By Staff
Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees toured the newest educational addition to the College's Health and Human Services Division, accepted gifts and grants and conducted other business at the regularly convened meeting for February Tuesday afternoon on the Dowagiac campus.
When the opportunity arose for the college to obtain an ambulance being retired from service, Elaine Foster, dean of academic studies and nursing and human services, jumped at the chance.
Foster had a vision of converting the ambulance, donated by Life Care Ambulance in Battle Creek, into a simulator.
"This is a great opportunity for SMC to offer an enhanced educational experience to our students," Foster said.
"Students will be hands-on with just about everything they would use in a real ambulance setting."
This simulated ambulance will be used as a training method for Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) students, paramedic students, as well as regional training programs.
This simulator gives students the experience of working in an ambulance before they do their clinicals on the road.
The set-up will match that of a regular ambulance, allowing students to fine-tune their skills before they graduate and start a career in emergency medicine.
Tim Gray, an SMC faculty member who runs the EMT and paramedic programs, sees the ambulance as a huge asset for the complete learning process of everything needed to be a skilled and educated EMT or paramedic.
His students will practice "real calls." They will simulate everything from picking up the patient, planning their care, calling the information into the hospital and caring for the patient during the ride. The ambulance is stocked with a complete selection of mock medications, a fully-equipped bed, working monitors and even lights and sirens. The ambulance is also equipped with a camera so all of the students' actions can be reviewed, critiqued and graded. This will be a huge aid in training for such a fast-paced and unpredictable career.
"We even envision cross-training nursing students in this simulator," Foster said. "It gives people a whole new respect for administering medical care when you're working in such a confined space. It changes how you can give care and anyone in the health care field can benefit from that knowledge."
The conversion of the ambulance and the cost to purchase the supplies for it were paid for by the federal health care grant SMC received in 2007.
The SMC Board of Trustees honored Clyde Dalton for his 25 years of service to the college.
Dalton joined the SMC faculty in 1982 as an instructor of science. He was appointed as chairperson of the math/science department in 1998.
Dalton holds the bachelor of science degree in education from Indiana University and the master of arts in Biology from Ball State University.
Prior to coming to SMC, Dalton taught biology and chemistry at Fremont, Ind., High School. Dalton lives in the Dowagiac area.
The SMC Board of Trustees honored Teresa McCoy for her 10 years of service. McCoy joined the SMC staff in 1997 as bookstore assistant and switchboard operator. She was appointed coordinator of bookstore services in 1999.
McCoy holds an associate degree from SMC and a bachelor of science degree from Bethel College.
Prior to working full-time at SMC, McCoy served a student internship at SMC as well as serving as manager of the Unocal 76 in Edwardsburg.
She and her husband live in the Dowagiac area and have four children.
The SMC Board of Trustees awarded a pin for five years of service to Susan Sullivan.
Sullivan joined the SMC staff in 2002 as coordinator of special populations.
She holds a bachelor of arts from Saint Mary's College and a master of education in special education and rehabilitation from Boston College.
Prior to her employment at SMC, Sullivan served as director of special education from the South Bend Community School Corp. Sullivan and her husband reside in Edwardsburg and have four grown children.
Julie Walker was awarded a service pin by the SMC Board of Trustees for 10 years of service.
Walker joined the college in 1997 as registration and records secretary in 1997.
Walker holds an associate degree in office administration from SMC.
Prior to joining SMC, Walker was employed as accounts receivable clerk. Walker has one child and resides in Galien.
President David Mathews updated trustees on recent and upcoming events. The college hosted the 10th annual High School Mathematics Tournament earlier this month. A total of 10 schools participated, bringing 60 students to test their skills in advanced mathematics.
The day was filled with hard work but also filled with fun as students were able to enjoy a lunch break which included social activities.
The Art Gallery at Southwestern Michigan College will highlight works from Norma Lu Meehan. She made her career as a fashion illustrator.
Currently, she does water color illustrations of paper dolls with period clothing.
The exhibit opened Feb. 11. Tuesday a reception was held at 12:30 p.m. The exhibit will be open until Feb. 29. It is free and open to the public.
For more information on the gallery, call (269) 782-1356.
The gallery is located in room 108 of the Dale A. Lyons Building. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesday and Wednesday 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.