The “best for last”

 College of Allied Health Sciences  No Responses »
May 172013
 
HIM CLASS-Harris, Lacey Williams, Angela Falsetti, Tina Carlton, Callie Woodard, Deniece Russell, Ethel Wright, Susan M

From left: Dr. Susie Harris, Lacey Williams, Angela Falsetti, Tina Carlton, Callie Woodard, Deniece Russell, Ethel Wright, Susan M. Haddock, Faisal Olayan Alharbi, Dr. Xiaoming Zeng. Not pictured: Dawn Camden

East Carolina University graduated its final class of Health Information Management students on May 10, 2013. 

The graduation ended a long history of educating close to 600 health information management professionals.

The Medical Records Administration department was created in 1970, with Mrs. Peggy Wood as the first chairperson.  She remained in that position for 26 years. In 1993, the department was renamed Health Information Management.  It was later expanded to include the BS in Health Services Management, and renamed the Department of Health Services and Information Management in 2002.

Since its beginnings, more than ninety percent of the health information management professionals in eastern NC received a degree from ECU.

The decision to discontinue the bachelor’s degree is due to the change in health information technology. In the future, more emphasis will be placed on the sharing of medical information, and computer specialists trained at the graduate level in health informatics will be needed.   Accordingly, as one chapter closes, another will open through the MS in Health Informatics and Information Management.  The first class of students will enter in fall 2013.

Congratulations HIM students!

Last HIM class of 2013

April is Counseling Awareness Month

 College of Allied Health Sciences  No Responses »
Apr 302013
 

kenwidmerApril is Counseling Awareness Month, a time when all counselors make an effort to help the public better understand their profession, the work they do, and the contributions they make to the communities they serve.

Ken Widmer, a student in the online substance abuse graduate certificate program, tells why he chose this field.

My name is Ken Widmer and I live in Wasilla, Alaska. I have a master’s degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling, but only worked in this field for a few years. I enjoyed the work, but I was young and looking for something more exciting.  I chose to become a firefighter for the Anchorage Fire Department where I worked for 31 years, before I was forced to retire because of a debilitating injury.

I have always had a desire to help people, which is one of the reasons I chose to be a firefighter and why I am currently enrolled in the substance abuse certificate program at ECU. Working as a firefighter, I had firsthand experience with the homeless, alcoholics and drug abusers in Anchorage. Over the years, I came to the realization that they were not that different from what society considers “normal people.” Many were quite intelligent and had skills that would provide them with all those things necessary to be a member in good standing in society except:  a few bad decisions, genetic factors, being born in the wrong place, a predisposition toward addiction, coming from a dysfunctional family, etc.

My plan is to return to work to see if I can help people like this make changes that will improve the quality of their life. The classes that I have taken through ECU have taught me that there is no simple solution to substance abuse, but I feel that whatever difference I can make will be worth the effort.

In my life time I have dealt with many people whose job it is to help the sick, the drug addicted and the mentally ill. Some are great while others make you wonder why they are in this line of work. My advice to those that are planning to enter this field is to go to an AA meeting or a NA meeting, volunteer with the homeless. Instead of passing the street person, stop and talk to them. If after doing this, you do not feel empathy for them, then, in my opinion, you have chosen the wrong field.

April is Occupational Therapy Month

 College of Allied Health Sciences  No Responses »
Apr 122013
 

IMG_1674[1]aOTs are part of a vitally important profession that helps people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities.

Meaghan Johnson, on an adaptive tricycle, is a second year ECU OT student. She describes why she decided to pursue occupational therapy.

I was first introduced to OT a few years ago when I was a teacher assistant in a pre-kindergarten special needs classroom. While there, I was able to observe the school OT as she worked with a few of our students within the classroom setting. But, it was when I observed a private OT session for a student that I was babysitting that I was really drawn to OT and knew it was the perfect career for me. The students’ OT had me sit in the room during the therapy session and explained all the things that she was doing and why she was doing them. She then explained activities and techniques that could be implemented in the classroom based on school related concerns that I mentioned. Her ideas resonated with me; I was able to immediately see how occupations can be used as a means to improve quality of life. I began researching more about the field- the more I learned, the more excited I became to start pursuing OT as a career.

 Tell me about being an OT student at East Carolina University.

I am a second year student in the OT program at ECU with only a few more weeks of classes remaining.  After completing the spring semester, I will begin two 3-month fieldwork experiences—one at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh and the other at Duke Hospital in Durham.  Although my time as a classroom student is coming to an end, I can look back at my time and see how much I have learned and grown from my experiences in this program. 

 There are 25 students in the OT program; we all have every class together except for labs where the class is split in half. Needless to say, we have grown very close to one another. Our program focuses on teaching us the fundamental skills we need to be competent therapists in whatever environment or setting we choose. Our curriculum is a balance of theory, assessments, and treatment techniques and how to implement these to address participation in daily life activities such as dressing, feeding, social participation and leisure activities. Our professors encourage us and want us all to succeed, not only in the classroom but out in the field as well. 

 We are all members of the Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA).  Through this organization we have had the opportunity to volunteer at events and programs like the Special Olympics and the Autism Society and participate in walks to raise money for ALS and Autism. We have also learned from educational events- like CarFit and non-violent crisis prevention.  These community activities have helped us to advocate for occupational therapy as well as expand our professional knowledge and develop new interests.

Irons leads regional discussion on early childhood development

 Brody School of Medicine, College of Allied Health Sciences, College of Nursing, Laupus Library, School of Dental Medicine  No Responses »
Mar 292013
 

Thirty percent of Pitt and Martin county children are born into families living in poverty, a disadvantage shown to immediately increase their risk for long-term educational and health challenges.

The good news is that proper care and attention given to children during infancy and toddlerhood has been proven to help transcend the circumstances they’re born into. And these children have advocates in the ECU Division of Health Sciences.

One advocate is Dr. Tom Irons, associate vice chancellor for health sciences and professor of pediatrics in the Brody School of Medicine. Irons has dedicated his career to helping children born into poverty meet their developmental milestones so they can start their primary education on equal footing with their peers.

On March 22, Irons was the keynote speaker at the State of the Young Child Breakfast, co-hosted by the United Way of Pitt County and the Martin-Pitt Partnership for Children.

“It is important to provide children with a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment during this critical time in their lives,” he told the crowd. “The child that develops in a healthy environment has a brain that is hardwired for success.”

The event also included a panel discussion featuring Abigail Jewkes, associate professor of child development and family relations at ECU, Pitt County Schools Superintendent Beverly Emory and N.C. Rep. Brian Brown.

The panel encouraged investment in early childhood development and reinforced Irons’ message that children who receive adequate early care “have the best possible chance for a successful career in school and, ultimately, as a contributor to society.”

Irons and his career exemplify the central mission of the ECU Division of Health Sciences: We are committed to serving and improving the health of the citizens of Eastern North Carolina. That’s something that happens one patient at a time, and what better place to start than our children?

Read more about Irons and his dedication to improving health care access for North Carolina patients who need it most.   

 

New student tells why he chose health informatics and information management

 College of Allied Health Sciences  No Responses »
Mar 262013
 

The American Health Information Management Association celebrated health information professionals during the 24th annual Health Information Professionals Week, March 17‒23, 2013.

2013-03-21 11aFreddie L. Ingle, a newly accepted student in the masters of health informatics and information management Fall 2013 inaugural class, describes what drove him to pursue the degree.

 Why did you choose to pursue an education and career in health informatics and information management?

The field of health informatics is in its infancy and there are a myriad of ground floor opportunities available, especially with the recent government regulations of the healthcare industry pertaining to health information technology.  The employment outlook is excellent relative to many other fields during these uncertain economic times.  I also believe that health information technology can have a significant positive impact on improving the quality of care, reducing costs, and increasing access to healthcare. 

Is this your first degree in your field?

I have a post master’s certificate in information technology with an emphasis in health informatics from another university.  I also hold an MBA with a concentration in information technology and a doctorate of education in technical education from another university, but this will be my first full degree in health informatics.

What led you to select the ECU College of Allied Health Sciences?

Initially I enrolled in the graduate certificate program in health informatics at ECU because it was online, affordable, and because of the excellent reputation of the College of Allied Health Sciences.  I am in my second course in that program.  My professor for the first course was Dr. Xiaoming Zeng.  Dr. Robert Campbell is my current professor.  Both have been excellent.  The courses are challenging, but I have added so much to my professional knowledge and skills repertoire from the experiences.  These two classes have been the basis for my wanting to obtain a master’s from the ECU College of Allied Health Sciences.

How do you plan to use your new degree after graduation, and where do you plan to live?

I am currently an adjunct faculty member in a masters of health administration program at a local university.  I plan to use the knowledge and experiences from the degree to enrich the classes I teach.  In addition, I plan to start a consulting practice to work with rural and small healthcare providers in the area of health information privacy and security and regulatory compliance.  I plan to live in North Carolina as there are many opportunities in the healthcare industry here.

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