PMH supports education

(The information in this article appeared in The Central Oregonian on May 6, 2008, published as the Health Matters column.)

“T’is education forms the common mind: Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined.” Alexander Pope (1688–1744).

Support for education is a very important part of how we at Pioneer Memorial Hospital view our mission of service in health care to Crook County.

A dozen students from Vicki Duncan’s Health Occupations class at Crook County High School are on-site to experience a unique part of the health care community: they have been shadowing health care professionals in many hospital departments.

Each spring for the past several years, students in this class sign up to rotate through many hospital departments. This year they will view our surgery, medical-surgical care unit, laboratory, imaging, family birthing center, respiratory therapy and emergency departments. They are with us for one hour each morning, Monday through Thursday, for six weeks.

You may also find several high school students being mentored through a senior project. This year, Micah Perry was taken under the wing of the caregivers in the laboratory department. Under their tutelage, Micah has learned skills to become a phlebotomist, the person who draws blood for testing. He has written his senior inquiry paper about his experiences. Support for Micah continued outside the hospital setting when several members of the laboratory team attended wrestling matches to encourage him.

These are not the only students you might find at any one time during the year. This year, our pharmacy department has continued a learning/mentoring situation with Oregon State University student Desiree LaFrance. Desiree began her experience in this department while still a student at Crook County High School.

At the post-secondary level, you may also find medical students and physician assistant students from Oregon Health Sciences University and the University of Washington MEDEX programs performing clinical rotations with family practice physicians at Pioneer Health Care Associates (PHCA) and in the Prineville Associates Medical Building . One student currently on rotation with Dr. Michael Knower is physician assistant student Veronica Tiburcio-Espinoza of OHSU. During the past year, physicians at PHCA have had OHSU third-year medical student Trish Adams and OHSU physician assistant student Skye Waggoner in clinical rotation with Dr. James Weeks. Dr. Holly Jo Hodges and Dr. Thomas Matheson have also shared in their rotation experiences.

At the elementary end of the education spectrum, you’ll find the PMH Hospital Week contests for elementary students. The deadline for entry is in a few days: Friday, May 9 at 5 p.m. For students in kindergarten through second grade, there is a “Healthy Things to Do” art contest and for students in third, fourth and fifth grades there is a writing contest. This year’s theme is on the topic “My favorite doctor or medical scientist is --------, because…”

You are all invited to come to the Admitting hallway during Hospital Week, May 11 through 17, to view and vote on your favorite entry in the art contest. Community judges will help us decide the winning entry in our writing contest. You’ll be able to read each entry in this contest, and prizes will be awarded to the winning entrant, their classroom and school.

On Tuesday, May 13, we will hold a free noon-time brown bag “Lunch & Learn,” “Rhythm of Thy Soul.” Shelly Schwartz, RD, LD will give this presentation regarding the barriers and solutions to weight management beginning at noon in the Ochoco Conference Room. You are invited to bring your lunch and weight management questions to this event.

During this week, you may enter to win free health screenings from our Laboratory Department, a mammogram from our Imaging Department and a consultation with our dietitian Shelly Schwartz, RD, LD. We expect the most popular choice in the Hospital Week drawings to continue to be a free cheesecake from our kitchen.

We also work with schools and civic groups to arrange tours for learners of all ages through many of our departments. Patient load permitting, we are able to see the emergency, surgery, imaging, family birthing center (sometimes there is a baby to see), and the laboratory departments.

If you have any questions about these programs, I invite you to call me at 633-2900, ext. 6128, or to e-mail me at lmthornton@cascadehealthcare.org.