Health Careers Core
Curriculum
ANSI & Kaiser Permanente Center
for Total Health
Workshop on Workforce
Feb. 11-12, 2014
Content
 Definition
 Literature review
 Aligning content and skills
 ECC Health Core Curriculum
 Strengths
 Challenges
 Continual assessment/revision
 Next steps
Definition of Core Curriculum
In 1995, the PEW Commission and the Bureau of
Health Professions used the following to define a
core curriculum:
“A set of interdisciplinary courses, clinical training, and
other educational exposures designed to provide
allied health students at each level with the
common knowledge, skills, and values necessary to
perform effectively in the evolving health care
workplace”.
The core curriculum should not be confused with the
‘body of knowledge and skills’ that is common to a
particular specialty field.
Literature review
 Healthy America: Practitioners for 2005 (PEW
Health Professions Commission Oct. 1991)
 Future Allied Health Competencies and
Expectations
 National Health Care Skills Standards
 Health Professions Education, A Bridge to Quality
IOM 2003
Health Professions Education:
A Bridge to Quality (IOM 2003)
 Provide patient-centered Care
 Work in interdisciplinary teams
 Employ evidence-based practice
 Apply quality improvement
 Utilize informatics
Aligning Content
Medical terminology
Therapeutic communication
Pathophysiology
Patient centered care across the life
span with patient teaching
Pharmacology
Interdisciplinary teamwork
Wellness/health promotion, disease
management
Patient safety/quality improvement
Utilize informatics
Cultural competence
Evidence based practice
Community health (other settings)
Ethics and legal
Critical thinking
Health care industry: management,
financial etc.
Continuous learning
Accountability/professionalism
Service learning/community
involvement
Customer Service
Advocacy/access to care
Conflict resolution/stress management
Aligning Skills
Vital signs
Body mechanics
Patient assessment
Sample collection/handling
Communication
Patient interview
HIPPA
Patient teaching
Universal precautions
Medical record/charting
Medical asepsis
CPR (pre admission)
Surgical asepsis
Basic first aid/emergency
procedures
Safety (fire etc.)
Customer service
Coding in the health care system
Oxygen administration
ECC Health Core Curriculum
 Wellness and Health Promotion
 Basic Health Professions Skills
 Health Professions Skills II
 Pathophysiology
 General Health Professions Management
 Pharmacology
(on-line options)
Common Elements in Allied Health/ Core Curriculum
HPRS 2300 – Pharmacology
HPRS 2001 – Pathophysiology
HPRS 2231 – General Health
Professional Management
HPRS 1202 – Wellness &
Health Promotion
HPRS 1204 – Basic Skills I
HPRS 2210 – Basic Skills II
Pharmacology
Pathophysiology
Critical Thinking
Team Work
Critical Thinking
Health Promotion
Patient Evaluation
Career Planning/Management
Health Systems and Economics
Informatics
Teamwork
Communication
Critical Thinking
Customer Service
Medical Terminology
Basic Skills (Vital Signs, EKG, Phlebotomy
Patient and Healthcare Worker Safety/Aseptic Techniques
Core
Programs
HPRS 1202 - Wellness Health
Promotion
Invasive Cardiovascular Technology
Radiologic Science
Surgical Technology
HPRS 1204 – Basic Health
Profession Skills
Associate Degree Nursing
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Echocardiology Technology
Invasive Cardiovascular Technology
Medical Laboratory Technology
Pediatric Echocardiology
Radiologic Science
Respiratory Care
Surgical Technology
Vocational Nursing
HPRS 2210 –
Basic Skills II
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Echocardiology Technology
Invasive Cardiovascular Technology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Pediatric Echocardiology
Radiologic Science
Respiratory Care
*HPRS 2201 –
Pathophysiology
Associate Degree Nursing*
Biotechnology
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Echocardiology Technology
Invasive Cardio vascular Technology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Medical Laboratory Technology
Medical Staff Services
Pediatric Echocardiology
Respiratory Care
*HPRS 2331 – General Health
Profession Mgmt.
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Echocardiology Technology
Invasive Cardiovascular Technology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Medical Laboratory Technology
Medical Staff Services
Pediatric Echocardiology
Radiologic Science
Respiratory Care
Surgical Technology
HPRS 2300 – Pharmacology
Associate Degree Nursing*
Biotechnology
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Echocardiology Technology
Invasive Cardiovascular Technology
Medical Assisting
Medical Laboratory Technology
Pediatric Echocardiology
Radiologic Science
Respiratory Care
RN Refresher (CE)
Surgical Technology
Vocational Nursing
*Elective
Strengths of Core
 Interdisciplinary approach
 Student exposure to other
health fields
 Basic information with
continuity/standardized
 Educational efficiencies
 Use of online system
 Collaboration
 Faculty exposure/retooled
faculty
 Improve college finances
 Improve articulation
 Remove professional
silos/encourage teamcoordinated health care
approach
 Time management
 Competency in basic skills
 Exploring if they are really
want a health career
 Articulation and career
mobility
 Recruitment tool
 Promotes career pathways
Challenges
 Faculty tend to teach toward specialty
 Threat to professional identity/turf issues
 Credit hour limits/perceived integration of
content/administrative roadblocks
 Exit/entry points need more definition
 Stringency of curriculum
 Support systems: tutors, mentors
 Critical thinking application
 Different academic schedules
 Consensus on what core includes
Continuous assessment/revision
 Content alignment and threads (mapping them throughout)
 Including newest information/focus
 Providing updates to all
DOL Allied Health Competency Model
Next Steps
 Career pathways (CE to credit and back)
 Multiple entry and exit points
 Expansion of high school alignment
 Updating skills sets
 Community understanding/expansion
Questions
For more information please contact us at:
LaCheeta McPherson, Ph.D.
lmcpherson@dcccd.edu
Sondra Flemming, MSN
sflemming@dcccd.edu