NC-HCAP News

NC-HCAP gives presentation at 2006 National AHEC Organization (NAO) Conference in Nebraska

CHAPEL HILLl, N.C. – Members of the North Carolina Health Careers Access Program (NC-HCAP) staff and the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill gave a presentation at the 2006 National AHEC Organization (NAO) Conference held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 10-14. Dr. Carolyn Mayo, Director and Chief Executive Officer of NC-HCAP, Heather Scott, NC-HCAP/NC-AHEC Recruiter/Liaison and Brenda Mitchell, Associate Chair for Student Services in the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill gave a presentation at the event.

The presentation was entitled “Innovative Student Recruitment and Admissions Strategies in Allied Health Sciences: The NC-ARC Initiative.” This initiative is a unique, multi-campus partnership that educates underrepresented minority college students about career opportunities in eight allied health science disciplines: therapeutic recreation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, clinical laboratory sciences, cytotechnology, speech-language pathology/audiology and radiologic science.

The partnership includes NC-HCAP, the Department of Allied Health Science at UNC-CH, four public historically minority universities (North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina Central University, Elizabeth City State University and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke), the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program and Dudley High School Health Science Academy.

Phase I of the NC-ARC Initiative provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to differentiate eight allied health science careers involving diagnostic and therapeutic disciplines through didactic and field experiences. Phase II focuses on student admissions, retention and completion of an allied health program.

The purpose of the presentation was to share outcomes and discuss collaborative efforts between NC-HCAP, the NC AHEC Program and the UNC School of Medicine Department of Allied Health Sciences regarding the NC-ARC Initiative, which was funded through the Model State Supported AHEC Grant (MSSAG).

The presenters aimed to increase knowledge of the NC-ARC Initiative, give specific strategies for successful project implementation, and increase knowledge on how to avoid many of the logistical challenges that can occur with multi-partner projects through a discussion of potential barriers (technical, personnel, programming), barrier resolutions, and future directions for the project.

Strategies for successful project implementation included selecting and building a pool of students, using live, interactive teleconference technology as a teaching tool, engaging students in mentoring/job shadowing experiences, allowing students to share their experiences through reflective student papers, and maintaining effective communication continuity between faculty, current allied health students, and prospective students.
Allied health professionals comprise 60 percent of the health care workforce, representing about five million health care providers in the United States in over 80 different allied health professions. Individuals trained as allied health professionals are currently in high demand – a trend that will continue in the future. The top 30 fastest growing jobs predicted in 2010 are in allied health disciplines (U.S. Department of Labor, 2005). In contrast, diversity of the U.S. population continues to grow; yet the lack of diversity among the nation’s health providers is striking. Healthy People 2010 (1999) purports the need to increase diversity in the health workforce as a key strategy to eliminate health disparities and improve the nation’s overall health status.

NC-HCAP is an interinstitutional program of the University of North Carolina designed to increase the number of underrepresented minorities or other individuals from educationally or economically disadvantaged backgrounds trained, educated and employed in the health professions.

For more information about the Allied Health Sciences, the North Carolina Health Careers Access Program or the NC-ARC Initiative contact NC-HCAP at (919) 966-2264 or visit our Web site at http://nchcap.unc.edu.