Mount Aloysius College nursing professor Brian Smith helps Future Healthcare Leaders camp attendee Jayden Womer tend to actor Hadley Robinson, who portrayed an injured person during a simulated car accident Tuesday near the Bertschi Center.
Mirror photo by Matt Churella
CRESSON — A few dozen area high school students had the opportunity to get a first-hand look at some of Mount Aloysius College’s health care programs during the fifth-annual Future Healthcare Leaders Camp, which concludes today.
The camp kicked off Tuesday morning with a simulated car accident just outside of the Bertschi Center in which
theater director Dan Evers and Hadley Robinson portrayed a man and his daughter who were injured in a motor vehicle accident after attending a graduation party.
Over the two-day camp, all participants are introduced to the college’s nursing, ultrasonography and echocardiography, medical imaging, surgical technology, physical therapy assistant and biology departments while following a simulated patient’s journey through a series of stations showcasing everything from the initial interaction with emergency services to testing, diagnosis, surgery and post-injury care.
The nursing department introduces the campers to triage, patient assessment and the importance of advocacy and bedside care.
Mount Aloysius College nursing professor Brian Smith places a neck brace on theater director Dan Evers as part of a simulated car accident Tuesday near the Bertschi Center. The simulation kicked off the Future Healthcare Leaders camp, giving high school students a hands-on experience of a patient’s journey, from the initial interaction with emergency services through testing, diagnosis, surgery and post-injury care.
Mirror photo by Matt Churella
The ultrasonography and echocardiography department helped them visualize internal injuries and understand how noninvasive imaging guides clinical decisions.
The medical imaging department showed students how X-rays and CT scans can reveal hidden trauma beneath the skin, while the surgical technology department placed them in the operating room — where sterile technique, precision and keeping calm under pressure are essential.
The physical therapist assistant department explored how patients regain strength, mobility and independence after trauma.
The biology department taught students how to analyze vital samples, from blood toxicity to blood type matching for transfusions.
Heather Zonts, the college’s dean of nursing, said the camp gives students, like Adalynn Bopp, an incoming senior at Altoona Area, a chance to use health care equipment and find out whether they’re truly interested in the field before attending college.
Mount Aloysius theater director Dan Evers participates as an actor in a simulated car accident that kicked off the college’s fifth-annual Future Healthcare Leaders camp Tuesday. Mirror photo by Matt Churella
“They actually get a bird’s eye view of what that specialty is,” Zonts said, noting the campers perform simulated blood testing and can determine whether they prefer to handle blood.
If not, the campers might discover there are other areas of health care they want to pursue instead, she said.
The college offers a variety of similar free academic summer camps throughout June and July, including a creative writing camp that took place last week in which students learned what it takes to pitch a pilot episode for a new television show.
Upcoming camps include an American Sign Language camp for students who want to become an ASL interpreter and learn about deaf culture, from June 23-24, and three new camps — a psychology in action camp, June 30; a history, politics and geographical analysis compass camp and a biodiversity camp, both July 8-9.
In total, over 170 high school students are participating in this year’s camps, according to a press release, which states that all students who complete an academic camp also receive a scholarship from the college.
Bopp said she wants to go into nursing because she likes to help people.
“I wanted to see all of the different opportunities and careers I could pursue through this school, and I also thought it would be fun,” Bopp said of why she decided to attend the Future Healthcare Leaders camp.
While the learning opportunities remain the same, Zonts said the medical scenario changes each year to keep the camp fresh.
More and more students reach out every year to register for the Future Healthcare Leaders camp, Zonts said.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for them to see different career fields, see where their path goes,” she said. “It kind of helps give them that direction that maybe they didn’t have or even just pique their interest in areas that maybe they didn’t realize was a potential for them.”
Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.
