November * Health Science Connection for Montana Educators

Few subject areas have as great or clear potential to meet both of these objectives as the health sciences, which require both "hard" knowledge and abilities, and "soft" skills like self-confidence, team-work, communication skills, attention to detail, critical and creative thinking.

Health science...

helps students develop mastery of rigorous subject matter AND strong interpersonal skills.
calls on both abstract, systems-based thought processes AND hands on skills development.
utilizes both linear AND creative thinking.

A grounding in health science during high school is a strong foundation for immediate employment in a health care field or for entry to a two or four-year degree program.

Demand for trained health care workers is expected to increase by almost 30% over the next five to ten years.

Demand for the skills and attitudes the health sciences develop is expected to continue indefinitely; these are skills for living.

Giving Students "Real World" Experiences

HOSA - Health Occupations Students of America

HOSA is a student organization whose mission is to promote career opportunities in healthcare and to enhance the delivery of quality healthcare to all people. "We are to healthcare what FFA is to agriculture."

HOSA provides a unique program of leadership development, motivation, and recognition exclusively for high school and post-secondary students. Since its inception in 1976, HOSA has grown steadily reaching nearly 100,000 members through 47 charted HOSA State Associations.

Currently in Montana we have high school level HOSA Chapters located in the following communities:

Schools in Great Falls, Augusta, and Noxon are currently exploring the possibility of starting chapters.

HOSA provides numerous benefits to both students and teachers.

Benefits to Students:
     - Incentives to improve personal and occupational skills.
     - Career awareness and exploration activities.
     - Leadership development opportunities.
     - Activities to develop civic understanding and responsibility.
     - Opportunities to meet with health and business leaders and students with similar backgrounds and career interests.

Benefits to Teachers:
     - Student motivation.
     - Increased awareness of the career and technical education program.
     - Opportunities to network and collaborate with other health science, career and technical education teachers.
     - An established recognition program with rewards for student achievement.
     - Opportunties to meet and work with community leaders in health, business and education.

Those who join the HOSA Organization recognize the importance of providing students with training far beyond the basic technical skills needed for entry into the healthcare field. The rapidly changing healthcare system needs dedicated workers who, in addition to their technical skills, are people-oriented and capable of playing a leadership or followership role as a member of a health care team.

For more information about starting a HOSA Chapter in your community, please contact Bergen Morehouse, State HOSA Advisor, 406.683.2790, bergen@mtha.org.

Scholarship for Students

Healthcare Forum Conference

Attention Students! We are pleased to inform you about the availability of student scholarships to attend the 3rd Annual HealthCare Forum Conference: Understanding the Evolving Landscape of Health Care.

The summit will be held in Bozeman on November 19th and 20th. The conference is open to all interested parties, and will offer informational, networking and problem-solving discussions on current and upcoming changes in health care and possible innovative solutions for Montana. The timing could not be more fortuitous in light of the current health related challenges facing the country!

For more information on the conference and to see a draft agenda, please visit: www.montanahealthcareforum.com.

Student registrations are limited and will be on a first come first serve basis. Please contact: shalina.mirza@montana.edu to be put on the student wait list. Students will be informed if they are able to attend on November 13th. After the conference, students who attend will be asked to submit a two paragraph essay explaining what their educational and career goals are and how the conference influenced them.

Cool Web Site of the Month

The Healer Within You:

K-8 Health Lesson Plans from an Osteopathic Perspective

Osteopathic medicine is a branch of medicine in the United States whose practitioners' training, practice, credentialing, licensure, and reimbursement is virtually indistinguishable to the observer from those of allopathic MD physicians. Doctors of Osteopathy (DO) take an oath to maintain and uphold these principles:

The body is a unit, and the person represents a combination of body, mind and spirit.
The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
Rational treatment is based on an understanding of these principles: body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.

In 2004, the A.T. Still University and the Still Museum of Osteopathy partnered with the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences to develop an interactive exhibit for children focused on the body and its systems, paying particular attention to the processes that regulate, repair, and maintain health. Musculoskeletal system

In conjunction with the exhibit, lesson plans were developed for grades K - 8 to further explore anatomy and physiology and healthy living choices. These lesson plans -- which are really well done and many of which would be easily adaptable for older students -- are available for free at :

http://www.healerwithin.org/IMLS/index.htm

Why Don't We Do It In Our Sleeves?