Dr. Jeffrey Jensen has been named the new dean of Barry University’s School of Podiatric Medicine and Physician Assistant program, Barry Provost Dr. Linda Peterson recently announced.

Jensen joins Barry from private practice in Denver, CO, where he has been the owner and clinical director of the Diabetic Foot and Wound Center since 1994. Dr. Jensen earned his DPM from the California College of Podiatric Medicine and accomplished his surgical residency training at Kern Hospital in Warren, Michigan. For the last 10 years, Dr. Jensen has served as Externship and Research Director at North Colorado Podiatric Surgical Residency. He has also been an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado, Health Science Center since 1995.
 
An active researcher, Dr. Jensen has been the principle investigator of more than 30 multi-center-clinical trials for wound care related drugs and medical devices. Most recently, Dr. Jensen founded MedEfficiency, Inc., a medical device company that has generated $2.8 million in research funds from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He holds four patents for devices to assist in off-loading fractures and treat diabetic foot wounds.


The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the number of Americans over the age of 65 will double between 2010 and 2050 to more than 88 million. With increased age comes an increased need for doctors, medicine and procedures, leading to the U.S. Bureau of Labor’s prediction of an additional 3.2 million jobs in healthcare by 2018. Those desiring a career in these fields are in the right place at the right time to get in on the ground floor of a booming industry.

GlobalHealth Education was founded 2009 by Deborah Kann Schwarzberg, to provide educational services to employees of healthcare, emergency services and homeland security companies. For healthcare and homeland security companies, GlobalHealth Education can convert corporate content into college credit-worthy modules delivered online. Employees appreciate the ability to learn asynchronously and earn college credits for a career requirement. The employer appreciates cost-benefits by delivering the content online.
 
To meet the current and future demand for healthcare workers in both the United States and around the world, GlobalHealth Education offers a variety of online degree programs to provide the knowledge and qualifications needed for employees to thrive in the industry. Whether employee needs lie in hospital management, health administration, or the hands-on work of a registered nurse or physical therapist, GlobalHealth Education will assist them in identifying programs that best fit their needs and schedules through our nationwide partnerships with traditional colleges.
 
Students interested in nursing can earn their RN-BSN degrees through La Salle University and RN-MSN degrees through Simmons College. Masters in Informatics and Health Administration, as well as Doctorates in Physical Therapy and Nursing Practices are also available.
 
While GlobalHealth Education provides the tools to train the next generation of healthcare workers, resources are also available to those already in the industry seeking advancement or a new career path. Nurses, technicians and other staff members can use GlobalHealth Education’s programs to learn new skills to help place them on the management track to Director, CEO, or even to open their own healthcare-related business. Serving industries such as Biomedical Manufacturing, Home Healthcare, Hospice, Long-term Care, Medical Insurance, Oncology Research & Treatment, Pharmaceuticals, Rehabilitation and Surgery – to name a few – there are numerous directions to take their studies and eventual careers.
 
While it is true that none of us are ‘getting any younger,’ there is reason to look upon our advancing years with optimism rather than despair as our aging population creates new and profitable opportunities in the growing healthcare industry.
 
After surveying the Top 20 in-demand, online degrees in the United States, Education Dynamics named Healthcare Administration 6th and Nursing 8th of all available programs. As Florida’s over-60 population grows, those industries are sure to climb higher as private practices, hospitals, hospices and other healthcare facilities hire additional staff to meet the needs of an ever-increasing client base.
 
As the world’s population continues to age, the healthcare industry will have an urgent need for qualified workers covering a wide spectrum of skills and abilities. Let GlobalHealth Education help you take full advantage of this need by providing the best in online education and training to care for our aging population.


Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine has signed an affiliation agreement with Cleveland Clinic Florida, expanding the college’s reach across all aspects of medicine in South Florida.

Dr. John Rock, founding dean of FIU’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, said the agreement with Cleveland Clinic Florida introduces another well-respected partner to the affiliations FIU already has in place and will provide a valuable dimension to the college’s unique approach to medical education.
 
The affiliation with Cleveland Clinic Florida will allow FIU medical students in their senior year to receive clinical training from physicians in various specialties.


Those who say the doctor doesn’t make house calls anymore have obviously never spoken to a Nova Southeastern University medical student.

Students from NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine are making regular visits to the homes of senior citizens to check on their medical conditions. These visits, which are part of the students’ medical curriculum, allow them to not only assess the person’s medical condition, but also the environmental factors that affect them.
 
For example, visiting a person’s home allows the students to learn whether the individual is overweight and needs special assistance to visit the doctor, or perhaps the person needs a caregiver and doesn’t have one. The students also visit seniors that live in dilapidated housing that negatively impacts their physical and emotional health.
 
In order to allow students to have this hands-on training experience, NSU’s medical school joined forces with the Aging Disability Resource Center of Broward County, which has been making regular home visits to the elderly.
 
Between four to six medical students make personal house calls about once a month to assess this at-risk population.
 
“Walking into the home of a person whom you’ve never met and obtaining highly guarded personal information about the individual’s health and surrounding circumstances is truly a once-of-a-lifetime experience,” said Chris Bailey, a third-year medical student. “The exposure to this world of medicine is powerful.” 


In February, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced the launch of a new training program at 13 Chicago-area hospitals to address the need for an increasingly skilled healthcare workforce after Saint Anthony Hospital had successfully implemented the "School At Work" (SAW) program. Daley declared, "I want to thank Saint Anthony Hospital for leading the way with this program. They are helping the city build on the steps we have already taken to ensure that the investments we make in education, job training, and business support the overall health of Chicago’s economy and create a workforce whose skills match the needs of local employers."

Like the hospitals in Chicago and nearly 400 more around the nation, Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale has implemented the SAW program, aimed at providing entry level workers a path to job advancement, a bridge to continuing education, and an opportunity for increasing job satisfaction.
 
During the recruitment phase, more than 50 associates showed an interest in the program and 26 associates completed the screening process. To ensure success, those interested were interviewed and required to take an adult learning screening test. Eleven associates were ultimately selected for the first class and agreed to partner with the hospital for the eight-month program. The class meets for two hours each week; associates receive their hourly wage for one-hour of the class and complete the remaining hour on personal time. Participants in the first class are from diverse areas of the hospital, including the medical group, nutrition, coding, and sterile processing.
 
The course is divided into two sections with the first offering an introduction to healthcare, which also serves as a refresher course for continuing education with sections on grammar, math, reading, writing, and computer skills. The subsequent course examines paths to becoming a healthcare professional. Sessions include lessons on medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, medical ethics, and communication skills.
 
The program uses a blended approach with a combination of DVD classes, online activities, and group exercises. In customizing the program, Holy Cross has invited associates in different fields to speak to the class to offer real-world insights and serve as mentors and role models. Opportunities also exist to shadow associates in various jobs to learn more about those careers. 
 
While the program is still in its infancy at Holy Cross, we are encouraged by our early anecdotal results. Documented positive outcomes experienced by others who have implemented the program are supported by detailed surveys of 693 graduates at 50 hospitals and managers of more than 300 SAW employees from 24 sites:
 
Continuing Education: Leroy Grant was employed in environmental services at Bon Secours Richmond Hospital in Virginia when he completed SAW and subsequently was promoted to patient care advocate and obtained his certification as a surgical care technician. He is now enrolled in a nursing program at the local community college in preparation to becoming an RN. One-third of SAW graduates choose to continue their education with 67 percent of those students enrolling in a healthcare-related field of study.
 
Career Advancement: As judged by managers, SAW graduates showed more than an 80 percent increase in seven different skill sets including willingness to perform new tasks, communication, teamwork, professionalism, reading and compliance. Seventeen percent of SAW graduates achieve career advancement within 90 days after completing the program.
 
Increased Job Satisfaction:   Offering a comprehensive view of the importance of every associate’s job in ensuring patient safety and satisfaction as well as providing opportunities for personal enrichment and advancement, SAW creates loyal bonds between associates and their hospitals. Ninety-four percent of SAW graduates agreed with the statement "I plan to be working in this organization one year from now."
 
The SAW program is an important and promising opportunity to invest in our entry level employees and to help meet the healthcare staffing needs of the future.