications to patients experiencing arrhythmias, dietitians help patients and their families with meal planning to ensure they are not malnourished, and pharmacists catch deadly drug interactions and thus save patients’ lives. Saving or extending someone’s life is an amazing accomplishment; it occurs more and more often as healthcare technology improves. e quality of an individual’s life is often saved or extended; however, is not guaranteed. To truly live life, individuals must be able to live their lives to the fullest. at is where occupational therapists (OT) provide a valuable service. Occupational therapists make an impact on the lives of survivors by enabling those individuals, to the greatest extent possible, to live the life they desire. Within occupational therapy there are many different career opportunities, including working with a variety of people. Occupational therapists work in schools, hospitals, in and outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home health, shelters, community centers, large corporations, and universities. While working with people of varying age groups and abilities, OTs help clients and consumers do what they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of common, everyday activities. ere is one patient I will always remember; I worked with her while she was in the intensive care unit. is person had a stroke approximately twenty-four hours prior to my meeting
26
her. She was facing the realities of the challenges ahead of her, having been in bed since arriving at the hospital and receiving tPA (a clot busting drug given for certain types of strokes). To evaluate her current capabilities, I assessed her ability to ambulate, cognitive status, coordination, sensation, and other potential physical deficits. Naturally, she was worried, not knowing what physical limitations she would have. She started to cry and said, “I didn’t think it would be this hard,” as she realized she was unable to perform basic movements that had come naturally her entire life. I knew it would be unfair of me to tell her that everything would be fine—at that point there was no way of knowing. Instead I told her the truth—that each day is a new day. I told her that she had the motivation to work hard, and that I could tell she was the kind of person who would put in the effort needed to overcome the obstacles she faced. Being there for a person’s toughest challenges provides some of the most rewarding moments, and they are very commonly experienced by occupational therapists. Over the next few days in the hospital she and I worked on some basic activities of daily living – such as dressing one’s self, eating, using the restroom, and other activities that often are specifically important to individuals. Helping someone regain their independence and joy for life is an unforgettable experience. Occupational erapists and Occupational erapy Assistants enjoy careers that provide services which enable others– this truly, is a gift. v
Your Future in Healthcare
How I Made It to My Destination By Shomika Battle, NP-C | Investigator/Health Care Provider
The thought of becoming a nurse began from deep within. I just always knew this is what I wanted to do. In high school, I joined health occupations and I also became a member of HOSA. Taking health occupations allowed me to become familiar with the basic knowledge and skills needed to perform as a nurse. I began to explore quickly how great I could be if I persevered. I soon became involved with Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), which exposed me to even greater possibilities. The students and teachers in the organization from surrounding areas took a trip to a conference in Augusta, Georgia. At the conference, we were surrounded by different students who were pursuing the same dreams as we were. And you want to know what I thought? The speakers all had one thing in common, like myself, and it was the fact that they started with a dream as well. Having a dream is only the beginning. I have heard many times before that success is not a straight path; there are always obstacles. This is very true, because I have had many ups and down, but I love my profession. I started out pursuing my career of nursing right out of high school. I started at Columbus State University (CSU) to pursue my Bachelors in Nursing (BSN) that summer to be exact. A program that was geared up to last four years took me five years. At this point in my life I could have given up, but I knew that this is what I wanted to be. Therefore I worked harder. I soon graduated from CSU with my BSN degree in the year of 2009. It was not long after working on a unit as a staff nurse that other co-workers and managers began seeing further capabilities. Shortly after a year, I started to be the charge nurse of the very unit where I had started working. I thought to myself, I am a nature born leader; I’ve got this. I performed in this role very well to the point in which people I was working with, such as doctors, developed a rapport with me. e rapport which I consistently made stronger only made my leadership skills just that much stronger as well. People began saying, “You shouldn’t stop here, because you
September 2017
have greater potential; you should be a nurse practitioner!” I began thinking, “um um, nurse practitioner... I could not possibly!!!” e more I strengthen my leadership skills, the more I started wondering, “well maybe I do have much more to offer.” I soon began nursing school again to pursue my Masters in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner curriculum, at South University. I soon graduated with my MSN-FNP and took the certification exam. Shortly afterwards, I began practicing as a Nurse Practitioner. I am currently a Family Nurse Practitioner, working in clinical research. Who would have thought I would do clinical research; as a matter of fact, I did not like research with a passion!! If I had only continued to judge the book by the cover I would have never had this opportunity. I am so happy to be able to be a part of clinical research. It has afforded me so many options like getting to know my patients, changing the future for the better, getting medication and devices to market, and being a part of innovation. If you’re thinking clinical research is boring……WRONG!!!! You are in for a rude awakening. Clinical research is a branch of nursing that has possibilities beyond the horizon!!! I still see and treat patients, as necessary. I work closely with staff members to include clinical research coordinator (CRC) and research pharmacist. Clinical research promotes the advancement of medicine in several aspects. In closing, always remember that the art of nursing can benefit everyone in which you come in contact. It is the chance to make an impact on someone’s life, someone’s future, and someone’s capabilities. You are a role model, a teacher, a priest, a leader, a friend, a shoulder, and a believer. If I can do it, so can you. v
27
My Career in ultrasound By Stephanie Hogan
My name is
Stephanie Hogan. I live in Columbus, Georgia and currently work at St. Francis Hospital. I am a registered diagnostic sonographer and hold registries in physics and abdomen. I have worked as a sonographer for 9 years and absolutely love this field of work! My mother is a registered nurse and has worked in the clinical field for over 25 years. Being raised around the medical field, I knew from a very young age that I wanted to have hands-on interactions with patients. When I started college, a friend informed me of a new program at our technical college. This new program was called ultrasound and I could not wait to find out more information. As I researched more, I knew this job would give me a career that I can always say “I LOVE my job.” The ultrasound program is a very intense and competitive field. The program covers normal and abnormal sonographic appearance of the following, but not limited to: abdomen, pelvic, pediatric, 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester OB, small parts, breast, invasive procedures, vascular, intraoperative guidance, physics and clinicals. Near the end of the program, each student is required to take their registry in physics and a specialty. Ultrasound has around ten or more specialties for sonographers to choose. Continuing to receive registries in other specific fields of study broadens the scope of work for a sonographer, as many employers require certain registries within a period of time in order to keep the position. Ultrasound is an imaging modality that demonstrates organs, soft tissue, blood vessels, and fluid collections in real time, and in still gray scale images. Because of the real-time imaging, the sonographers are able to watch organ movement and blood flow through vessels. Ultrasound is radiation free modality, which enables certain studies to be performed without the inherent possibility of radiation exposure as seen with other imaging studies. This leads to much safer modes of imaging for OB and pediatrics. Sonographers play an important role in observing, identify-
28
ing and treating diseases and medical conditions. Technicians use equipment that relies on sound wave technology to view and interpret images with sound waves for diagnosis. A sonographer must work closely with the doctors or radiologists to discuss studies for diagnosis. At my current job, I work under general ultrasound, which consists of normal and abnormal sonographic appearance of the following: abdomen, pelvic, 1st trimester, small parts, invasive procedures and OR cases. All sonographers in this department work an eight to ten-hour shift and should be able to perform ten to twelve ultrasounds per day. Ultrasound technician salaries rank among some of the highest salaries of all medical technician fields. Monster.com named Diagnostic Medical Sonography as the “second best paying job you can get with an associate degree.” The U.S. News ranked ultrasound #5 in best healthcare support jobs. The median salary for Sonographers was $68,530. The top 10% earn $97,930 and the lower 10% earn $48,720 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (“Ultrasound Technician Salary,” May, 2015). I personally enjoy the ultrasound field, with the use of real-time imaging that is solely operator dependent. We find the abnormalities and we communicate closely with the radiologist/doctor to discuss the findings. Every study is unique, with different anatomy and pathology. We are the first person to see and know what the patient’s diagnosis is before the doctor, radiologist, patient, or family. This alone, puts a lot of responsibility on us as sonographers. This gives us the focus to make sure we are providing the right diagnosis while also making sure we give the doctor all the information needed to treat the patients correctly and save their lives. Ultrasound is a career that continues to increase in demand. With all the fields that ultrasound has to offer, there are many choices and options for different specialties. I feel so blessed that I found this field and had the necessary guidance and instruction to pursue in this direction. I would highly suggest any college student to take a moment and research this field and all its possibilities as a possible career. v
Your Future in Healthcare
hem•or•rhage
ˈhem(ə)rij/noun an escape of blood from a ruptured blood vessel, especially when profuse. By Billy Kunkle | Trauma System Planner | Georgia Trauma Commission
As a seasoned
flight medic, trauma patients are an everyday event in my life. Motor vehicle collisions, heavy machinery incidents, or gunshot wounds, they all have commonalities. Ask most veteran trauma care providers and they will tell you that treating these patients is a relatively easy thought process. Sure, there may be issues with broken bones or horrible looking road rash, but that won’t kill you. Primarily what the trauma care provider is looking for is to keep the patient breathing and to ensure that the blood continues to go round and round in the circulatory system. Our military heroes overseas have found that bleeding control is a must in the fight to improve survival rates in their battlefield theater and that treatment modality is making it here to the United States. For the patient who is suffering from a hemorrhage, time is absolutely of the essence. The adult heart pumps several liters of blood throughout the body every minute, and the average adult has four to five liters (one to one and a half gallons) of blood within their body. Essentially this means that at normal times all of the blood in the body passes through the heart, travels through the circulatory system and back to the heart every two minutes. For a patient who is suffering from a traumatic injury, their heart rate will be more rapid causing increased blood flow and bringing that number down to closer to one minute. So, let us consider if one significant blood vessel, such as the brachial or the femoral, is injured. The average adult femoral artery is 8mm to 10mm in diameter. Take a walk outside and look at the size of your average 3/8” garden hose; it’s the same size. The brachial artery is about four millimeters to five millimeters, roughly half the size of the femoral. Now that I filled your brain with visuals and statistics, think of this; one does not lose all of their blood before death. Blood is the life flow of the body; it carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells and waste away from them; it defends against infection, and
September 2017
a whole host of other abilities. To lose one liter of blood puts the body at significant risk, to lose two and a half liters is almost a death sentence. So as a summary to all of this technical talk, how long would it take you to fill up a common two-liter bottle with a garden hose? So now that I have thoroughly outlined the problem, we now look for solutions. In 2013, after several large casualty events, a group of varied medical professionals were brought together to consider how to improve survival rates for trauma patients. The outcome has been noted as ‘The Hartford Consensus.’ In this study, the results were noted that the optimal way to save lives of trauma patients in the field is to stop uncontrolled bleeding. This needs to be done prior to EMS arrival and so, in the same context as we teach people how to do CPR and how to utilize AED’s, we should also teach bleeding control and have tourniquets at the ready. Out of this, the ‘Stop the Bleed Campaign’ was born. The Georgia Trauma Commission has embraced this campaign and has funded several initiatives throughout the state, but the biggest one is now underway. Through a budget offering by Governor Nathan Deal, a million dollars has been allocated for the purchase of bleeding control kits to be placed in nearly two thousand, three hundred public schools all across the state of Georgia. Along with this will be the initiative to teach individuals to use the bleeding control kits. I hope that now you are seeing the magnitude of this campaign; that is a lot of teaching. In my current role, I am the System Developer for the Georgia Trauma Commission. In my past roles as EMS Coordinator and flight medic I have called upon HOSA Students to assist with multiple projects. In this, they have never let me down and have eagerly assisted. I am now looking for that same eagerness and reliability. This campaign will require much participation at the school level. HOSA students could help to embrace this project by learning how to use the kits and spreading the message through the school to teachers and administrative staff. More information on this campaign can be gained at bleedingcontrol.org v
29
brace for Impact: Telehealth is Taking off! By Tanya Mack | President of Women’s Telehealth
Whether
you are a patient or health care professional, it is time to discover telehealth because telehealth is coming to you! The American Telehealth Association defines telehealth as “the remote delivery of healthcare services and clinical applications using telecommunications technology.” Telehealth is a broad term that encompasses direct health care delivery, remote home monitoring and long distance healthcare learning. Telemedicine is a subset that refers to direct provision of patient care services using remote technologies. Healthcare IT news predicts that the global market for telehealth is projected to be a $34 billion dollar market by 2020. North America alone accounts for 40% of the global market. Telehealth jobs are expected to grow at a rate of 36% per year vs. an average of 9% per year combined for all healthcare jobs. Telehealth is now growing four times faster than other healthcare fields. On the patient side, the future of healthcare delivery will definitely embrace telemedicine as a means of delivering care. Chances are excellent that at some point, when you will need care or monitoring, you will be getting it in the future, by telehealth. Can you imagine having a stroke in a remote part of the state with no neurology physician within two hundred miles, but when the ambulance reaches you, they are able to connect to them via iPad in the ambulance and get the proper care started immediately? Can you imagine having your low risk pregnancy visits completed 80% at home with the proper tools? Can you imagine getting a sore throat at school and walking down the hallway and having a telehealth visit right there? What if you were a diabetic or sleep apnea patient that needed monitoring and your Smartphone glucometer or CPAP machine data could be transmitted directly to your doctor and then you could securely connect with them on the phone to discuss medication adjustments. Forget imagining - each of this situations is not only possible, but happening already today for millions of patient! I invite you to learn a little more.
What is driving this accelerated growth in telemedicine? This rise in the use of telehealth is being driven by many concurrent factors, such as: • The need to decrease healthcare costs • A shortage of healthcare providers
30
• • •
Technology costs are cheaper Consumers are demanding efficiency The population is aging and there will be more need with less supply
How does telemedicine work? Telemedicine can be accessed using a variety of devices (laptops, desktops, tablets, Smartphones) for both the patient and the provider. There must be a HIPAA compliant, secure network to transmit data (terrestrial network, satellite or cellular) and the available peripheral clinical tools (such as otoscopes with lights and cameras and bluetooth enabled stethoscopes). Early telehealth was two way audio visual communication (like secure FaceTime or Skype). However, with technology advancements, providers can now complete virtual exams! Patients can have their telehealth visits via hospitals (connecting to specialists), outpatient settings (doctors’ office or retail pharmacy clinics) or their home. There are three primary types of telemedicine: remote monitoring, store and forward imaging and two way interactive visits. Telemedicine is not just for getting specialty services to rural areas. Urban use of telemedicine is growing fast because it is convenient. Traditionally, behavioral health, stroke programs, critical care and dermatology were the most common specialties using telemedicine. However, now, almost every specialty is finding ways to use telehealth technology. Obviously, direct “hands on” patient care is required in addition to expertise. There remain many instances where telemedicine is not the most appropriate level of care but it has been estimated that over 75% of ER visits are unnecessary and of low acuity. Most patients require low acuity clinical intervention for such diagnosis as respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, flu, and these can often be handled by telemedicine. Sub-specialty consultations in areas that lack these providers are another reason care delivery may be by telemedicine.
Is telemedicine legal and reimbursed? As telemedicine has advanced, so has the regulatory and reimbursement for telehealth, which have been barriers. Today, forty-seven states in the United States have legal provisions for telehealth. In general, the telemedicine provider must be licensed in the state where the patient is receiving the care. There is no national “telemedicine” licensure. Each state has its own licensing requirements for telehealth. The “Big Five” commercial health
Your Future in Healthcare
insurance carriers in the US (Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Cigna, United Healthcare, Aetna and Humana) all pay for at least some telemedicineand it is growing. Medicare has paid for telemedicine for almost 30 years, but has somewhat stricter criteria for payment. Each state’s Medicaid program determines whether they will pay for telemedicine services and under what circumstances. This is the last “lagging” area for reimbursement but also the most quickly changing. You can contact your local state medical board and Medicaid offices to learn of the guidelines in each state. What do patients think of their telemedicine experience? One telehealth study showed that 74% of patients say they would use telehealth services if they were available. However, here are some findings of recent telehealth studies completed in the United States regarding patients’ opinions after they
Dr. Patterson viewing baby Ultrasound pics preparing for telehealth encounter. Teleradiology at work! Patient is in south GA
telehealth cart
September 2017
have had a telehealth visit: • 76% of patients said they cared more about healthcare access than the need for human interaction. • 67% of patients in one large study group said they were more satisfied with medical care after their telehealth visit. • An outcomes study of greater than eight thousand patients post telehealth encounters said their clinical outcomes were no different with telehealth than in person. Might telehealth be right for me as a career? Teachers at all levels in the healthcare system are now training the next generation of providers in telehealth technologies: doctors, nurses, telehealth presenters, IT staff, community liaisons. A skilled, telehealthcompetent workforce will be required and the demand is expected to keep up for years to come. Accredited telemedicine training programs are now based in some universities. Georgia is the seat for the National School for Applied Telehealth where post high school students can received online training to be certified as a Telehealth Presenter (clinical), Telehealth Coordinator (Admin) or Liaison (Community). Visit www.nationalschoolofappliedtelehealth.org for more information. Although telehealth has been around for many years, there were barriers that caused slow adoption. Since many of those barriers have been removed, there is no question that telehealth will be part of the transformation of healthcare delivery for many years. Whether you experience it as a teacher, a provider or patient- telehealth is “Taking Off ”! The question is, are you ready? For more information on telehealth, visit: www.americantelemed.org v
31
Your Future in Healthcare