HIGH-STEP (HEALTH SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP)

Bio-Medical Health Science Curriculum in Minnesota

The National Consortium on Health Science and Technology Education (NCHSTE) is a national partnership of individuals and organizations with a vested interest in health science and technology education. Organized in 1991, its purpose is to stimulate creative and innovative leadership to ensure a well-prepared healthcare workforce.

We know that the demographics for the Region Nine area and Southern Minnesota are changing. With the aging of the baby boomers, industries will be in competition for highly qualified workers. The healthcare industry is no different in that need. The healthcare workforce is aging and according to the Department of Employment and Economic Development there will be a major healthcare workforce shortage by 2008-2012.

Nationally, healthcare is the fastest growing industry when counting individual positions. Healthcare Occupations are roughly two-thirds professional and technical positions. According to Valerie DeFor, Director of the Healthcare Education Industry Partnership (HEIP), “Minnesota’s healthcare community is on a demographically induced collision course defined by an increase in retirees and fewer workers coupled with a growing demand for healthcare services”. The Healthcare Education Industry Partnership is a project of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities founded in 1998 to identify and address critical healthcare workforce shortages.

NCHSTE is creating a series of 39 integrated bio-medical health science units that will be delivered in academic subjects offered in a high school curriculum. In addition, the equivalent of four career and technical education health science courses are being developed using the National Healthcare Foundation Standards as the framework for the content.

The design of the Program of Study requires academic and career and technical educators to work together on the planning and delivery of the integrated units. This interdisciplinary approach provides teachers with the resources to provide their students with relevant and rigorous content.

Professional Development will be available for all teachers implementing the integrated units and the health science sequence of four courses. The Department of Education and the Healthcare Education Industry Partnership will be working with the National Consortium on Health Science and Technology education on implementation in Minnesota. This curriculum will be free to school districts in Minnesota because Minnesota is a member of NCHSTE. Rochester Public Schools is currently developing two of the integrated units as a pilot site. For more information on this curriculum and partnerships in this region, contact Glenn Morris (507) 389-5106 or Sonya McNamara, Heath Education Industry Partnership (HEIP), (507) 389-3262.

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