HOSA: A Case Study of Challenges & Successes Amanda Hollowell Education Specialist LifeLink of Georgia

Learn how to create multicultural outreach initiatives in high schools using HOSA chapters as an onsite partner.

What is HOSA? HOSA is an international student organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Health Science Education (HSE) Division of ACTE. HOSA's two-fold mission is to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. HOSA's goal is to encourage all health science instructors and students to join and be actively involved in the HSE-HOSA Partnership.   HOSA provides a unique program of leadership development, motivation, and recognition exclusively for secondary, postsecondary, adult, and collegiate students enrolled in health science education and biomedical science programs or have interests in pursuing careers in health professions. HOSA is 100% health care!

The Initiative The Challenge To engage as many local high school programs in a donor education initiative. The Challenge In Southeast Georgia there are few HOSA programs operated in the high schools.

The School We selected Alfred Ely Beach in Savannah, Georgia. Beach High students undertake a college preparatory curriculum. Beach High also offers students a broad selection of elective and CTAE courses. The school has a predominately African American student population. It is one of the oldest public high schools located in Savannah, Georgia. Beach High School is open to residents of Chatham County grades 9th through 12th. Curriculum includes four years of English, history, and laboratory-based sciences (chemistry and physics are required), three years of mathematics (most students opt for four) and foreign language, a semester each of introductory art, music, health, and computer science, and two lab-based technology courses.

  Process Met with the Student Advisor of the HOSA program and discussed the possibility of a partnership. Highlighted a previous donor drive by HOSA students in KY facilitated by the organ procurement organization, KODA. Their goal was 65 new organ, eye and tissue donors between November 14 -26.

Process Planning meeting with the HOSA student officers who would be the point of contacts for the drive Overview presentation which included the Chris Henry Donation Story Theme for buy in Goals Duration The students wanted to encourage a stronger buy in that the whole student body could relate to. At the meeting we decided the theme would be around Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration and his quote: “Life’s most urgent question is: What are we doing for others?” We titled the donation drive the MLK Jr. Donor Drive, we made it a weeklong tabling event and the goal of 70 donors.

Process Marketing Flyers Posted on school website Social Media posts/shares

Tabling Positioned table in a high traffic area close to the cafeteria Trinkets - pens, pencils, book marks and bracelets Fun photos with oversized sunglasses and funny props were taken of the students after they registered. The students made a thermometer to tally registrations.

Tabling

Results Goal: 200 new donor registrations Over 60 new organ, eye and tissue donors registered on day one. 210 new donors throughout the week. HOSA students received a pizza party luncheon, principal accepted an award, the HOSA teacher advisors were given plaques, and student volunteers also received achievement certificates.

Results

Follow Up Press releases were shared with local media. The advisors shared the program’s success during a plenary session at their HOSA state conference. We were picked up in Savannah Morning News the largest news publisher in the area and an African American newspaper the Savannah Herald. They ran those articles the first week of National Donate Life Month. The Georgia Department of Education’s digital magazine “Your Future in Healthcare”. It is distributed to around 450 teachers (who are out of the healthcare industry) who represent 35,000 healthcare science students across the state. This one local partnership has led to the MDEP department to be part of the GACTE (GA Career Technical Educators Association) Annual Conference is in July.   We now have a request from another high school’s HOSA program in Georgia who wants to beat this current recorded. We will present in November at the HOSA state conference and hopefully create a state wide challenge among all HOSA chapters. We are looking to launch this during National Donate Life Month.