Meeting Community Health Care Needs Through Educational Partnerships

The activities of the South Central AHEC are part of a South Texas effort by the Center for South Texas Programs at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, with core funding provided the State of Texas and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration.

The US health care sector: an overview
The US health sector is growing at an unprecedented rate despite the economic upheaval affecting many sectors of the economy. While the health sector may be synonymous with surgeons, physicians and nurses, a large number of healthcare professionals are not medical personnel.

Health science at a glance
Health science professionals may be found in a variety of healthcare facilities performing variety of specialized roles. Some of the many types of healthcare professionals are:

• Surgical Technologists
• Respiratory Therapists
• Recreational Therapists
• Radiologic and MRI Technologists
• Radiation Therapists
• Psychiatric Technicians and Aides
• Pharmacists
• Pharmacy Technicians
• Personal Care Aides
• Occupational Therapists
• Medical and Health Services Managers

All of these professionals are academically qualified, holding high school diplomas to doctoral degrees in their respective fields. Some of them may also need to be certified, in addition to fulfilling their state’s licensing requirements, etc.

Medical and Health Services Managers
Medical and health services managers typically hold a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration or health science. However, some may even hold a master’s degree in the same fields, in addition to public health, long-term care administration, and health services.
A Bachelor of Science in Health Science degree is an interdisciplinary study of health sciences, global public health, and health and wellness at the population level. Courses are drawn from public health, social sciences, humanities and biological sciences.
The degree may be awarded upon successful completion of at least 128 credits, which may be completed in 4-years (full-time). Students may further be required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0, in order to graduate.
Medical and health services managers may get qualified from traditional and online universities and avail additional educational opportunities from health education centers like the South Central Area Health Education Center, San Antonio, Texas. Since 1996, the center has strived to improve access to quality healthcare by working with San Antonio area educational institutions, so that various communities can address unmet and desperate health needs through educational interventions. In this endeavor, the center partners with UT Health Science Center, San Antonio.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),medical and health services managers earned a median yearly salary of $88,580 in 2012. Their job growth is expected to take place at the rate of 23% faster than the average for all other occupations from 2012 to 2022.

Respiratory Therapists
Respiratory therapists, according to BLS, typically hold an associate degree. They earned a median yearly salary of $55,870 in 2012. Their job growth is expected to take place at the rate of 19% faster than the average for all other occupations from 2012 to 2022.

Sources:
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/respiratory-therapists.htm#tab-1
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-1
http://www.bu.edu/sargent/academics/programs/health-science/bachelor-of-science-in-health-science/degree-requirements/