Health & Biotech

St. Lawrence College (SLC) has partnered with the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville and Maple View Lodge in Athens, Ontario to provide real-world experience and training for Personal Support Worker (PSW) students. 

Maple View Lodge is building a new facility (opening in 2025), that will greatly expand the number of beds. The St. Lawrence College PSW program will be delivered onsite at the Maple View Lodge facility, using a living classroom model. This will allow students enrolled in the program to have an immersive learning environment, becoming part of the facility from the beginning of their program, learning daily as part of the care team. All program content and classes will be delivered at the Maple View Lodge in Athens, and there are incentives to attract students to enroll. 

Some of the incentives include a paid placement, 12-month guaranteed employment upon successful program completion and performance metrics, and support to purchase course materials. 

“This partnership presents a terrific opportunity to students wishing to train for and begin working in a career that truly makes a difference,” said Dr. Barb Leblanc, Associate Vice-President, Academic at SLC. “SLC is proud to be the educational partner in this initiative, and we know from years of experience that our students are dedicated, hard-working, and our programs prepare them to succeed. To have such a partnership helping create more connections for students with hands-on learning, leading to more graduates with careers in areas where they are in demand is a win-win.”

This Ontario College Certificate program will prepare students to provide personal care and support services to individuals and families. Responsibilities of PSW’s can include assisting with home management, facilitating social and recreational activities, and promoting health and well-being with clients from all ages of the lifespan. A PSW is a key member of the healthcare team, providing both physical and emotional care to those who are most vulnerable.

“The United Counties of Leeds & Grenville and Maple View Lodge are proud to partner with SLC in the Living Classroom model of learning," said Cathy Fisher, Administrator of Maple View Lodge. "The Living Classroom integrates student learning with those living and working in long-term care. It’s all about enhancing preparedness for the workplace, facilitating development of the current workplace and ultimately enhancing the quality of life for our residents. We have the seniors eager to help the students in any way they can. We look forward to this partnership fostering and sustaining relationships between students and the senior participants. Imagine the impact for a student who has the opportunity to learn in a progressive learning environment that is located where seniors live and caregivers work; for the residents living here they have the opportunity to share their experiences and can participate in the teaching for our future care providers."

The Northern NSW Academic Health Alliance, of which Griffith University is a founding member, unveiled a state-of-the-art training hub at the new $723-million Tweed Valley Hospital today.

Students are set to benefit from the custom-built learning environment, with the first Griffith students already using the new facilities.

The training hub also facilitates integrated research and collaborative projects between the Alliance’s four education institutions: Griffith University, Southern Cross University, Bond University, and TAFE NSW.

Griffith’s Pro Vice Chancellor of Health, Professor Analise O’Donovan, said medical students, completing their placements at Tweed Valley Hospital are enjoying using the new Hub for clinical-based learning and for self-study.

“Together, we can unite all of our resources and provide a much richer opportunity for our students who will get to learn in a world-class facility paving the way for the next generation of the workforce,” Professor O’Donovan said.

Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Education Impact) at Southern Cross University Mr Ben Roche said the Alliance was perfectly placed to undertake research of local and national significance.

“Being regionally located is a distinct advantage as we have direct access to our communities and what they need. We’re excited by the possibilities,” Mr Roche said.

Bond University’s Executive Dean of Health Sciences and Medicine, Professor Nick Zwar, said the advantages of being located in a new hospital were clear.

“Students will be undertaking placements with expert clinicians, working in a modern facility equipped with the latest medical technology. They’ll have access to the absolute best training experiences.”

Minister for Skills, TAFE, and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said TAFE NSW will bring its expertise in co-designing and co-delivering flexible education programs that integrate research-led learning with advanced technical and industry-based skills.

“This collaboration between education providers means the local community will benefit from a pipeline of skilled healthcare workers and increased capacity to provide quality, patient-centred care,” Mr Whan said.

Alcanza Clinical Research (Alcanza) is pleased to announce the awarding of the Alcanza Future Research Heroes Scholarship to two graduating seniors from Mainland High School's Academy of Scientific Inquiry and Medicine (ASIM) in Florida, as part of its commitment to promoting careers in clinical trials and supporting the educational pursuits of local students. The scholarships were presented during a ceremony on May 16th, with Rachel Truxall, VP Study Start Up and Performance and Carlos Orantes, CEO of Alcanza, in attendance to present the awards.

For the past two years, Rachel Truxall has been actively involved in the Mainland High School academy, delivering presentations on clinical trials and potential career paths within the industry. Given Alcanza's presence of multiple Accel research sites in the area, it has been crucial to highlight research in the local community. Impressed by the academic rigor and proactive engagement of the students, Alcanza recognizes the value of providing opportunities for students to explore the healthcare field and encourages their pursuit of certifications such as EKG and BACE. The BACE certification serves as a hiring benchmark for those aspiring to careers in bioscience, emphasizing the importance of understanding clinical trials in the preparation process.

"We are dedicated to promoting our industry as a viable career path for students," said Carlos Orantes. "The field of clinical trials offers diverse opportunities for personal and professional growth, and we are honored to play a role in inspiring the next generation of professionals."

In addition to supporting students' educational endeavors, Alcanza Clinical Research recognizes the importance of community engagement and sees the scholarship program as an opportunity to cultivate future talent within the organization. By fostering relationships with local schools and promoting awareness of clinical trials, Alcanza aims to contribute positively to the community while also nurturing potential future team members.

As part of its plan to bring more doctors to West Central Florida, the region's top health care system today announced that it will soon launch BayCare Health System's first surgery residency program. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) granted initial accreditation for the new 20-resident program that will welcome its first class of residents on July 1, 2024.

"Overall, BayCare will increase residency positions to more than 650 by 2029," said Dr. Sowmya Viswanathan, BayCare's chief physician executive. "As we celebrate this latest accreditation by the ACGME for our BayCare Health System Surgery program, this is just another example of how our vision is becoming a reality. We look forward to educating and mentoring the next generation of resident physicians."

Five BayCare hospitals will participate in the surgery residency: St. Joseph's Hospital, St. Joseph's Women's Hospital and St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Tampa. St. Joseph's Hospital-North in Lutz and St. Joseph's Hospital-South in Riverview.

"I am proud to lead and support the BayCare Health System Surgery Program throughout five of our hospitals," said Dr. Subhasis Misra, program director of the General Surgery Residency. "This is a challenging and rigorous process, and we are grateful for the tireless dedication and passion of our clinical teams. Their persistence has helped us meet and exceed expectations in achieving this goal."

In addition to the Surgery Program, BayCare offers graduate medical education programs for family medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, internal medicine, primary care sports medicine and a transitional year residency program. BayCare's Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship received initial accreditation from ACGME last month. The not-for-profit health care system also is pursuing additional residency programs in addiction medicine, emergency medicine and additional internal medicine and transitional year programs.

"We are excited to welcome resident physicians who can bring the most up-to-date scientific innovations with them, having spent years in the classroom," said BayCare President and CEO Stephanie Conners. "They also are required, as part of their training, to engage in scholarly activity, which will naturally contribute to BayCare's already robust research program."

BayCare's investment in physician education comes amid continued concerns about physician shortages in the United States. By qualifying to expand its graduate medical education offerings, BayCare will attract many more young physicians to the region each year, many of whom will likely choose to stay to practice medicine in the area after finishing their formal "residency" training with BayCare. The expansion in residency training comes with the support of the state of Florida, whose Legislature has worked to grow the physician pipeline through current and new funding, including the Live Healthy Act.