More than 350 professionally dressed and enthusiastic high school students from all over Alaska flooded the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) campus on April 11 and 12 for the statewide HOSA - Future Health Professionals Leadership Conference. With over 260,000 members worldwide, HOSA - Future Health Professionals is a global student-led organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and several federal and state agencies. HOSA’s mission is to empower students to become leaders in the global health community through education, collaboration, and experience. HOSA actively promotes career opportunities in the health industry and enhances the delivery of quality health care to all people. 

This year, Alaska’s Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) hosted the 2024 HOSA Leadership Conference for the first time at the UAA campus. The Anchorage campus was the perfect location because it offered unique opportunities for HOSA participants to experience daily activities on a college campus, familiarize themselves with in-state health programs, and network with faculty, staff, and students. Alaska HOSA received numerous volunteer hours, donations, and gifts in support of the conference. 

Students participated in competitions showcasing their instructional knowledge in physical therapy, dental science, nurse assistant, sports medicine, forensics, vet science, and phlebotomy. A variety of workshops were offered, many featuring speakers from UAA programs. In the Alaska Traditional Kitchen workshop, indigenous Chef Flora Deacon and UAA Dietetics and Nutrition assistant professor Melissa Chlupach led students through the preparation of traditional bison tacos. For the Bath Bomb Bonanza, staff and faculty from the UAA/ISU pharmacy program informed students about their partnership and program while making bath bombs. WWAMI Warriors included WWAMI medical students who shared tips and advice on how to master the medical school admission process. Moulage Madness brought medical scenarios to life through artificial burns and wounds featuring Marissa Beninati from the UAA College of Health Interprofessional Simulation Center. Heartwork was a workshop that explored human services professions featuring UAA Human Services assistant professor Seta Kabranian. Bleed Control Bootcamp certified students in “Stop the Bleed” with SW AHEC Director Olivia Bridges. Squeak Speak allowed students to get up close to the rats in behavioral research with the UAA Department of Psychology faculty. 

Alaska’s AHEC program office is housed within UAA’s Alaska Center for Rural Health & Health Workforce (ACRH-HW) and is dedicated to healthcare workforce development across the state of Alaska with a special focus on rural and underserved communities. Partnerships with like-minded organizations make this work possible and HOSA has been a long-standing partner for over a decade. 

Gloria Burnett, ACRH-HW Director and Alaska AHEC Program Office Director, describes why Alaska’s HOSA needs our support. “Despite its success, Alaska's HOSA program faces significant challenges in expanding into all school districts, particularly rural ones. This limitation is primarily due to the high turnover of rural educators and the lack of sustainability for a statewide HOSA advisor position. Currently, the role of statewide advisor is entirely voluntary, relying on the piecemealed efforts, goodwill, and availability of retired and current chapter advisors who also run their own individual programs. This volunteer-based model puts the stability and growth of HOSA chapters and the annual state conference at risk.” 

Burnett believes that it is critical to establish a fully funded statewide advisor position as other states have done to continue the success and expansion of the HOSA program in Alaska. “A dedicated statewide advisor would provide essential support, guidance, and leadership to both existing and potential HOSA chapters across the state. Moreover, it would ensure that Alaska no longer remains one of the only states in the nation with a HOSA program lacking a fully funded statewide advisor.” 

As the Alaska AHEC Director, Burnett is committed to supporting the expansion of HOSA chapters into rural school districts across the state through existing partnerships and programming that provide accessibility to health sciences dual enrollment courses and certificate training. Alaska’s AHEC plans to integrate HOSA’s curriculum into these existing programs to establish a rural HOSA chapter in the future and is looking forward to the continued growth of HOSA to help meet Alaska’s healthcare workforce needs.

 

 

 

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