Upper Peninsula Regional Center Update
Upper Peninsula Regional Center and Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center donates medical supplies to health careers students
Upper Peninsula Regional Center and their host partner Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center donated expired medical supplies to regional health careers students. Brooke Ostermnan, BSN. RN, a CTE Health Careers Instructor and Hosa Advisor for L’Anse Area Schools shared her appreciation for the donation. 
“I am so appreciative of the supplies we received from UGL! Some of the items we received were Personal Protective Equipment, including gowns, masks, and gloves, which we will use when we practice proper donning and doffing of PPE during our infection control unit. This is an important skill for students to know before they can attend Work Based Learning.
Dr. Erin McKenzie shares her experience as a Resident Physician working with Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center
UPRC is excited to highlight Dr. Erin McKenzie. “I grew up as a patient of Upper Great Lakes (UGL) Family Health Center, and then spent time with providers there as a pre-medical student while I attended Michigan Technological University as I began my journey into medicine. I jumped at the opportunity to again spend time with UGL as a medical student at Michigan State University on a rural rotation, and as I continued my training as a resident in Family Medicine at UPHS-Marquette, I returned home to work under the Physicians of UGL.
Each provider I followed had a different scope, different interests that were fostered by UGL and came together to create a wide safety net for our rural population, and those I worked with were welcoming to learners at all levels. Every step of the way, I felt like part of the team and that my learning was important, and I found patients to be gracious and excited to have learners spend time with them.
Having spent time with UGL during each phase of my training, it felt like a natural next step to join as a provider, as I share the same goals with UGL of providing compassionate, comprehensive care to all, no matter their age, ability to pay, to foster healthier lives and reduce the worry associated accessing quality with healthcare in rural areas."
UPRC Spring Provider Meeting Provides CME Opportunity
On May 14th UPRC hosted their Spring Provider Meeting with their host partner Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center. The event targeted NPs, PAs, Social Workers, MDs, DOs, and Behavioral Health Staff. Thomas Kates, DO held a session covering harm reduction, and Gregory Jones, MD covered Controlled Substance Monitoring. The Spring Provider Meeting gave healthcare professionals an opportunity to receive 2.25 CMEs.
Community Dental Health Career Exploration
UP AHEC provided career exploration opportunities to Copper County ISD health career students in the CTE Health Career program, who are interested in dental. The students were able to shadow the UGL dental team, ask questions, and learn what community dental health is all about!
If you’re a student interested in learning more about community dental health or a career in dentistry, dental therapy, dental hygiene, or dental assisting, please reach out to upahec@uglhealth.org. Community dentistry is a very needed specialty area, plus it’s a well-paid, flexible career option with good benefits!
Dental Assistant Training Program Highlight
Emily Sirois shared her experience in the CareerStep Dental Assistant Program through UPRC. “Since working as the Dental Patient Service Representative, I learned that there is more to dentistry than just needing a filling or cleaning. I wanted to take this newfound passion for dentistry to the next level. I started in November of 2023, and I have nothing but good things to say about the program. I am able to study on my own time and then apply what I have learned in the clinic. I took on the challenge of training as a Dental Assistant on an as-needed basis, but it has transpired into a passion to care for patients and help create an environment where they feel safe,” said Emily. 