The mission of Health Sciences is to support the health care needs of our community by providing cost effective, quality education for competent health care professionals.
Some people, both on and off campus, may not realize that Health Sciences encompasses the entire continuum of health from birth to death. Health Sciences addresses the health care needs of the whole person. This includes Community Health Navigator, Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting, EMT/Paramedic, Medical Imaging (i.e., Sonography and Echocardiography), Mortuary Science, Nursing, Polysomnography (i.e., sleep studies), Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Therapy and Surgical Technology.
While health care is serious business, there is time for fun and off-campus pursuits as well.
Members of the Health Sciences Department spend their time off campus doing such things as performing in a local Bell Choir and Vocal Choir. They are lay leaders for community churches, organic gardeners recycling/sustainability enthusiasts, and knitters. They like to do activities such as walking, Powerlifting, dog training, animal advocacy and have a passion for feeding the hungry.
Every year the Respiratory program/club purchases gifts and solicits donations etc. to shower the children at Pathways that are on ventilators, long term or permanently, with holiday gifts. The Senior Respiratory Care students visit after final exams in December and a party is put on to distribute the gifts that these children have requested. Students are also required to complete 16 hours of community service doing health promotion and disease prevention activities prior to graduation. Some of the activities include lung screening events for senior citizens, Cystic Fibrosis fundraising events, AMC Children’s hospital Radiothon, Journey through the Body at Crossgates Mall and American Lung Association events
Every year Dental Hygiene students participate in a Journey Through the Body event held at Crossgates Mall. Our faculty and students educate Capital District residents on oral health care and connection to overall health through the mouth. Dental Hygiene faculty also take part in the Schenectady MiSci (STEM) event every fall with the goal of educating the community on science-based experiments that involve the oral cavity. The Special Olympics summer games are held in the Capital district, and our Dental Hygiene faculty and staff help provide oral screenings and education to the Special Olympic contestants who attend from all over NYS.
In addition, the Dental Hygiene faculty participate in the annual Ugly Sweater Contest as well as the student’s annual luncheon.
The Senior Nursing students participate in various service-learning projects in the community (i.e., blood pressure clinics, Journey through the Body, Health Fair at Gardner Dickinson School). In addition, they have provided food and personal hygiene product donations for Hurricane Irma relief. In order to build community, the Nursing faculty have put a water cooler in the break room. This has allowed the faculty to hang out by the water cooler and share ideas. Another idea they are implementing is a novel exchange!
The Mortuary Science faculty and students have won the college’s annual Pumpkin Palooza pumpkin decorating contest three years in a row and are the team to beat! They also do an annual departmental horror-themed ornament contest each year. They also show respect to our fallen soldiers by placing wreaths on grave sites across America!
Pictured below (left to right): Laura Cullen, technical assistant; Laura Conroy, program assistant; Martha Desmond, chairperson, Nursing; Judith DiLorenzo, chairperson, Dental Hygiene; Margie Ewart Zapp, chairperson, Radiological Technology; Dean Carol Bosco, and Patty Hyland, chairperson, Cardiorespiratory and Emergency Medicine. Not pictured: Lori Purcell, chairperson, Mortuary Science.
Published: Wed, 29 Aug 2018 13:57:29 +0000 by k.paquette