Indiana University of Pennsylvania hosted 22 area high school students and 14 of their teachers for the collaborative Healthcare Education and Learning Pathways (HELP) Summer Experience on June 2 and 3.
Luke H. Mortensen, IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine founding associate dean of pre-clinical affairs
This program, organized, facilitated, and sponsored by the Armstrong–Indiana Intermediate Unit (ARIN-IU), IUP, Indiana Regional Medical Center, and Westmoreland County Community College, follows a one-day expo held in February for students at Lenape Tech by the Armstrong Indiana Career Pathways Partnership that included presenters in health care professions and education, including IUP.
The June 2 and 3 event was designed to provide a more in-depth, hands-on experience in a range of healthcare careers, including speech-language pathology, psychology, nursing, emergency medicine (EMT/paramedic), respiratory therapy, medical imaging, and medical laboratory sciences. It was open to any student or teacher in both Armstrong and Indiana counties.
In addition to tours at IUP, IRMC, and WCCC, events included presentations on how to become a physician by IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Associate Dean of Pre-Clinical Affairs Luke H. Mortensen; a session on applying to college; and the dual enrollment opportunities available to high school students.
“The students—and teachers—were fully engaged and excited about the many different career opportunities in the healthcare fields and the opportunities for training and degrees in those fields that are minutes from their homes,” Interim Dean of the IUP College of Health Sciences Lisa Newell, who coordinated IUP’s role for the HELP Summer Experience, said.
Jim Kinneer, Indiana Regional Medical Center chief human resources officer
“Students know about doctors and nurses, but they don’t always understand that there are many, many different careers that are important parts of healthcare,” she said.
“The students and their teachers told us that talking with professionals in the field and touring facilities at IUP, IRMC, and at WCCC really helped to open their eyes to new possibilities and options,” Newell said.
“So many talented students, especially in rural communities, think that becoming a physician, nurse, or other healthcare professional is beyond their reach. Programs like this are so important to show them that these careers are accessible, and educational opportunities are available right here in Indiana County. We also appreciate the teachers who attended this program, as we know how influential they are in helping students to make career choices. IUP is very proud to be part of this collaborative outreach,” she said.
“The HELP Summer Experience is a fantastic example of how working together can create clear pathways for local students to explore and pursue a wide variety of healthcare careers,” IRMC Chief Human Resources Officer Jim Kinneer said. “We want to show students that healthcare offers incredibly promising and diverse opportunities right here in our community, and we are committed to helping develop the next generation of dedicated healthcare professionals.”
“ARIN IU28 is proud to convene the Armstrong Indiana Career Pathways Partnership, bringing K–12 schools, higher-education institutions, healthcare providers, and workforce leaders together to turn shared ideas into opportunities,” ARIN IU28 Curriculum Specialist Stacie Isenberg said. “Programs like the HELP Summer Experience show how quickly great concepts become hands-on opportunities when everyone is at the table—opening local students’ eyes to in-demand healthcare careers and strengthening the talent pipeline for our entire community.”
Lori Lombard, chair, IUP Allied and Public Health Department
“The collaboration between ARIN IU28, IUP, IRMC, and WCCC speaks to our commitment to inspiring students to explore healthcare careers and hopefully stay local in our rural community where healthcare is a high priority,” ARIN IU28 Director of Curriculum and Educational Technology Susan Griffith said.
IUP faculty provided demonstrations of their disciplines that allowed the students and teachers to get hands-on experience in behavioral health, nursing, speech-language pathology, biology, and respiratory care. IUP also hosted clinical partners for demonstrations of medical imaging from the Community College of Allegheny County’s program director of nuclear medicine and emergency medicine from the staff of Citizens’ Ambulance Service.
“Being a part of this collaboration with IUP and IRMC was a wonderful experience, and I think it shows our students what a community can be like when we all work together,” Director, Westmoreland–Indiana County, Jennifer Eckels said.
“I also think it gives our students a professional experience unlike any other that will encourage them not only in their field of study, but also in being a part of our community. We here at WCCC thoroughly enjoyed working with the students and preparing demonstrations and presentations for them, and we look forward to being a part of it again next year.”
In addition to the presentation from Mortensen and faculty in the College of Health Sciences, IUP Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions Lance Marshall, IUP Financial Aid Associate Director Kristin Graham, and IUP Director of Workforce Development Kristen O’Hara presented “Getting in and Going to College (Now and Later).” O’Hara discussed IUP’s dual enrollment program, which invites high school students to enroll in selected IUP courses taught by IUP faculty both online and in-person at discounted rates while continuing their high school coursework, including a new program focused on careers in health-related fields.
Indiana Regional Medical Center Administrative Laboratory Director Jackie Sansig
“As high school biology teachers, we are always looking for quality outreach opportunities for our students who are interested in healthcare,” Freeport Area School District biology teacher Will Mikolay said. “The Healthcare Education and Learning Pathways camp offered at IUP gave our students two solid days of exposure to hands-on workshops in healthcare. The kids loved interacting with leaders in the field and got so much exposure to a variety of health careers. We can’t wait to return!”
In August, IUP will begin a new dual enrollment program funded by the Department of Education designed to support pathways to high-priority occupations in a health-related field: “Student Training and Exploration Program for Health-Related Careers (STEP-HRC).” It focuses on the Armstrong, Apollo Ridge, Freeport, Homer-Center, Indiana Area, Leechburg, Marion Center, Penns Manor Area, and Purchase Line school districts.
Goals of this new dual enrollment program includes creating tailor-made dual enrollment course offerings and dedicated dual enrollment sections for each health care pathway, enabling students to complete their health-related degree at an accelerated pace after high school graduation; and removing financial barriers to support equitable access to dual enrollment opportunities by offering courses at no cost and stipends to help defray costs of textbooks for rural high school students.
IUP has formally initiated steps towards accreditation of its proposed college of osteopathic medicine from the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, following the IUP’s Council of Trustees’ December 2022 endorsement of an exploration of a possible development of a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP.