Western Regional Community Consortium Update
2024 West Michigan Health Careers Pipeline (WM HCPP) completes eight-week program
A unique opportunity for this year's participants was having two sessions onsite at MSU's Grand Rapids campus in the Secchia Center, located on the "medical mile" in downtown Grand Rapids. During the first onsite session, Gift of Life Michigan explained the organization, its purpose and function as a state-sanctioned organ harvesting organization, health careers associated with the organization, and displayed plasticized organ models. The second onsite session addressed Medical Emergency Services available in the community. Students used an ultrasound machine to find organs on Standardized Patients. During this session, students toured an ambulance, a training simulation lab and learned how to use an emergency tourniquet.
The program reached 41 Grand Rapids high school students representing 70% of Kent County high schools, 16 MSU medical students, and 9 undergraduate students from WMU, CMU, GVSU and Cornerstone University.
WMU 2024 Spring Health Fair
As part of a collaboration between Western Michigan University, Corewell Health, BCBS of MI, and the Western Regional Community Consortium, high schools from the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo areas are invited to the WMU College of Health and Human Services Spring Health Fair. Participating students will discover the variety of health careers available through WMU. A variety of health career program faculty are scheduled to present, including nurses, dietitians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, medical assistants, respiratory therapists, and social workers. Additionally, 40 students will receive CPR certification training as part of this day-long event. A college campus visit is a great opportunity for students to interact with current college students and learn about the daily expectations of incoming college students.
A grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan covers the costs of lunch and transportation
WRCC Networking at the Kent County ISD Health Careers EXPO
Western Regional Community Consortium’s April Osburn, Executive Director and Jayme Martin, Program Manager, attended the Kent
County ISD Health Careers EXPO to share the programming and education opportunities available with WRCC AHEC. Many of the students that attended the Expo are current 11th and 12th grade students from Kent county high schools and dual enrolled in a health careers program at the Kent County ISD.
The EXPO created a great new friendship and partner for future collaborations between WRCC, Kent County ISD and other health care advocates for the youth interested in health professions.
All About Nursing – with Borgess Navigation Center
High school students from Kalamazoo Central and Loy-Norrix will get the chance to experience the many careers in nursing. This one-day event will take place at the Borgess Navigation Center housed in the Ascension Borgess Hospital, Kalamazoo. Dr. Maria Roche-Dean, Assistant Professor with WMU Bronson School of Nursing, has created a day full of health career areas with nursing, including the educational pathways to achieve those careers, study preparation habits and skills to help students succeed in nursing careers. The areas of nursing to be highlighted at the event are Emergency, Palliative, Neurological, and Wound Care.