Pennsylvania College of Technology is aiding the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by donating personal protection equipment to area health care facilities.
Various departments have spent the past week collecting supplies – originally intended for on-campus student and staff use – to be distributed within the next few days to the college’s nursing home partners.
Penn College’s planned April 4 “Service Saturday” – a dental hygiene outreach to veterans, active-duty service personnel and their dependents – has been canceled.
Jeffrey L. Hutchins, an adjunct faculty member who has served various roles as a paramedic and firefighter since graduating from The Williamsport Hospital & Medical Center Paramedic Training Institute in 1997, was recently hired as director of the Lycoming County Department of Public Safety. “Hutch is in the process of quickly getting up-to-speed in his new role,” said Bambi A. Hawkins, learning laboratory coordinator for Penn College’s paramedic program. “He will be missed in the Susquehanna Regional EMS paramedic supervisor position, where he also served as a pre-hospital field preceptor for our paramedic students, but we are fortunate to retain access to his expertise and services for the part-time faculty role.”
Photo provided
Pennsylvania College of Technology dental hygiene students and volunteer dental professionals will provide free dental hygiene services to veterans, members of the armed services, and their dependents on Saturday, April 4.
Pennsylvania College of Technology’s state-of-the-art Dental Hygiene Clinic is scheduling appointments for the spring semester.
The clinic provides low-cost preventive dental hygiene services to the community, including cleanings, exams, X-rays and sealants. The clinic collaborates with area dental offices and can share records to prevent duplication of services.
The Pennsylvania Association for Infant Mental Health’s Central Region members held a networking breakfast on Friday in Penn College’s early childhood education lab. A highlight of the gathering was the presentation, “Sensory Processing: Separating Fact From Fiction,” delivered by Elizabeth A. Dixon, clinical director of the college’s occupational therapy assistant program. Dedicated to supporting children under 5 and their families, the PA-AIMH Central Region’s membership comprises about 45 clinicians and practitioners from a wide range of early childhood organizations. Friday’s networking opportunity, the association’s largest event so far, was organized by PA-AIMH regional board members Jillian T. Scanlon, instructor of education and early childhood education at Penn College, and Shashi DeHaan, mental health coordinator for SUMMIT Early Learning, Mifflinburg.
Pennsylvania College of Technology’s nursing program answers a national call to support nurses who seek academic and career growth.
In a position statement issued in 2019, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing asserts that it “is committed to working with the larger education and healthcare communities to create a highly educated nursing workforce able to meet complex healthcare demands today and in the future. To that end, AACN encourages all nurses to advance their education and supports the many pathways to achieving academic progression in nursing.”
Penn College has been working to provide those pathways through five nursing education options.
Penn College’s inspiring majors made their customary splash throughout the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg (Jan. 4-11), as a rotating regiment of subject experts satisfied each day’s crowds – intellectually and nutritionally – at the nation’s largest indoor agricultural expo. In addition to the photo gallery below, the college’s involvement was covered by the Pennsylvania Cable Network and the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, which featured the schools of Nursing & Health Sciences and Business & Hospitality in its editions.
Fulfilling a pre-commencement tradition, Penn College’s nursing program hosted a pinning ceremony for December graduates of the Bachelor of Science in nursing, traditional. Twenty-four nursing graduates received lapel pins during the ceremony, held in the Community Arts Center on Dec. 20, the day before the college’s Fall Commencement. They also heard from speakers selected by the class: nursing faculty member Laura K. Landis, assistant professor of nursing; and fellow December 2019 nursing graduate Dustin E. Neumann, of State College. Following program tradition, the students recited the Nightingale Pledge and “passed the lamp” to a future nursing graduate.
Photo courtesy of Tina R. Strayer, nursing office assistant, completion degrees
Dr. Gregory R. Frailey, the medical director for Pennsylvania College of Technology’s paramedic and physician assistant programs, recently received the Robert D. Aranosian, DO, FACOEP Award for Excellence in Emergency Medical Services.
The award is presented each year by the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians to a member of the organization or of the emergency medicine community who has made contributions to the field of EMS that furthered the operation, teaching or development of the specialty through actions, dedication and deeds. It is one of the organization’s highest honors.
A New Year’s tradition – Pennsylvania College of Technology’s eye-opening participation in the nation’s largest indoor agricultural attraction – is about to be renewed.
Knowledgeable students and employees will busily represent the college at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, 2300 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg, and personify the event’s 2019 theme of “Imagine the Opportunities.”
“We always look forward to showcasing the excitement of our academic programs. This is a great opportunity to introduce Farm Show visitors to the opportunities a Penn College degree provides,” said Carolyn R. Strickland, vice president for enrollment management/associate provost. “With so many visitors from across the commonwealth, we also enjoy connecting with our alumni attending the event.”
Faculty and staff in the Penn College nursing program adopted The Cupboard for the holidays. The Cupboard is an on-campus food pantry for students, operated by Dining Services. Organized by Pamela W. Baker, assistant professor of nursing, the two-week food drive yielded 181 food items and $150 in cash. During the Fall 2019 semester, almost 90 students visited The Cupboard to obtain food.
Pennsylvania College of Technology nursing graduates again exceeded state and national pass rates on national board examinations.
Penn College offers degrees for those pursuing registered nurse and practical nurse licensure eligibility.
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing recently released the pass rates for the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses) and the NCLEX-PN, for practical nurses. Results are for those who took the exams between Oct. 1, 2018, and Sept. 30, 2019.
Second-year dental hygiene students and faculty developed a program to provide professional-grade athletic mouthguards for members of the Penn College lacrosse team as part of the students’ Dental Materials and Specialties course. The multiweek project began with taking impressions of the athletes’ teeth to create exact replicas of their mouths. This model was then used, along with specialized equipment, to fabricate the mouthguards. The students were directed by faculty members Barbara K. Emert-Strouse and Marie Y. Stewart, both assistant professors of dental hygiene. The athletic mouthguards play a critical role in contact sports in the prevention of concussions and injuries to teeth.
Volunteer outreach by faculty member D. Robert Cooley – a five-part trial orientation to strengthen bonds between Penn College classmates and cohesiveness within academic programs – met with rave reviews by the student participants who requested the activity. Cooley, associate professor of anthropology/environmental science, recently accompanied nine occupational therapy assistant students and director Jeanne M. Kerschner on a nature hike through the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority grounds. “The students recognized the value of these events and even requested that we continue these team-building sessions next semester,” Kerschner said of the group, which was undeterred by rain.
Photos provided