HACC Partners with Bloomsburg University, Provides Free Services for ALS Patients

Current news from HACC, March 22, 2017


  HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, shares recent news as well as upcoming events available to the community, including:
 

• HACC and Bloomsburg University Partnership Helps Students Earn Bachelor’s Degrees
• HACC Students to Provide Free Healthcare Services for ALS Patients

 
HACC and Bloomsburg University Partnership Helps Students Earn Bachelor’s Degrees
 
HARRISBURG, Pa. – Project management, embracing workplace diversity, effective communication and conflict resolution are leadership skills sought by today’s employers. HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, and Bloomsburg University are partners in preparing students in these skills. HACC graduates with an associate degree can transfer 60 credits to Bloomsburg University and complete coursework in Harrisburg that will count toward a Bachelor of Applied Science in Technical Leadership. 
 
Most of Bloomsburg’s classes are held online and in the evenings to allow more flexibility for working students. Classes that must be completed in-person will be held at the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and at HACC’s Harrisburg Campus. Part-time and full-time options are available to complete the program. Twenty HACC students are currently registered and taking classes in the program. 
 
“This partnership benefits HACC alumni and current students. Alumni may be looking for opportunities to advance their technical skills to grow in their positions, and our current students are learning the emerging technology and opportunities to grow into supervisory and managerial positions in the workplace,” said Kathleen T. Doherty, Ph.D., associate provost at HACC.
 
Interested students are encouraged to attend an information session on April 6 or April 20 from 3-7 p.m. in Whitaker Hall Room 132H on HACC’s Harrisburg Campus.
 
For more information about the program, please contact Georgette Brown, Bachelor of Applied Science coordinator for Bloomsburg University, at gbrown@bloomu.edu.
 
HACC Students to Provide Free Healthcare Services for ALS Patients
 
HARRISBURG, Pa. – Students in the Dental Hygiene and Respiratory Therapy Programs at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, will provide free healthcare services for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on March 31, 2017. Services will be provided at the Select Medical Health Education Pavilion on HACC’s Harrisburg Campus.
 
HACC students will provide preventive dental hygiene services and exams, as well as oral hygiene education for the clients and their caregivers. Students and faculty from HACC’s Respiratory Therapy Program will also provide support to the clients, their families and caregivers. Additionally, students from HACC’s Massage Therapy Program will offer chair massages for caregivers and family members.
 
“The clients who will receive these services have difficulty finding providers who can handle their care.Sometimes it’s just because patients cannot fit in a private dental office with their wheelchairs and equipment,” said Megan Brightbill, assistant professor and director of HACC’s Dental Hygiene Program. “We decided that our dental clinic was just the place for these clients. Because we see some who are on ventilators, combining with our Respiratory Therapy Program was an easy decision to make.”
 
HACC has collaborated with the ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter since 2015 to provide these services. Students provide services for up to 10 individuals each term. 
 
“This opportunity has been so rewarding for all of our students, faculty and volunteers. We have gained so much more than we could ever give back to this organization and the clients we serve,” Brightbill said.
 
The ALS Association (ALSA) defines ALS as “a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.” Individuals who live with ALS may lose their ability to speak, eat, move and breathe.
 
 
About HACC
HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, is the first and largest of Pennsylvania’s 14 community colleges. HACC offers over 120 career and transfer associate degree, certificate and diploma programs to approximately 19,000 students. Also, the College serves students at its Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York campuses; through virtual learning; and via workforce development and continuing education training. For more information on how HACC is uniquely YOURS, visit hacc.edu. Also, follow us on Twitter (@HACC_info), like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HACC64) and use #HACCNews.
 
About Bloomsburg University
Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 10,000 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in the colleges of Education, Business, Liberal Arts and Science and Technology