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Friday, July 31, 2009
Consular Corps College, SPC form new partnershipThe Consular Corps College (CCC), the national organization of foreign consuls in the United States, and St. Petersburg College have forged a new educational partnership that will bring the CCC’s headquarters to SPC.
The chancellors of CCC visited SPC Friday and unanimously endorsed the partnership. “We are very excited about this opportunity,” said Hans H. J. Pijls, Dean of the Consular Corps College and Honorary Consul of The Netherlands (Detroit). “The partnership with SPC will provide the Consular Corps College with significant infrastructural support. As a result, we will create unique educational and networking opportunities for consuls in the U.S. and beyond.” The Consular Corps College is a non-profit, non-political professional organization that primarily seeks to serve the foreign consular community in the U.S., estimated at around 4,500, through initial and continuing education, information sharing, networking and other means aimed at enhancing a consul’s effectiveness. Under the partnership, which must be ratified by the boards of SPC and CCC, St. Petersburg College will provide its unparalleled educational know-how and technological capabilities to the organization. SPC President Carl M. Kuttler Jr. said faculty and academic programs at SPC will be enhanced by involvement with these foreign consuls from countries around the world. He said SPC will support the Consular Corps College by serving as its administrative home and by assisting in Web development, newsletter support and the securing of student interns. An entire educational program, both online and on site, will be developed. The program audience will include current and former foreign consular officers as well as students considering careers in areas related to public policy development and diplomacy. The program also hopes to involve retired diplomats whose experience can offer global benefits. The West Coast of Florida is home to about 20 consuls, honorary consuls and ambassadors. Kuttler told the representatives he, too, was excited about the partnership prospects. “I hope you felt the heartbeat of St. Petersburg College,” Kuttler said. “It’s been inspiring for us to meet with you.” Kuttler said this partnership is a first globally. “There has never before been a formal, productive relationship between an educational institution and the Consular Corps College,” he said. “This has so many opportunities for SPC, our students, and these diplomatic representatives. We hope this effort leads to a bachelor’s degree at SPC in public policy or a related field and to the ability of SPC’s University Partnership Center to offer graduate degrees in diplomacy or public policy.” Pijls said SPC’s vision of education in the 21st century “is very impressive, and our members, career and honorary consuls alike, will greatly benefit from joining forces with St. Petersburg College.” The Consular Corps College was founded in 1969 with the primary goal of increasing professional communication among foreign consular officers serving in the U.S. Any consular officer currently recognized by the U.S. State Department, as well as current and former protocol officers, may join the Consular Corps College. Return to top of page
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 Martin Smith, Program Director, Healthcare Informatics |
“It’s a seamless, almost fluid motion of the data,” said Martin Smith, Program Director, Healthcare Informatics. “(We can) get it to anyone who needs it for treatment.”
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, medical errors kill more people than breast cancer, automobile accidents and HIV combined; healthcare informatics allows for better access to more accurate and complete medical information about a patient, as well as for better security for these records. It also allows medical professionals to better evaluate quality of care.
Moving to a nationwide easy-to-access, electronic medical records system began with President George W. Bush and continues with President Barack Obama; the goal is for most Americans to have access to an electronic health record by 2014.
“Faster, more efficient care is the motivation behind Healthcare Informatics, as well as what is behind health care reform,” said Eric Carver, Project Coordinator II/Adjunct Instructor, Healthcare Informatics.
SPC offers certificate and Associate in Science degree programs in this field. Students in the certificate program learn the fundamentals of Healthcare Informatics by focusing on the resources, devices and methods used to acquire, store, retrieve and utilize electronic health care information.
Those in the Associate in Science degree program polish their skills and learn to work with electronic health and medical records, workflow management, health care delivery systems and project management.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities in this field are expected to grow faster than average. Professionals will be able to find jobs in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and with firms that sell technology.
“One of the things that is great about this program, particularly the certificate program, is that we have people from WorkNet who are looking for a new career, we have incumbent workers, we have people who are from the IT side who aren’t familiar with the health care side . . . we have a little bit of everyone,” Smith said.
And one of those people is Shackelford, who took program courses online while working from home, graduating with a certificate in May.
“I learned a lot from the program,” said Shackelford, whose goal is to help educate physicians about keeping medical records electronically and help with their technology needs. “I feel like the program will help me be well-versed in this field.”
SPC alumnus, prominent legislator dies at 69
Jim King, a longtime Republican legislator and an SPC alumnus, died Sunday of pancreatic cancer. He was 69. King, Class of ’59, was a successful Jacksonville businessman who was elected to the Florida House in 1986 and was named runner-up as Most Outstanding First-Term Legislator. He became the Republican Majority Leader in the House and later in the Senate before serving as Senate president. For his leadership, King was inducted into the SPC Hall of Distinction.
Local media links:
Florida Sen. Jim King dies at age 69
Tampabay.com, July 27
Career of honesty and good humor
Tampaybay.com, July 28
In memory of Senator Jim King
Tampabay.com
Former Florida Senate President King dies at 69
TBO.com, July 26
New BOT chairman, vice-chairman elected
Terry Brett was elected Chairman of SPC’s Board of Trustees and Ken Burke was re-elected Vice-Chairman at the July 21 BOT meeting.
Brett, co-owner of Brett Funeral Home in St. Petersburg, is past president of the St. Petersburg College Alumni Association and chairman of the Board of Governors of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. He is chairman of the Arts Center of St. Petersburg Board of Trustees and past chairman of the Leadership St. Pete Planning Committee.
Brett graduated in 1977 from the Gupton Jones College of Mortuary Science in Atlanta and also is a graduate of Leadership St. Pete. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies from Eckerd College and also earned an associate degree from St. Petersburg Junior College.
Burke, of Seminole, is a CPA and Clerk of the Court for Pinellas County. A St. Petersburg College graduate, he is twice a past president of the college’s Alumni Association. He is on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Community Colleges and recently concluded a term as chairman of the national Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) organization.
Other public service and honors include the Seminole Economic Task Force (chairman), Mr. Seminole, All Children’s Hospital Development Council, Leadership St. Pete, Suncoast Tiger Bay Club (past president), and the Suncoast Legal Administrators Association. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida.
Paycheck deduction reminder
Because there are three paydays in July and to allow time for processing changes in benefits, benefit deductions were not taken out of the July 3 paycheck. Instead, deductions will be taken from the paychecks on July 17 and 31.
The next time there are three paydays in a month (December), the deductions will be taken from the first two paychecks.
August meeting notices
Tuesday, Aug. 4
The Nominating Committee for the SPC Alumni Association Inc. will meet on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 6 p.m. at the District Office, 6021 142nd Avenue North, Largo, in Consular Corps Conference Room 102.
Wednesday, Aug. 5
The Board of Directors for the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art will meet to discuss general business on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 3:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Auditorium at St. Petersburg College’s Tarpon Springs Campus, 600 Klosterman Road, Tarpon Springs. The following committees also will have their general business meetings on the same day: Collections Committee, 2:15 p.m., Associate Curator/Registrar’s office; Governance Committee, 2:30 p.m., Director’s office; Finance Committee, 2:30 p.m., Fine Arts Auditorium.
Tuesday, Aug. 11
A workshop of the St. Petersburg College Board of Trustees will be held commencing at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The topic of discussion at the workshop will be the Presidential Selection Process. The workshop will be held in the EpiCenter Conference Room (1-453), 13805 – 58th St. N., Largo.
If any person wishes to appeal a decision made with respect to any matter considered by the Board, he or she will need a record of the proceedings. It is the obligation of such a person to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made. Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes.
Those planning to attend who have a disability and are in need of an auxiliary aid or other accommodation are requested to call 727-341-3260 at least seven days before the workshop date so that their needs can be accommodated.
Tuesday, Aug. 18
The Planned Giving Committee for the SPC Foundation, Inc. will meet on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at noon at the District Office, 6021 142nd Ave. N., Largo, in Consular Corporate Conference Room 102.
Tuesday, Aug. 18
The Board of Trustees of St. Petersburg College will hold a public meeting to which all persons are invited, commencing at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the EpiCenter Conference Room (1-453), 13805 - 58th St. N., Largo. The meeting will be held for the purpose of considering routine business of the college; however, there are no rules being presented for adoption or amendment at this meeting.
In the event the Board continues the foregoing meeting and/or in the event of a serious storm, or threat thereof, resulting in cancellation of the foregoing meeting, the same shall be held on Aug. 25, at the same time and place and for the same purpose.
A copy of the Agenda may be obtained by writing to the Board of Trustees in care of the Board Clerk, P. O. Box 13489, St. Petersburg, FL, 33733, or calling the Board Clerk at 727-341-3260.
If any person wishes to appeal a decision made with respect to any matter considered by the Board, he or she will need a record of the proceedings. It is the obligation of such person to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made. Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes.
Those planning to attend who have a disability and are in need of an auxiliary aid or other accommodation are requested to call 727-341-3260 at least seven days before the meeting date so that their needs can be accommodated.
This article and other health information are available on our Wellness blog.
Optimizing home safety for loved ones
Are you caring for an older relative? Aetna InteliHealth offers some insights and suggestions.
Older people generally prefer to live at home, either alone or with their families. It allows them to enjoy the comforts of familiar surroundings while staying close to their loved ones. However, living at home does present challenges.
For example, falls are the number one in-home cause of death among the elderly. Most older people can live safely at home provided they make a few adjustments to compensate for any decline in their physical or mental function. Some modifications also can help children and handicapped family members.
Put a second railing in the stairwells. People are safer going up and down stairs if there is a railing on each side of the staircase.
Mark trouble spots with bright tape. The combination of failing eyesight and poor lighting can make the first and last steps on staircases, along with protruding furniture corners, high-risk accident zones. Applying strips of bright light in these areas would make these spots easier to see.
Put grab bars in the bathtub. A significant number of falls occur in the bathroom. This is unfortunate because it’s an easy area to make safe from accidents. Putting grab bars in the shower or alongside the tub gives people something to hang onto. Also using nonskid strips or mats on the shower or tub floor and on the bathroom floor reduces the risk of falling.
Get a tub seat and other bath accessories. A tub seat or sliding board and a showerhead extension allow the water to move rather than the bather. If possible, take an additional safety measure and bathe when there is someone else at home with you.
Install lights in dark places. Sufficient lighting is important to illuminate dark places, such as hallways and stairwells. Plug-in nightlights can help. Also available are lights with sensors that automatically come on when the light level gets low.
Invest in a personal alarm. A personal alarm can be triggered if a person falls or is in trouble. With the push of a button, the alarm automatically sends a signal, which alerts someone to call and see if the person needs help. If no one answers the phone, designated family members or friends or emergency services are notified.
Source: www.intelihealth.com, used with permission.
Explore SPC Wellness to read additional wellness articles.
For more information, contact SPC’s Wellness Coordinator Cathleen Shears.
On Saturday, Aug. 1, SPC students, staff and faculty have a chance to participate in a historical volunteer project – constructing Florida’s first Earthship, a single-family residence made of recycled materials that is designed for living in harmony with the environment and being entirely self-sufficient. The structure is located in Manatee County.
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This ancient building construction technique remains entirely suitable for today’s resource-conscious and environmentally friendly building trend.
The structure uses recycled (tires and soda cans) and local materials (mainly dirt), generates its own electricity, processes its own waste, and creates no negative environmental impact. Using dirt as the main building material is the ultimate form of “green” building construction as it creates no environmental pollution and consumes virtually no energy.
Earthships are designed to catch water from the sky, using it up to four times. They also are designed to heat water from either the sun or by natural gas. Additionally, an Earthship produces its own electricity through solar and/or wind-generated energy. The created energy is stored in batteries and then supplied to electrical outlets. Earthships contain all household sewage (utilizing gray water to flush toilets) and reuse this sewage for food production and landscaping.
To carpool to the Earthship site (or to obtain directions to it), contact Kira Barrera at kbarrera777@yahoo.com. The group will meet at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus parking lot behind the Student Services building at 8 a.m.
Be sure to bring plenty of water (two gallons per person), sun block, insect repellent, a wide-brimmed hat and work gloves. Also, bring food to eat throughout the day.
For more information about the project, visit Earthship Florida.
To participate in the sustainable | SPC initiative, visit www.spcollege.edu/sustainability or contact Jason Green at 727-341-3283. Check the sustainable | SPC tip archive for other sustainable tips!
Onward & Upward
Ceramic artwork by SPC faculty members Kimberly Kirchman and Jonathan Barnes will be on display through Aug. 28 in the Osceola Gallery of the Clearwater Main Library, 100 N. Osceola Ave. The free exhibit will be open to the public during regular library hours – Monday-Wednesday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Thursday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.