Chapter 3: Careers in Health Care

Part I: You are the Human Resource Specialist at the local health care facility. Your job responsibilities include advertising for available positions. Create a help wanted advertisement for one of the occupations listed below (or get one approved with Ms. Hammang)

respiratory therapist
pharmacy technician
Occupational therapy assistant
physical therapist
paramedic
medical assistant
dental hygienist
dental assistant
Registered Nurse
Certified Nursing Assistant
Nurse practitioner
Veterinary Technician
Medical Laboratory Technologist
Phlebotomist
Sonographer
Cardiovascular Tech.
Medical transcriptionist
Health Unit Coordinator
Central Processing Technician
Registered Dietician
Optometrist
Physicians Assistant
Athletic Trainer
Speech Therapist (pathologist)
Profusionist
Physical Therapy Assistant

Your Ad should include the following 

1. Job Title
2. Location (if your profession works in multiple locations pick one!)
3. Job description (at least 8-10 sentences...write these in your own words...no copying and pasting!)
4. Education required & Certification/licensure/registration (if required)
5. Desired personality traits and skills (this should be at least one paragraph)
6. Entry level salary
7. PLEASE PRINT 3 copies of this advertisement

Part II: 

Today (and Friday this week) you will be investigating a few health care careers! Remember...you will get a lot out of assignments like this if you put the effort in to RESEARCH and LEARN! This is about YOUR future!

1. You will choose TWO  health care careers (you can do a third one for a little extra credit) of interest to you and research using a variety of websites to learn about the job description, education, wages, working environment, and job outlook of each. After reflecting on what you have learned about each career, you will write a reflection paragraph describing whether or not this career is a match for you. Please give this portion of the assignment a great deal of thought and compose a detailed, reflective paragraph of no less than 6 sentences.

2. To complete the assignment, respond in a word document to the following questions. Provide information in complete sentences and double space between topics. When finished you will save it with the following title and email it to me at hammanga@gmail.com
      Title:     2012-11-27-YourName-CareerResearchTemplate

QUESTIONS to answer: 
1)Job Description: (examples: duties performed, level of responsibility, patient population)
2)Education: (examples: Levels of education required, type of course work)
3) Working Conditions (examples: schedule, setting, independent or part of staff/team)
4) Wages: (examples: median annual income, Montana/National averages, factors affecting income)
5)Job Outlook: (examples: projected job growth, job security, availability



Suggested websites to use...but you can use any. Just make sure you cite them!
Occupational Outlook Handbook (click on healthcare in the left side bar)
ExploreHealthCareers.org (pretty user friendly; note tabs at top on career pages)
WI Health Careers Information Center (amazing site...looks at 80 of the most common careers)American Medical Association (good info but limited number of careers) 

Medical Ethics in Health Care Systems

So far we have studied the "History of Medicine" and "Health Care Systems" units. We have focused on the contributions other cultures and individuals have made. We know that advancements in medical science occurred at blinding speeds during the 20th century. As we advance further into the 21st century, some say the possibilities are limitless. However, we must recognize that with every advancement lies new ethical questions. What will medicine look like when you are working in the field in a few years? What ethical issues will you be faced with in your lifetime? Read and View the following scenarios. Determine how you would react to these ethical dilemmas created by (potential) advancements in science. 

Assignment:

• Complete the numbered, highlighted tasks below. All should be completed in one document. 
• Number each task in your final paper (to keep it organized)
• Cite all sources (5 points)
• Save the document like this- -  2013-10-23-MedicalEthics-YourLastName  (2 points)
• Send it to my email at: hammanga@gmail.com (2 points)

Mrs. Fister Can Replace Her Dying Son (or can she?)

Mrs. Fister is grieving. Just this morning, her family had been together, having breakfast. Then Mr. Fister and little Junior had gone out on a walk to the corner store. They never returned. On the way home, a car hit them. Mr. Fister was killed instantly. Her son lies in a coma at the hospital. The doctors say Junior's brain is dead. They have asked Mrs. Fister permission to remove his breathing tube and shut down the machines. 

Mrs. Fister cannot bear the thought of losing both her husband and her child. She cannot imagine what it will be like to no longer be a wife and mother. Mrs. Fister remembers reading an article about cloning. She wonders if it might be possible to clone Junior to make a new child just like him. She realizes the new baby would not be Junior, but it would be as close as she could get. Plus, it would be a way to keep her beloved husband's name alive, through the child of his own flesh and blood. She is thinking of keeping Junior on life support machines at least long enough to find a doctor who can help her clone a baby. (source: Your Genes Your Choice). 

1a. Do you think this cloning technology will become available some day? (Why or why not? Explain thoroughly with information gained from sites of your choice. (5 points)
1b. How far should we take cloning? Again this should not JUST be your opinion...it should be supported with information from unbiased sites.  (5 points)
1c. Will it ever be ethically acceptable to clone an entire human being? (5 points)
Use other resources to help you develop your argument...make sure you cite those sources!

Dr. Lu's patients have the right to be tall (or do they?)

Dr. Lu has two patients with the same problem, but she isn't sure if she should treat them both. The patients, Tim and Rico, are seven-year old boys who are very short for their age. Tim will never grow much taller than five feet because his body does not produce enough of a hormone needed to grow. When he is an adult, Tim will be much shorter than his mother and father, who are both closer to six feet tall. Rico will never grow much taller than five feet either. Rico will be short because he has inherited his body build from his parents, who are both about five feet tall. 

Researchers have used genetic engineering to produce a growth hormone. Both sets of parents want this growth hormone to be prescribed for their sons to help them grow taller. They want this because they feel there are many advantages to being tall. 

Dr. Lu realizes that genes play a role in the height each child will reach. Tim will be short because of a single mutation in one gene that instructs for the production of a growth hormone. Rico will be short due to the many genes he inherited from two short parents. Despite this difference, the end result for both boys will be the same. Dr. Lu is thinking about prescribing the hormone for Tim, but not for Rico. However, she wonders if she is being fair. if you were Dr. Lu, what would you do? (source: Your Genes Your Choice)

2a. As new technologies become available, how will we decide which patients deserve treatment? (4 points)
2b. What role will money (people that have money vs. people that don't) play in this potential ethical dilemma? (5 points)

3. What is your vision for the future of medicine? List and define at least 3 technologies or innovations that you envision for the future. (6 points)

4. What technological advances (list at least 2 and describe) will bring us the greatest ethical challenges? (6 points)

5. How do you think we should manage these dilemmas? (5 points)

TOTAL for this assignment: 50 points

Affordable Care Act and Medicare - - Health Care Systems

PART 1: (25 points) Go to the Timeline of the Affordable Care Act , click on See More 2010 Changes to begin and complete:

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. The law puts in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that will roll out over four years and beyond, with most changes taking place by 2014.
    
2. Read the timeline, copy and paste the following..answer them with a  True or False

2010
A. Up to 4 million small businesses are eligible for tax credits to help them provide insurance benefits to their workers.
B. States will be able to choose to cover additional low-income individuals and families under Medicaid for whom federal funds were not previously available, and they will be eligible to receive federal matching funds.
C. 4 million seniors reached the gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage known as the “donut hole, and each senior received a tax-free, one-time check for $5,000.
D. A Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) provides new coverage options to individuals who have been uninsured for at least six months because of a pre-existing condition. States have the option of running this new program in their state. According to the Affordable Care Act, all discrimination against pre-existing conditions will be prohibited by 2014.
E. Under the new law, young adults are allowed to stay on their parent’s plan until they turn 26 years old.
F. All new plans must cover certain preventive services such as mammograms and colonoscopies, but there is no maximum out-of-pocket for the patient.
G. In the past, insurance companies could search for an error on a customer’s application and use this error to deny payment for services when he or she got sick. The new law makes this illegal.
H. Insurance companies are prohibited from imposing lifetime dollar limits on essential benefits, like hospital stays.
I. New rules allow denial of coverage to children under the age of 19 due to a pre-existing condition.

2011
J.  States can receive federal grants to set up or expand independent offices that help consumers navigate the private health insurance system, file complaints and appeals, enroll in health coverage, and get educated about their rights and responsibilities in group health plans or individual health insurance policies.
K. A $15 billion Prevention and Public Health Fund helps Americans prevent illnesses by educating on stopping smoking and keeping a healthy weight.
L. Since only 33% of medically underserved communities are in rural areas, that is not a significant enough percentage to provide additional funding for.
M. The law provides certain free preventive services, such as annual wellness visits and personalized prevention plans, for seniors on Medicare.
N. For health insurance plans sold to individuals and small employers, at least 80% of the premium must be spent on benefits and quality improvement. If these goals are not met because administrative costs or profits are too high, rebates must be provided to consumers.
O. The Community Care Transitions Program helps high-risk Medicare beneficiaries who are hospitalized avoid unnecessary readmissions by not allowing patients admittance into the hospital after two times.

2012
P. There are incentives for physicians to join and form “Accountable Care Organizations” where doctors can better coordinate patient care and improve the quality, help prevent disease and illness, and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions.
Q. A collection and reporting of racial, ethnic, and language data will help Health and Human Services identify and reduce health disparities.
R. Effective October 1st, the new law starts a series of changes to standardize billing and requires health plans to stop using all electronic sources of data collection.

2013-2015
S. Which three parts of the Affordable Care Act would be most beneficial to our current heath care system?Why??

PART 2: (15 points) Go to the New York Times Article and read it! 
1. What opportunities does the Affordable Care act provide?
2. What will happen to people who do not take part in the exchanges?
3. When were Americans 65 and older first eligible to take part in the new Medicare health insurance program? How many were insured then?
4. List ways that the 1960's were different than trying to insure the elderly today?
5.  What types of events are likely to increase the number of people eligible for the exchange subsidies?


Title your document: 2013-10-10-YOURLASTNAME-AffordableCareAct and email it to me at hammanga@gmail.com

TOTAL: 40 points::due next Tuesday

Welcome to Health Occupations! This is your classroom blog

Today, remember to use your rough draft to complete a flyer!

Background
You are the fundraising committee chair for a local chapter of a well known non-profit organization that provides health services. It is your responsibility to choose a fund raising event and create an 8.5 x 11 inch flyer advertising the even to the public. Your flyer should be eye-catching and informative.

Assignment
Include on your flyer:

1. Information about your fundraising event.
2. Your name as a contact person
3. Description of how the funds raised will be used by the organization
4. Mission of the non-profit organization
5. Description of disease/disorder supported by the organization
6. minimum of three statistics about the disease/disorder supported by the organization. 

7. Finally, Write a reflection (in the body of an email) on the following questions and email it to me at hammanga@gmail.com. In the subject line, type: Non-profit flyer

1)What were the reasons you chose the diseases/nonprofit organization that you did. List three
2)What were the overall ideas you learned from doing this assignment?

You Make Me Sick!

No...not really! :) But...

You’re sick!  For a few class periods in the computer lab, you will research an infectious disease (find a list of either bacterial or viral diseases HERE), and by the end of this project, you will know everything there is to know about your disease: how is it spread, how contagious is it, is it acute or chronic, is it fatal, and many more important and interesting facts! Let's try to choose all different diseases in our class!

In this project you have some different choices. You must choose and complete 2 of the following choices. You will need to turn in both (but you will have to present your favorite to the class). This grade is LARGE...spend some time on this! 

1.      1. Business Letter (With Bibliography)

You must also write a business letter to an organization that researches your disease or supports victims of your disease.  You should ask for current statistics concerning your disease as well as prevention and treatment information. (Your letter must be typed, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, at least 3 paragraphs)

Your bibliography is a typed list of all your sources, using APA format.  You must consult at least 5 sources.

2.       2. Basic Information Fact Sheet

You must use at least 5 sources (and write a bibliography for this one too) to gather the basic facts of your disease.  You will be graded on the quality of your answers and the variety of sources used.

Prepare a fact sheet providing answers to the following questions.  You can do this on powerpoint...or try out a program like Prezi! (Click on this link and scroll down almost all the way...and watch one of the "Prezis we like...")

 

·         What does the name of the disease mean?  Who named /discovered it?

·         What causes the disease?

·         Do any other organisms carry it or suffer from it?

·         Is it associated with a particular region of the world? Why?

·         How many people have been affected by this disease?

·         Is everyone equally vulnerable, or does it target certain people?  Why?

·         Is it chronic or acute?

·         Is it infectious, and if so, how easily does it spread?

·         What are the symptoms?

·         How is it diagnosed?

·         How does the virus, bacteria, bad gene, etc. interfere with the body to cause the symptoms?

·         How has the disease impacted the course of history? Give an example.

·         Is there a cure or vaccine?  If there isn’t, what progress has been made toward a cure or vaccine?

·         Add two of your own questions here and answer them.

3.       3. First Person Disease/Patient Narratives

You have a choice on this assignment.  Please choose only A or only B. This must be typed, 12-point font, double spaced, 1-inch margins.

A.      Write a 2 to 3 page story, using first person, as someone who has your disease.  Describe the progress of your disease.  Describe how and when you first knew something was wrong.  Describe the progress of your symptoms.  Tell how the disease has affected your daily life, including how your family and friends have responded.  Describe your hopes and fears for the future.  If your disease has an easy cure today (like the plague). Write your story as an historical character or a third world citizen for whom no cure is available.  You will be graded on accuracy and completeness as well as the quality of writing, creativity and emotion.

B.      Write a 2 to 3 page story from the point of view of the germ, virus, or whatever causes your disease.  What does the source of the disease hope to accomplish by infesting the body?  What is its experience inside the body?  How did it get there?  Does it mean to inflict the body?  This will be graded on accuracy and creativity.

4.       4. Time Line

Leprosy is discussed in the Old Testament.  The Plague significantly reduced the world’s population.  Hemophilia has had a huge impact on European royalty.  How has your disease influenced the course of history?  Construct an illustrated time line which includes all of the important events in the history of your disease.  It should include maps and graphs, as well as several other illustrations.  It should also include:

·         Earliest known sufferers

·         Documentation of the spread of the disease between regions of the world

·         Famous works of art or literature that mention the disease

·         Major outbreaks

·         Role in human migration and wars

·         First scientific study of the disease

·         Discovery of a cure or vaccine

·         Present day status

5.       5. The Song

Write a song describing the causes, effects, and/or symptoms of your disease.  Your song must be Karaoke-style original composition-you can use music that was written by someone else, but your words must be original.  It will be performed in class, and you should wear an appropriate costume.  Before your performance you must briefly explain any elements of the song that may be hard to understand.  Grading will be based on scientific and historical content, creativity, and listener appeal. You must hand in a copy of your lyrics one day prior to your performance (if you decide to present this one).

6.       6. The Debate

The World Health Organization is going to divide $180 million dollars between 6 diseases.  You want your disease to get its fair share!  Prepare a 3 minute persuasive speech explaining why your disease deserves the most money.  Your arguments can include the number of sufferers, the severity of the disease, the threat to the people of the world, and/or how close researchers are to finding a cure.  The Organization (class members) will decide how much of the $180 million dollars they'd like to give to you!

7.         7. ART!

Here is where you really get to be creative! In your own way, show anatomy and physiology, disease process, prognosis and treatments, medical terminology associated with disease, etc. Be CREATIVE. Try out a cool program like Wordle to help you? 

 

Infectous Agents

Hello All! I hope you are doing well :) Make sure you've handed in your case study from last week (The Blackout Syndrome) and that you have turned in your Chapter 17 textbook assignment.

I. Define each of the following types of biological agents that can cause infectious diseases:

A. Prions

B. Bacteria

C. Virus

D. Metazoa

E. Fungi

F. Protozoa

G. Rickettsia

II. Indicate a)which type of infectious agent causes the series of disease below and b)list two symptoms of each disease

A. Salmonella

B. Giardiasis

C. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy

D. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

E. Influenza

F. Candidiasis

G. Measles

H. Typhus

I. Malaria

J. Methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)


III. You will be making a small poster that contains the following information about your pathogen. Each card should fit one side of a 8.5 x 11 piece of paper and contain the following:

• The Name of your pathogen
• Picture of pathogen or transmission vector
• Brief description of pathogen (virus or bacteria, etc./shape/etc.)
• Offenses
• Attacks-transmission and description of infection target (if any)
• Outcome-name and brief description of the associated disease resulting from infection 
• Incubation-time from infection to presentation of symptoms (days, weeks, months, or years)
• Duration-typical length of infection
• Power-virulence and fatality rate
• Defenses
• Vaccine-name and brief description of developed vaccine (if any)
• Behavioral-preventative behavior to avoid infection
• Treatment-description of treatment if infected

A Study of Epidemiology

From the Worksheet that I provided for you, proceed to the Blackout Syndrome website. You will need to do a lot of reading today in different scenarios to devise an intelligible set of hypotheses on your worksheet. 

All answers will be completed on this worksheet. If you need help from your fellow health care workers (classmates), please ask them.  
This assignment is due FRIDAY this week!