Monday, February, 10, 2014 (Bronx, NY) – Eugenio María de Hostos Community College professors who are collaborating with the faculty of H.E.R.O. High (Health, Education, and Research Occupations High School) recently heard actions plans developed by their students for the prevention of chronic diseases that affect many Bronx residents. Hostos professors Edward King, Allison Gorr, Sherese Mitchell, Ana Ozuna, Juan Preciado, Rowland Ramdass, Elys Vásquez-Iscan, Haruko Yamauchi, Lizette Colón, Ms. Elizabeth Wilson, and Ms. Nefer Bovea volunteered their time to support this initiative, which was conducted in cooperation with Montefiore Medical Center.
This is only one of many ways in which Hostos is supporting healthcare education in the Bronx and surrounding communities. At the roundtable, students presented reports on the causes, symptoms, and treatment of chronic diseases, and proposed an action plan for reducing their incidence. The faculty members from Hostos and medical personnel from Montefiore Hospital asked the students questions and offered feedback and recommendations on their action plans. They also read the students’ papers after the roundtable and submitted comments to the high school faculty.
H.E.R.O. High, a collaboration of the Department of Education, Hostos Community College, and Montefiore Hospital, is a new public 9-14 high school for students interested in health careers. During an integrated six year program, H.E.R.O. students have the opportunity to earn a Career and Technical Education (CTE)-endorsed Regents diploma, an associate’s degree in Nursing or Community Health from Hostos, and gain workplace experience in the healthcare field. The school is part of a national trend towards combining technical skills in growth industries and secondary/post-secondary education. The school opened in September 2013, with 128 9th graders and is located 2 miles away from Hostos Community College.
Expressing her gratitude to the Hostos professors who took part in the Roundtable, H.E.R.O. Principal Kristin Cahill said the value of their contributions could not be emphasized enough: “Because of their participation, each of our students was able to receive authentic feedback that reflects the real expectations of the health care industry that they hope to enter.”
About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. It serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. The College’s unique "Student Success Coaching Unit" provides students with individualized guidance and exemplifies its emphasis on student support services.
Hostos offers 29 associate degree programs and five certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to CUNY’s four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of The City University of New York (CUNY), the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 480,000 students at 24 colleges.