Health Care Heroes: Seminole State students are the future faces of community health
The past few years have emphasized what most of us have known all along: People who work in health care and related fields are heroes. From nurses, respiratory therapists, lab technicians, and physical therapists to the IT technicians, office staffers, and administration members who support them, these professionals are not just symbols of caring and humanity, they are pillars of every community. That’s because our good health is essential to happiness —and these men and women work tirelessly to promote disease prevention, injury recovery, and general well-being for everyone.
As a result, these jobs are always in demand. Even before the global COVID-19 pandemic, the need for health care workers was skyrocketing as a huge sector of the American population ages into middle age and beyond. In Florida between 2010 and 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau reports, the population increased by 14.6% as 2.7 million people moved into the Sunshine State. In Central Florida, that influx of residents means the demand for quality health care workers is rising at a record pace.
To help address this need, Seminole State College is training health professionals to support the healthcare systems. Rated one of U.S. News & World Report’s Top Public Schools (No. 17) and Top Performers on Social Mobility (25), Seminole State offers a vast range of health-care-related degrees and programs, including bachelor’s degrees, associate in science degrees, certificate programs and certificates of professional preparation.
So, if you’re looking to have an immediate and lasting impact on the community while also building or transitioning to a stable and fulfilling career, check out what Seminole State has to offer.
Covering every aspect of health
Foremost among Seminole State’s health care degrees and programs is Allied Health, which encompasses an array of professions within the industry that all provide services and expertise with the common goal of promoting health and wellness.
First, there is a bachelor of science degree in Health Sciences, a program that takes a broad, high-tech, and high-touch approach to learning that prepares students to jump into a host of roles, including some with a clinical or practicum component, that will enable them to make a positive impact on the community.
Seminole State also offers certificates of professional preparation in Health Coaching and Human Performance and Simulation in Healthcare Education to prepare them for the clinical setting.
But the health care industry is much more than just clinicians. It involves a team of professionals often working behind the scenes to make sure that the doctors, nurses, and other employees are able to perform their duties at the highest level, with the best patient outcomes. That’s why Seminole State offers associate in science degrees for Health Information Technology to use, collect, analyze, and report health data and process clinical codes; Health Services Management; Physical Therapist Assistant; and Respiratory Care. Students can also earn certifications to be medical information coders and billers, health care services specialists, and pharmacy technicians.
And these programs aren’t just for new students or professionals looking to enter the health care industry for the first time. Seminole State is a longtime supporter of continued education and certification for experienced professionals in health-related fields. For example, Seminole State recently launched a partnership with Orlando Health, a not-for-profit organization, to expand the Preferred Education Program for Orlando Health full-time and part-time team members who wish to pursue an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or technical certification, with Orlando Health footing the bill for 100% of tuition and books.
Need for Nurses
Nowhere is the demand for health care workers more apparent than in the field of nursing. Reports from the Florida Hospital Association, the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, and the Florida Health Care Association project a shortage of 59,100 nurses in the state by 2035.
Seminole State offers an associate in science nursing (RN) degree that has more than 500 active students in the program. These students have access to state-of-the-art health care labs, high-tech patient simulation, and clinical experiences. And the College offers an RN-to-BSN online program, which allows students to continue working while pursuing their bachelor’s degree in nursing.
The College also takes part in several partnerships, such as the one with Orlando Health South Seminole’s Dedicated Education Unit, that enable students to get hands-on learning experience and opportunities to shadow nurses in a real-life setting.
Seminole State has a proven record of preparing health care grads for success in the real world. And the Health Sciences degree program was developed with direct input from more than 50 Central Florida health care partners. Faculty members are scholar-practitioners who have academic credentials as well as experience in the field.
So, if you want to give back to your community, help people in their time of need, promote general health and well-being, and embark on a stable and fulfilling career path, check seminolestate.edu/go and see how you can #GoStateGoFar and be a hero, too.