Arizona College. The Life Line. Graduate Spotlight on: Katie Kinsey. The President s Corner by Nick Mansour

Transcription

1 The Life Line Spring 2013 The President s Corner by Nick Mansour It s been an exciting few months for Arizona College. At the end of last year, we opened our new campus in Mesa. Just like our Glendale campus, students start every five weeks and we offer both morning and evening classes. Currently, we re offering our, Dental Assisting, Pharmacy Technician, and Health Information Specialist (medical billing and coding) programs. We re thinking of adding Massage Therapy too, so please stay tuned. I want to thank the faculty and staff there for the fabulous job they are doing. Our first group of students enrolled in January, a second cohort started in February, and a third group just began classes at the end of March. We now have almost 70 students! We look forward to serving the East Valley for many years to come. Our efforts to start a nursing program achieved two major milestones since the beginning of the year. At the end of January, the Arizona Board of Nursing provisionally approved Arizona College to start a program. In early March, the Arizona Board of Private Postsecondary Education also approved us to start the program. Before we can enroll students, our accrediting body, the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools, must also approve the program. We hope to start enrolling students in the summer and begin our first nursing classes in the fall. Keep your fingers crossed! In Glendale, we continue to provide hundreds of students each year the training and assistance they need to start careers in healthcare just as we have done for over twenty years. We have a passion for it. If you are considering a career change, please stop by either of our campuses. Our staff will describe our programs for you, give you a tour of our laboratories and classrooms, and help you with financial aid. We look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes, Nick Mansour President Arizona College Editor, Jennifer Brown Glendale 4425 W. Olive Ave #300 Glendale, AZ Graduate Spotlight on: Katie Kinsey Let me introduce myself, my name is Katie Kinsey, and I am a Dental Assistant! I completed my schooling through Arizona College and was very fortunate to be assigned to The Village Dental Center in Sun City West, for my externship. I am fortunate in two ways; 1) My externship site had great employees who welcomed me and taught me so much, 2) I was hired from my externship site! Arizona College gave me a great foundation of knowledge to take with me into the real world of Dental Assisting. Everything from how to set up and clean a room, making certain that you answer the phone with a smile, what your say and how you communicate with a nervous patient and lastly, how to have and demonstrate confidence while assisting the dentist during a simple or vigorous procedure. I was very happy to go attend a school where the teachers loved what they taught and knew they would have many students who truly loved teeth as well. I started my dental career later in life. I finished high school about 10 years ago, and never really knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. I always had an interest in the dental field, but it wasn't until I faced losing two jobs because of the recession, that I realized that I needed to follow my passion in the dental field. I knew that it was a blessing in disguise to go back to school and really find a career that I was passionate for, and just a job. I could not be more happier than where I am now. I have a great job with many rewards, a wonderful team of coworkers, and a schedule that allows me to be with my family! Thank you to all at Arizona College! -Katie Kinsey, Dental Assisting Graduate Mesa 163 N. Dobson Rd. Mesa, AZ

2 2 Arizona College students and faculty have given much of their energy, time and skills volunteering and lending a Helping Hand for many local healthcare related events and seminars. Recently, faculty and students participated in the Cancer Caregivers Seminar hosted by the Arizona Myeloma Network. The seminar was a half day program designed to provide caregivers of cancer patients with practical knowledge, skills and strategies necessary for effectively caring for loved ones as well as themselves. Caregivers have repeatedly requested support programs. Often, they find themselves unexpectedly, in the role as a caregiver and seldom are they equipped to cope with the high demands of someone with a serious illness. Seminars such as these, provide the tools, resources and support system for caregivers, so they know that they are not alone, and that their selflessness is appreciated. Blessed are the Caregivers Blessed are the caregivers who refuse to compare their responsibilities with others. Blessed are the caregivers who have learned to laugh, for it is their only chance for sanity. Blessed are the caregivers who accept the disabilities of their charges, letting each person develop at their own speed. Blessed are the caregivers who can redirect negative behavior, without anger. Blessed are the caregivers who involve their charges in the world around them, for it develops the whole person. Blessed are the caregivers who are teachable, for understanding brings love. Blessed are the caregivers who love their task, for love is the greatest gift they give. Blessed are the caregivers, for all the blessings they bestow upon their world. Looking back over the last few months, Arizona College was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Going to college gave me the kind of academic benchmark I have never experienced before. In middle school and even high school, I just went along from one year to the next, changing teachers, changing textbooks, but never really taking note of what or how much I was learning. The hands on approach and learning style at Arizona College, was truly an eye opening experience. It gave me the confidence of being today a reliable, competent and ethical health care practitioner. For all of those people out there who find themselves either unemployed or in a meaningless dead-end job, with dreams of having a reliable profession, Arizona College is the best solution. Arizona College has students from all walks of life and various age groups; so nobody feels out of place. The teachers and staff are all very experienced, kind and ready to help you, learn help yourself by resolving your doubts and challenges. The small classroom setting results in individualized attention that makes the learning activities much more interested, motivating you to do your best. Arizona College will give you the tools; but it is up to you to make it happen! Banner Del Webb Hospital Ms. Quan with students Ms. Fierro, Ms. Aveytia, Ms. Cooper, and Ms. Henderson attend the Caregivers Seminar. *Information provided by the Arizona Myeloma Network website, pictures provided by faculty member, Ms. Quan. -Article submitted by Luminita Paravat, 2012 Pharmacy Technician Graduate. Hired off externship at Banner Del Web Hospital.

3 3 Agency Department There s been a lot going on in Agency Business Development. For starters we have added a new member to our team. Jan Lemau, our new Tribal Agency Liaison, joined us back in January. She brings a lot of experience from her many years in the education field and you can easily tell that she enjoys working with students and the community. (Ms. Quan and her students tour the cadaver lab at Grand Canyon College!) ( Students in CLS 103 Class at Mesa Campus) (The Career Services Department, Ms. Burtenshaw, Ms. Millward, Ms. Vanslyke and Ms. Lamourex, attend the Employer Luncheon with various Employment Partners and former Arizona College Graduates who are now Managers!) (Pharmacy Technician student prepares samples in lab at Mesa Campus) New X-Ray Certified Dental Assisting Students! (Navajo Nation-Monument Valley) Jan will be spending a lot of time on the road. Arizona is home to 23 federally recognized tribes. That s a lot of ground to cover. When she s not on the road she ll be at our Mesa Campus most of the time but she ll spending time at Glendale too. Of course, thanks to modern technology, she s only a cell phone call away. In other exciting news, Arizona College has partnered with Friendly House to offer GED classes right here on Arizona College s Campuses. These classes are taught by Friendly House, a prominent non-profit serving the valley since The hours are 6pm to 8pm Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. For more information please contact Dennis at About the Agency Department: Arizona College s Agency Department serves the community by providing outreach and customer services geared toward students and case managers from Workforce Agencies, Vocational Rehabilitation, Native American Tribes, Veterans Administration and more. Our staff is just a phone call away: Dennis Hobgood Director of Agency Business Development Jan Lemau Tribal Agency Liaison Kevin Kane Military Liaison

4 4 Luis Narvais Acxiri Pastor Jeremy Staats Kathryn Fidler Dental Assisting Good Luck Externs! Iesha Rowan Health Information Technology Eldrin Williams Pharmacy Technician Leticia Gomez *Please note: Due to limited space, students listed above are only a sample of students that have been placed on externship.

5 5 Suzanne Wood Sonoran Hematology & Oncology Preslee Swern Express Urgent Care Shanen Buffa Cardiac Solutions Samantha Cortez Pharmacy Technician CVS Pharmacy Congratulations Placed Graduates! Kathleen Kinsey Dental Assisting Village Dental Michelle Ulm Health Information Specialist PHI Air Medical Shawn Courtwright Banner Sun City West *Please note: Due to limited space, graduates listed above are only a sample of graduates that have been placed in their related medical field for employment and does not include every placed graduate.

6 6 A Real Life Lesson in Anatomy & Physiology On Saturday March 16 th, the Massage Department had the opportunity to attend a 3-hour general-anatomy lecture presentation utilizing professionally dissected cadavers. Laboratories of Anatomical Enlightenment, Inc., is an established educational institution specializing in human anatomy. Located in Tempe, Arizona, the class was formatted to meet specific needs of our massage students and graduates. The class was an amazing look into our complex anatomy. The student s took a little time to warm up, but were investigating the muscles, bones, and organs in short order. We thank Mr. Michael Moylan Ryan, Instructor at Arizona College, for coordinating an introduction to Todd Garcia, owner and director of Laboratories of Anatomical Enlightenment. Todd specializes in human dissection, and has been teaching anatomy for 11 years. He has worked together with anatomy/physiology textbook publisher Benjamin Pearson, and Author, Thomas Myers in the creation of anatomy/ physiology textbooks and DVD s. As director and teacher at Laboratories of Anatomical Enlightenment, Inc. Todd continues to teach human anatomy classes to students of more than 20 different schools ranging from entry level massage therapist to graduate students. Todd s dissection experience is in the range of 10,000 hours. His region of specialty is the cranium. You can see Todd showing some of the most recent dissection work at Laboratories of Anatomical Enlightenment, Inc. has the good fortune of having two locations where human anatomy classes take place every day, every week, every month of the year. Because the study of anatomy is related to a wide variety of occupations, many different students and schools attend classes at one of our Laboratory-Classroom facilities. Students of Medicine, Physical Therapy, Massage Therapy, Yoga Teacher Trainings, Acupuncturist, Craniosacral Therapy, Structural Integrationist, Emergency Medical Technicians are some examples of who attends classes at Laboratories of Anatomical Enlightenment, Inc. Ms. Stacey Munoz, Director of the Massage Therapy Program, will coordinate the next lab within the next few months. The college is excited to offer ongoing opportunities with Laboratories of Anatomical Enlightenment, Inc. Stay tuned! The Health Information Management field is a very exacting and important piece of a patients overall health care. To showcase those people who commit to ensuring patient data is accurate and appropriate, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) in partnership with the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA) marks March as the week for promoting our shared goals. Health information management (HIM) professionals are a critical linchpin in our healthcare system, and the American Health Information Management Association is proud to recognize the contributions of these individuals, said AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon, MBA, RHIA, CAE, FACHE, FAHIMA. Our hope is Health Information Professionals Week will increase awareness of the vital role HIM professionals play in the success and efficiency of our healthcare system landscape. Keeping data accurate and secure, while using it as an analytic tool, is one of the biggest challenges healthcare organizations face. While HIP Week acknowledges the past accomplishments of HIM professionals, future endeavors to properly use this data, as it exponentially grows over time, is equally recognized as it will shape future improvements in our healthcare system. Arizona College is proud to be a part of this vital and advancing industry by training future Health Information Technologist and Health Information Specialists to be leaders in their field. Keep up the great work! (Health Information Specialist Students) (Health Information Technology Students) -Article submitted by Ms. Munoz, Massage Program Director. -Article submitted by Ms. Wilfong, Health Information Program Director.

7 7 $ Financial Aid News $ Many students are concerned about what the possible reduction in Financial Aid may be for students due to sequestration. These automatic federal spending cuts freeze funding for education at current levels, minus a 5 percent reduction. Fortunately, these cuts affect Arizona College students much less than at other institutions due to the type of programs the College participates in. Stafford Loan origination fees are expected to rise from 1.00 to 1.05 percent and PLUS origination fees to rise from 4.00 to 4.20 percent. For a student borrowing $9,500 in Stafford Loans, this would result in only a $5 difference in aid. Besides Stafford Loans the only other programs at Arizona College that will receive cuts are the Federal We all know we should exercise...the real challenge is when? If you re up before dawn to reach the office on time and ready to collapse when the sun goes down; here s a solution...get your exercise at work! Some fitness experts give some great advise on how to fit some exercises in while you are on the phone or answering s. Best of all, you will not even need any workout gear or equipment! Some examples are: Chest: Hold your hands in a prayer position in front of your chest, press hands together, hold for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times (also a great stretch for wrists). Abs: Sit up straight, exhale, tense your abdominal muscles, hold for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times. Stretching is also very important, especially for jobs that require repetitive motion such as typing or talking on the phone. Stretching can minimize stress and tension. Work Study Program and the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant programs. Although these are relatively small programs at Arizona College, they do make a contribution to some student s aid. Both are set at the current funding level through June 30 th, Starting July 1 st, the College will experience and estimated 9% cut in funding to these two programs. The good news for students is that the most important program to most students is the Pell Grant program, which is set for the rest of the fiscal year and will see an increase of $95 through June 30 th, Article submitted by Mr. Calhoun, Director of Financial Aid & Regulatory Affairs. Try these stretching examples: Wrist: Hold your arm out with slight bend palm facing up, lightly pull fingers down until you feel stretch. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat on the other wrist. This will relieve tension and avoid carpel tunnel syndrome. Arms/back: Bend arm to 90 degree angle, place hand on elbow, and lightly twist and pull in toward body, hold 30 seconds and repeat on other arm. This will relieve tension in the arms, traps and back. It is also a good idea to bring some sneakers to work and go for a walk on your lunch break to burn excess calories. Who knows, some of your coworkers might join you! -Article submitted by: Ms. Brown, Editor, demonstration by Ms. Clinton, Admissions Representative. 4/2013-Autism Awareness Month 4/6/13-Graduation, Glendale Civic Center-Congratulations Graduates! 4/15/13-Taxes are due! 4/22-28/13-Medical Fitness Week 4/25/13-Orientation 4/29/13-Start Date, Welcome New Students! 5/2013-Arthritis Awareness Month 5/12/13-Fibromyalgia Awareness Day 5/27/13-Memorial Day, College will be closed 5/30/13-Orientation 6/2013-Men s Health Month 6/3/13-Start Date, Welcome New Students! 6/28/13-Dental Awareness Day 7/4/13-Independence Day, College will be closed *CPR Classes and testing is offered weekly (every Friday) at Arizona College. Space is limited, so please contact the Front Desk for your reservation. Calendar of Events

8 8 Abbas Khayami, D.C. Better Health Solutions Diann Tate, CPhT. Lead Tech Mary Kellar Southwest Regional Manager Amy Strunk, B.S., CPhT Cardinal Health Angel Harrington, L.M.T. Anna Lassister, AZ. MGMA Certified Practice Manager Advanced Surgical Institute Barbara Stackhouse, R.D.H., B.S. The Schuster Center for Professional Development DeJarra Sims N.M.D. Synergy Health Heather Blythe, DA DC Dental Jeanette Baker, L.M.T. Massage Envy Jothi Nadarajah D.M.D. Cholla Hills Family Dentistry Kathy Donner HIV Prevention Manager Arizona Department of Health Lalit Mansukhami, R.Ph., M.S. Director of Pharmacy John C. Lincoln Hospital Nicole Leon, L.M.T. Sharon Jaycox Arizona Department of Health Services Sharon Richard, R.N., CPC. Manager, Revenue Cycle Quality Initiatives Banner Arizona Medical Clinic Teresa D Acquisto, A.A. Client Liaison Billing Manager Arizona Medical Billing Wanda Darling Phlebotomist Arizona College 4425 W. Olive Ave #300 Glendale, AZ