ST. PHILIP’S COLLEGE ANNOUNCES EXPANDED CAMP 98.6 MEDICAL PROGRAM FOR 2009

Recruitment program gives 20 high school students access to the city’s newest health training center

SAN ANTONIO (June 2, 2009) --- St. Philip’s College has doubled the number of students enrolled in a college recruitment program that allows motivated health science technology high school students one week of study in a high-tech environment with both the college and the lead level I trauma center for all of South Texas.

The program for tomorrow’s health professionals is known as Camp 98.6. The camp runs June 8-12 and June 15-19 and takes place at the newly opened $49 million academic complex that includes the St. Philip’s College Center for Health Sciences as well as University Health System facilities. Ten health science technology students from Harlandale High School attend the camp June 8-12 and 10 students health science technology students from McCollum High School attend the camp June 15-19.

“I attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Center for Health Professions at St. Philip’s College, and the new center looks wonderful,” said Farzana Khattak, Next Generation of Health Professionals program coordinator at University Health System. “We were very excited when we heard that some of the college’s new facilities might be available for use in the camp,” Khattak said.

A similar program at Northern Virginia Community College inspired Rebecca Sanchez, chairperson of the St. Philip’s College Allied Health Department, to replicate this learning experience for 10 Harlandale High School students in 2008, and then to expand the program to 10 students from McCollum High School for 2009.

“University Hospital has been a very proactive partner with St. Philip’s College in Camp 98.6 from its inception,” said Sanchez. “We are both excited to expand this program for 2009,” Sanchez said.

During the first two days of Camp 98.6 at St. Philip’s College, a group of 10 students will learn the fundamentals of trauma patient care through such studies as nursing and surgical procedures when a young person suffers head trauma injuries in a traffic accident. Those students will study respiratory care in a St. Philip’s College program that is rated Exemplary by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Study at St. Philip’s College grooms the students to work with a professional trauma and AirLife team at University Hospital in a drill simulating a head trauma injury patient arriving at an AirLife helipad and moving sequentially through such hospital facilities as an emergency room with nursing, radiography, respiratory care, surgery, and rehabilitation services personnel at University Hospital.

“Camp 98.6 is a stepping stone for high school students,” said Sanchez. “After the students attend Camp 98.6 they know what they are getting into before they decide to major in allied health or nursing at a school with very advanced facilities,” Sanchez said.

University Health System is one of the top health care systems in South Texas. University Hospital, a 604-bed hospital, is the primary teaching facility for The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

“The camp will bring the dreams and the realities of careers in the allied health and support professions together for 20 women and disadvantaged members of minority groups who are underrepresented in the health professions,” concluded Farzana Khattak. “One of our missions is to close those professional gaps by encouraging more students to consider the health professions as a career choice,” Khattak said. “A career in the health professions is fast-paced with many steps and challenges, but it is not an impossible career choice,” said Khattak.

CAPTION: St. Philip’s College has doubled the number of students enrolled in a college recruitment program that allows motivated health science technology high school students one week of study in a high-tech environment with both the college and the lead level I trauma center for all of South Texas. The Camp 98.6 program runs June 8-12 and June 15-19 and takes place at both St. Philip’s College and University Health System facilities, such as the AirLife helipad. Photo (Archival digital image by Mark Barnes)

Websites/Resources related to this story include:

1)Alamo Colleges-St. Philip’s College; 2) St. Philip’s College Allied Health Department; and 3) University Health System.

About St. Philip’s: Bishop James Steptoe Johnston of the St. Philip’s Episcopal Church of the West Texas Diocese founded Alamo Colleges—St. Philip’s College in 1898. Today, Alamo Colleges—St. Philip’s College is a multi-campus institution of the Alamo Colleges and serves a semester enrollment of nearly 10,000 credit and more than 6,000 continuing education students. Alamo Colleges—St. Philip’s is a Historically Black College and Hispanic Serving Institution and is the only college in the nation that carries this dual designation. As “A Point of Pride in the Community,” Alamo Colleges—St. Philip’s College is among the oldest and most diverse community colleges in the United States.