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| Health Professions Network News February 2009 | |
Dear Reader, All change, all the time . . . President Barack Obama campaigned on a theme of change. Today, like it or not, change is rapidly occurring in our economy, our nation, and of course in health care. Accordingly, the upcoming April 15-18 HPN meeting in Fort Worth, TX will focus on where health care is headed and how allied health (and the HPN) will fit into our collective future. Thanks to the hard work of HPN board member Don Richards and Society for Nuclear Medicine (SNM) staff, the meeting agenda is coming together nicely—see article 1 for a list of speakers (subject to change—pun intended). Another noteworthy change (again, thanks to SNM staff) is the development of an online registration form for the meeting. Finally, to carry our metaphor one more step, the spare change you can find behind your sofa cushions may be enough to cover your expenses for the meeting (apart from a low $200 registration fee, airfare, and airport/hotel transfers). So don’t let our changing economy keep you from attending.
HPN Board of Directors PS Looking ahead, be sure to mark your calendar now to join us at our Fall Meeting, September 23-26, 2009, in Tampa, FL—and that’ll be a change from Ft. Worth, no doubt . . . Contents
1. Learn how to deal with change at April HPN meeting In line with the meeting theme, "New Horizons in Health care," the spring meeting of the HPN in Ft. Worth will feature a number of speakers examining current and coming change in health care and how you can adapt to these trends and succeed. Keynote speaker: "The impact of the current status of allied health workforce on future scenarios" "How changing demographics will impact the allied health professions" "Reviewing, revising, and renewing the HPN for the future" 2. There will be cows: Social events for Ft. Worth meeting In addition to the information-packed meeting agenda noted above, the social components of the upcoming meeting are coming together as well. With generous support of our meeting sponsor, the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau, and host hotels the Omni Fort Worth and the Renaissance Worthington, these events include:
3. This month’s featured profession: Dance/movement therapy This month's featured profession on the HPN Web site is dance/movement therapy. Dance/movement therapy, a creative arts therapy, is rooted in the expressive nature of dance itself. Dance is the most fundamental of the arts, involving a direct expression and experience of oneself through the body. It is a basic form of authentic communication, and as such it is an especially effective medium for therapy. Learn more about the field's history, education, and practice. Also, be sure to consult the American Medical Association's chart of health care career income ranges, for salary in this and other health professions fields. To suggest another field for the Featured Health Professions site, or to make updates to existing listings, contact Linda Whaley and Leslie Dean. 4. HPN helps ophthalmic medical technicians receive federal recognition The ophthalmic allied health profession received official notification of approval for a separate occupational classification, Ophthalmic Medical Technician, from the United States Bureau of Labor's 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Committee. The HPN assisted in this effort by writing a letter to the Bureau of Labor in support of this action. "This is a historic milestone for the ophthalmic allied health profession," remarks William F. Astle, MD, FRCS(C), Dipl. ABO, President of the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology® (JCAHPO®). "Ophthalmic Medical Technicians are important in the eye care team as ophthalmology becomes more technologically oriented, and confronts the challenges of an aging patient population. Read more about this historic event. 5. What’s happening in 2009? Health events calendar now updated The HPN site now includes a list of annual events honoring various health professions. It includes everything from National Athletic Training Month (in March) to National Health Information & Technology Week (November 1-7). Check it out now! (And let us know if we missed your profession.) 6. Update on the HPN Health Professions Awareness Campaign (HPAC) With the generous assistance of Society of Nuclear Medicine fundraising staff, the HPN continues to pursue funding for a campaign to promote the health professions. The plan is currently between $7-10 million, for a widespread media, print, TV, and Web campaign to spread the word that a career in an allied health profession just may be the best-kept secret. Stay tuned for more updates. 7. HPN to participate in HOSA national conference in June The Consumer Awareness Committee is coordinating plans for the HPN's involvement in the HOSA national conference, June 24-27 at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. The HPN will exhibit at the meeting and hold what has proven to be a popular annual event-a presentation on the many career opportunities in allied health. All HPN member organizations are encouraged to send promotional materials for the HPN exhibit, and take advantage of the opportunity to present an educational session about their profession. In addition, the HPN awards an annual scholarship to a deserving student member of HOSA. For more information, contact Consumer Awareness Committee chair Lynn Brooks or Belinda Mahone, HPN representative from HOSA. 8. New national clearinghouse for health workforce information launched Check out the Health Workforce Information Center, an online repository of information and resources about the health care workforce launched by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. The site provides clinicians, educators, researchers, and policymakers with the latest information on:
The Web site is intended to quickly provide decision-makers with the tools necessary to make tough choices and allocate resources in the face of a national shortage of health professionals. About us The Health Professions Network (HPN) includes provider organizations, educators, accreditors, credentialing agencies, and administrators. The group works together in a cooperative and interactive manner on issues relevant to workforce development and the delivery of health care in the United States. Identity Statement The HPN is a volunteer-run association representing health care professional associations and other organizations interested in interdisciplinary communication, discussion, and collaboration. Participants meet at least annually to discuss issues relating to health care and to serve as a conduit for interdisciplinary problem solving and preparation for future health care delivery. Vision The HPN is the premier network of health care professions working to positively influence the delivery of quality health care. Mission The HPN provides a forum for collaboration among health care professions on issues of common interest. The HPN will accomplish this mission through:
Values The HPN affirms that effective collaboration among health care professions is based on the values of:
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| Communication, consensus, and advocacy on behalf of allied health professionals. |
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