Dear Reader,

The future begins next month . . .

The April 26-29 meeting of the Health Professions Network (HPN) in Minneapolis will be pivotal for the future of the organization. HPN is growing and maturing, but remains a unique place for health professionals to collaborate and network towards a better future for health care. Join the Health Professions Network for our first meeting since the incorporation and be in on the ground level. Be sure to sign up now to attend this important meeting.

Please join us as we begin this new chapter in the future of allied health!

Best regards,
HPN Board of Directors

Contents

1. HPN Board developing key governance, membership documents
2. Attend the Minneapolis meeting, April 26-29
3. Ready for back to school?
4. Help us update our records!
5. Art therapy is "Allied Health Profession of the Month"
6. New AMA allied health directory now available
7. Reach the future healthcare workforce

1. HPN Board developing key governance, membership documents

The HPN Board is working on drafting and approving various documents and job descriptions for board members and officers, including a conflict of interest policy, code of ethics, and code of confidentiality. Current HPN committees include the following:

• Finance
• Membership
• Consumer Awareness
• Program
• Advocacy
• Media
• Data

In April, a few weeks before the Minneapolis meeting, the Membership Committee will send out a membership letter and form for all organizations interested in remaining a part of the HPN. Each member organization will be able to appoint two representatives. As in the past, HPN membership will be free.

2. Attend the Minneapolis meeting, April 26-29

Planning is almost complete for the HPN's spring meeting in Minneapolis entitled "Healthcare's Human Resources." Enlightening presentations, valuable networking opportunities, discussions of up-to-the-minute allied health issues, and fabulous entertainment are on tap for the upcoming Health Professions Network meetings:

- April 26-29, 2007, Minneapolis, MN

Registration information for the meetings is available online.

Also, be sure to mark your calendar for the September 27-30 fall meeting in Anaheim, CA.

3. Ready for back to school?

"Healthcare's Human Resources" is the theme of the upcoming HPN meeting, which will include a panel discussion focusing on a growing trend within health professions. More and more professions are requiring higher levels of education for entry and advancement. How will you keep up?

To gain further insight on this issue prior to the meeting, check out this article from DIVERSITY: Allied Health Careers.

4. Help us update our records!

On January 31, the HPN Membership Committee sent to all HPN past participants a complete HPN roster and requested any updates/additions/deletions. If you have not yet responded or did not receive this e-mail, please send an e-mail to Pandora Rivera at privera@snm.org.

5. Art therapy is "Allied Health Profession of the Month"

The profession of art therapy is now featured on the HPN Web site as the "Allied Health Profession of the Month."

E-mail HealthProNet.org to request that HPN feature your health profession in the future.

6. New AMA allied health directory now available

The new 2007-2008 edition of the AMA's Health Professions Career and Education Directory has been printed. This updated edition includes information on 6,873 educational programs in 71 professions.

To order your copy, call 800 621-8335. To receive a copy of the order form, send an e-mail to meded@ama-assn.org. For fastest service, be sure to specify the phrase "HPCED" in the e-mail's subject line.

7. Reach the future healthcare workforce

What if you could easily reach over 80,000 high school students and tell them about your profession? What if these students were already planning careers in health care and wanted to know about your opportunities? Think this is too good to be true? Then you haven't heard of HOSA!

HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) is a national student organization that has a two-fold mission to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people.

In line with the Spring Meeting theme of Healthcare's Human Resources, representatives from HOSA will be speaking to HPN conference attendees. Learn more about HOSA and how your profession can participate in their national meeting (June 20-23, 2007, Marriott World Center, Orlando, Florida).