James Clemens High School, HOSA-Future Health Professionals, formerly known as Health Occupations Students of America, partook in their annual Fall Blood Drive with the collaboration of LifeSouth Community Blood Centers on October 25th, 2018. School blood drives account for the majority of all blood donated in the North Alabama region.
Why give blood? 1 donation can potentially save up to 3 lives. Every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood, American Red Cross. James Clemens High School had a record of 129 Units of blood donated through this HOSA blood drive which included student, faculty, and community donors. Concluding that these contributions of aid will affect 387 patients in our local area.
As an amazing bonus, activities like this blood drive allows our HOSA members real-world experience of patient care which is a vital skill for these students' future in healthcare professions. Citing the Bureau of Labor & Statistics, "Employment of healthcare occupations is projected to grow 18 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations, adding about 2.4 million new jobs." This need now and in the future for health care professionals is a key reason why we believe creating opportunities like this blood drive, supporting both Health Science & Biomedical Academies at both high schools, along with having middle school opportunities are essential in engaging students in learning about their potential future in the healthcare world. Going above and beyond class time, HOSA members volunteered their time on Sunday, October 21, 2018, to support the Out of the Darkness Walk which benefits the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. Students assisted with set up and clean up as well as concession sales which benefited the foundation.
Community service opportunities such as the JCHS & LifeSouth blood drive and Out of the Darkness Walk, allow our students to serve others and have lasting impacts of real world health related events in the North Alabama region. Students work hands on in assisting, coordinating, and publicizing these events, giving HOSA members a distinct advantage as they pursue post secondary degrees/careers in health related professions.
This was co-authored with Ashley Steinart, RN, BSN and an amazing Health Science Teacher at JCHS. Mrs. Steinart is also the Co-Advisor of HOSA and the National Technical Honor Society. ahsteinert@madisoncity.k12.al.us