Welcome Health Academy students!

                It is almost November and the year is going by at a rapid pace, but there is much more to come. With our generous budget and cooperation from staff and students we will continue to progress. Upcoming events include the esteemed Ropes course at UCI that will provide excellent team building skills to an elite number of students who will continue to share these skills with members of the academy and create an overall sense of support between all classes. Also, community events and blood drives will create better individuals out of all of us, and bring smiles to people’s faces from the care we demonstrate. The goal for this year is to create positive attitudes in all of us, experience opportunities available in the medical field by looking within the community, and most importantly give back to the community. My vision is that we could all be capable of leaving great impressions in who we meet by our personalities and skills.                          

Avidly looking forward to a great year,

Brenda Gil

HCA President

 Local Collaboration for the Improvement of Health Care Academy Pipeline Programs

On Friday, November 19th, Senator Mark Wyland (R) from California’s 38th District stepped foot on the Oceanside High School campus in support of their Health Care Academy Pipeline Program. School Board members, industry representatives, high school administrators and over 40 academy students and teachers assembled in the Multi-Purpose Room for the informational gathering facilitated by the San Diego Science Alliance (SDSA) – Health Science Initiative.

Principal Kimo Marquardt introduced the Senator who thanked the students for their desire to study careers in the health profession. Ellen Peneski, Program Director for the SDSA - Health Science Initiative outlined the importance of increasing diversity in the health care professions stating that in 2000, Latinos accounted for 32.4% of California’s population, but just 4% of the state’s physicians, nurses and dentists, 6% of nurse practitioners and 13% of physician assistants.

Kim Roy, Health Academy Teacher, recognized the industry members in the audience who provide essential “real-world” experience to the 180 students currently enrolled in the program. Roy reviewed the Academy coursework highlighting the three articulated college credit classes and one dual enrollment class. She concluded by stressing the importance for continued funding for Career Technical Education programs.

Final thoughts were added by a Sarah Isaacs, a Health Academy graduate and two current Academy students, Salvador Leal and Katie Gutierrez. All three stated that they are grateful for the support of their Academy teachers and the opportunities that the program has provided them.

San Diego Science Alliance is the catalyst for improving K-12 science education in San Diego County. SDSA delivers quality experiential programs; builds bridges between the region’s diverse business, education and scientific research communities, and fosters public/private partnerships to increase science literacy. For more information please visit www.sdsa.org.

###

If you'd like more information about the SDSA Health Science Initiative, please call Ellen Peneski at 858.737.4768.

Visiting the Queen Mary

On Tuesday October 18, 2011, members of Health Academy took a trip to Long Beach and were able to experience the true elegance of a distinguished ship, the Queen Mary. The Queen Mary first set sail in 1936, measuring 1019.5 feet in length (more than Titanic!), the Queen Mary is one of the largest ocean liners.  We were amazed to learn that it is has been one of the fastest from the days when it sped across the Atlantic Ocean until it was retired in 1967. The great ocean liner served not only as a vessel to transport the elite but it served as a war ship with anti aircraft guns stationed on the top deck as protection from air attacks. Due to the great speed of the Queen Mary it was never able to be pin-pointed and attacked by air or sea thereby protecting the precious cargo, millions of soldiers ready to battle in World War II. At the end of the war the ship was able to return to voyage the Atlantic with its distinguished guests. When she retirement, the Queen Mary had accomplished a total of 1,001 journeys across the Atlantic.

We were led on a tour by our friendly tour guide into the engine room, the isolation ward, the upper and lower decks, the ballroom and music room, the first class pool, and the bridge. We were even joined by the ghost of eighteen-year-old John Pedder a fireman who died aboard the Queen Mary in the engine room trying to get through watertight door number 13. As we were led down into the Engine Room we saw the enormous gears that worked with steam power to turn the ship’s propellers and we were able to exit the side of the ship to view the remaining propeller still attached to the ship. Some of us even decided to drop in some spare change and even a dollar to join in on what previous visitors had left on the ocean floor. In the Isolation Ward we found the names and causes of death of everyone that died aboard the ship and medical instruments used to embalm the dead were on display. Embalming the dead was important in order to preserve the body until port could be reach as the ship did not have freezers to store the dearly departed. The rooms that held the sick contained bunk beds with side rails to the sick didn’t fall out of bed as the ship sailed the high seas. The ballroom, with its elaborate works of art, created a great atmosphere for the wealthy in its day. On the decks we enjoyed the view of the harbor and the city through the marine layer hanging on the coast, what truly beautiful scenery. At the end of our tour we were able to enjoy lunch aboard the ship and agree that it had a been a great experience and everyone had fun aboard the HMS Queen Mary.

-HCA Vice President

Brenda Gil