News about Radiography

Around 250 students in the School of Health Sciences – an academic division that spans 11 distinct health care and allied health fields – are participating this week in a series of hands-on emergency health simulations. The school’s fourth annual Interdisciplinary Professional Event involves 24 student teams, each made up of a cross section of health disciplines, discussing and observing one another’s role in their assigned case. Students in the physician assistant major played roles of patients, whose health problems ranged from an allergic reaction to Novocain in the Dental Hygiene Clinic to a loss of consciousness in the Keystone Dining Room, and surgeries to replace hips and remove gallbladders. As “patients” moved through the health care system, they moved, with their observers, from lab to lab in the Breuder Advanced Technology & Health Sciences Center. The purpose of the experience is to prepare the students to deliberatively work together as patients interact with each of them during their health care experience, with an ultimate goal to improve patient care. Also involved were 23 staff and faculty from the school, who planned and managed the event and led groups through their simulations on Tuesday and Thursday.

Pennsylvania College of Technology has appointed Regis C. Kohler, of Montoursville, to lead the college’s radiography program.

Kohler began his employment with the college as clinical coordinator of radiography in 1987. He then served as an associate professor in the program for 26 years, from 1990 until his appointment to director in 2016.

“We are pleased that Regis has accepted this position as director of the radiography program,” said Gerri F. Luke, dean of business and hospitality. “His appointment has been very warmly received by students and alumni, as well as our affiliated hospital representatives. We are very confident his vast experience, professionalism and knowledge will provide exceptional leadership for the program.”

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Pennsylvania College of Technology recently approved articulation agreements with several other institutions to ease students’ pathways to further education.

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Because a patient experiencing a health emergency will likely be cared for by many health care professionals with differing specialties, Pennsylvania College of Technology has taken an active approach to ensure that students understand the roles and collaboration necessary on a health care team.

The college’s School of Health Sciences took part in two recent events that involved more than 400 students in mock patient cases on its campus.

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Two students majoring in radiography at Pennsylvania College of Technology were among six from across the state selected to serve as interns for the Pennsylvania Society of Radiologic Technologists annual meeting in Wilkes-Barre.

As interns, Abigail M. Hricko, of Nicholson, and Jessica L. Reed, of South Williamsport, shadowed the society’s board of directors members throughout the two-day meeting, helping to run event registration, introducing speakers and keeping time for speaker presentations. Alongside their mentors, they attended the society’s executive board meeting, at which they were encouraged to give input from the student perspective.

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As part of its community service, Penn College’s Medical Imaging Club collected for Toys for Tots for the second straight year.  According to Karen L. Plankenhorn, interim clinical director for radiography, the group put boxes across campus – the Hager Lifelong Education Center, Madigan Library, Bush Campus Center and the Medical Imaging classroom – in hopes of bringing a brighter Christmas to local children.
Photo by Karen L. Plankenhorn

Radiography students recently attended a “Technibowl” competition at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, competing with similar schools in the immediate area (Geisinger Medical Center, Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences, College of Misericordia, Penn State and the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences). Two-student teams from all schools participated in three rounds of 30 board certification-style questions, with points earned for each correct answer. Penn State claimed the top three places. While students from each school were at different points in their education – Penn College students won’t graduate for nearly a year after some of their competitors – Jessica L. Reed, of South Williamsport, and Aaron R. Curry, of Hamburg, finished just out of third place. Georgia T. Grey, clinical supervisor, and Karen L. Plankenhorn, interim clinical director, chaperoned the group.
Photo by Karen L. Plankenhorn

Students studying radiography at Pennsylvania College of Technology, along with the radiography program faculty and staff and the college’s Medical Imaging Club, are celebrating National Radiologic Technology Week Nov. 8-14.

Students developed educational posters for display during the week at hospitals where they perform clinical rotations.

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“We see X-rays all the time, but I never thought someone would take one and make art out of it,” said Danielle J. Shindledecker on a Tuesday visit to The Gallery at Penn College. The Fairfield resident was joined by three other students enrolled in applied health studies: radiography concentration on an outing to see “A View Within,” an exhibit blending medical technology and fiber art. Nicole L. Brungard, of Jersey Shore; Conor D. Flynn, Williamsport; and Taylor E. Hoffman, Marietta, also took in the artistic interpretations of body images captured by CT scans, MRIs, X-rays and ultrasounds. The two-person show offers realistic and abstract translations of the same body images, and the students said they enjoyed seeing the different perspectives of the artists’ visions. “This exhibit is entitled ‘A View Within.’ which is a perfect fit with our upcoming Radiologic Technology Week (Nov. 8-14) theme of ‘Discovering the Inside Story,'” said Karen L. Plankenhorn, interim clinical director for radiography. The exhibit runs through Nov. 1 on the third floor of Madigan Library.

Seniors in the School of Health Sciences’ radiography major were encouraged to dress for a “Pink Out” during their Pediatric and Trauma Radiography class this week. “I teach the class, but also teach Mammography,” said Karen L. Plankenhorn, interim clinical director, “so I try to incorporate breast-cancer awareness during the month of October.”
Photo by Cletus G. Waldman Jr., interim director of radiography

Penn College’s School of Health Sciences was the destination for 30 high schoolers attending Health Careers Camp, a joint, two-day program of the college and Susquehanna Health. The camp offers students a chance to explore careers in the health care field. Students entering grades nine to 12 attended hands-on workshops Wednesday and Thursday in the college’s exercise science, paramedic technology, occupational therapy assistant, physician assistant, nursing, radiography, dental hygiene and surgical technology majors. To round out their experience, they toured Susquehanna Health’s Williamsport Hospital.

Around 250 students and employees from the School of Health Sciences participated in three days’ worth of emergency simulations on campus this week. In its third year, the exercise is known as the Interdisciplinary Professional Event and provides a unique opportunity for students and faculty from different majors within the School of Health Sciences to collaboratively care for patients.

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As part of an event that spanned northeastern and northcentral Pennsylvania and involved more than 1,000 students at various locations across the region, the sixth annual Collaborative Care Summit convened at Penn College on Wednesday. Nineteen dedicated  faculty/staff facilitators from a variety of health professions, including physicians, led discussions in the Bush Campus Center among students from several colleges and universities who are pursuing studies in a wide range of health disciplines. The Collaborative Care Summit is arranged by the Northeastern/Central Pennsylvania Interprofessional Education Coalition – of which Sharon K. Waters, associate dean of health sciences, is a member. Waters coordinated the Penn College event, and co-presented the opening session with Dr. Keith Shenberger, Susquehanna Health TCMC, which brought together about 100 students from Penn College, Lock Haven University, Wilkes University and The Commonwealth Medical College. The students participated in roundtable discussions of a medical case, learning from one another how each discipline contributes to a patient’s care. “The goal of interprofessional learning is to prepare all health professions students for deliberatively working together, with the goal of building a safer and better patient-centered and community-orientated health care system,” Waters explained. “It was impressive to hear what each student contributed to the interprofessional discussion and rewarding to know our students are being prepared to work  as a collaborative team toward quality patient care.” Student participants represented 10 professions, from paramedic to pharmacy to medicine to nursing. Simultaneous events were held in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre at Marywood University, The Commonwealth Medical College, The University of Scranton, Kings College and Misericordia University.

Students representing nearly all of the majors in the School of Health Sciences gathered in the Thompson Professional Development Center on Friday to learn from one another as they discussed their differing roles in a medical case. The “tabletop” Interdisciplinary Professional Event is designed to help Penn College students understand the perspectives and duties of others on a medical team in the interest of holistic treatment for their future patients. The school provides its students with a hands-on IPE in the spring, when actors simulate medical emergencies across campus.
Photo by Kim A. Speicher, dental hygiene instructor

Honoring a traditional October observance that is closely aligned with their chosen career path, radiography seniors observed a “Pink Out” on Wednesday. “I encouraged my class to dress in pink … in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” said  Karen L. Plankenhorn, clinical supervisor for radiography. “I worked as a mammographer prior to coming to the college and I teach the Mammography class in the spring, so breast-cancer awareness is near and dear to me.”
Photo by Cletus G. Waldman Jr., clinical director for radiography