South Carolina AHEC News & Updates

The second annual Health Career Exploration Symposium took place on June 25 and was a huge success, engaging 38 high school and college students  in health careers exploration. The symposium took place at the Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL) in Beaufort and included students from both the Lowcountry AHEC and Mid-Carolina AHEC Health Careers Programs.  The symposium gave students a chance to explore a variety of health careers through active learning by having them rotate through sessions facilitated by volunteer health professionals. Rotations included: neurological exams/ traumatic brain injury, phlebotomy, respiratory therapy, biology, and DNA extraction and visualization. Lieutenant Commander Aileen Cangiano-Heath, MD, Medical Corps, USN, was the keynote speaker and facilitated one of the students’ favorite sessions on neurological exams and traumatic brain injury. The students then participated in team building activities and more rotation sessions in the afternoon

Nursing, like health care in general, has become increasingly complex. While a registered nurse (RN) license provides entry to general nursing practice, the knowledge-intensive requirements of modern nursing require extensive additional education, as well as a strong personal commitment to excellence by the nurse.  With this in mind, many hospitals are encouraging national board certification for their nurses. Additionally, patients are advised to inquire whether there are certified nurses on staff when they visit a hospital or primary care provider. Board certification of nurses plays an increasingly important role in the assurance of high standards of care for patients and their loved ones. There are a number of nursing certification specialties such as medical-surgical, pediatric, pain management, cardiac vascular, oncology, hospice, case management, emergency nursing, critical care and many others. Nursing certification bodies exist to serve the full range of specialized nur

Mid-Carolina AHEC and the South Carolina HIV, STD, and Viral Hepatitis Conference Committee have partnered once again to host the 2015 SC HIV, STD, and Viral Hepatitis Conference: Getting to Zero: Progressive Strategies, Achieving Success on October 28-29, 2015, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.  This year’s conference will focus on high-impact prevention, treatment strategies and innovative approaches to build and sustain working partnerships. This is an interdisciplinary conference that is designed for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, other clinicians, social workers, case managers, public health professionals, educators, students, and community members.  The overall mission is to provide opportunities for professionals and community members to engage in dialogue related to current practices, interventions, and emerging concerns and trends.  The conference will provide 11 hours of continuing education for nurses; counselors; therapists; soci

Lowcountry AHEC is offering the program entitled, “PCT (Patient Care Technician) Update” via the statewide SCHOOLS videoconferencing system on September 9, 2015, from 8:00am to 12:30pm.   This course will include didactic information and skills practice, including: recording of intake and output, measurement of three vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, respirations), provision of perineal care, and measurement of blood glucose.   The instructor will be presenting from Roper St. Francis Healthcare Professional Development Offices, Fairfield Park at 1064 Gardner Road, Suite 206, Classroom #2 in Charleston. To find out how your site can be a participating location or how to register, please contact Lowcountry AHEC Continuing Education Coordinator Diana Caron at carond@lcahec.com .  

The Fourth Annual Telehealth Summit of South Carolina will take place October 15-16 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The President of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) Reed Tuckson, MD, FACP, will be the keynote speaker. Registration and more information is available online .