CWU Programs To Address Health Careers And Healthy Communities

May 9, 2005

Contact: Tracy J. Andrews (509-963-3220/fax 509-963-3215/e-mail: andrewst@cwu.edu)

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - The delivery of adequate, appropriate and sustainable health care is proving to be a major challenge on the regional, national and global levels. Central Washington University will address some of the critical obstacles in achieving that goal during a health career fair and evening program on the Ellensburg campus, Thursday, May 12.

"There is a growing need for well trained students to enter health careers," Tracy J. Andrews, CWU anthropology professor, says, "and diversity is an essential part of effective health care and work force training."

Andrews is co-chair of CWU's Health Careers Education Resources Task Force, which is sponsoring the daylong events along with Career Services and the Provost. The 2nd annual CWU Health Career Fair, will run from noon to 4 p.m. in the foyer of the CWU Science Building. It will involve 19 participating agencies that will help students to learn about potential employers and employment opportunities.

Then, a 90-minute evening program, titled "Critical Issues in Health Careers and Healthy Communities: You Can Make a Difference!" will be held at 7 p.m., in Science Building 147. The presentations will provide opportunities for students, faculty and community members to learn about:

• Critical health career and health care issues;
• CWU health career resources, student advising and work with community organizations;
• The new CWU Health Career Resources web site.

The free, public program will feature presentations by:

• Madeleine Thompson, from the Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, who serves as the policy analyst and lead staff to the Health Care Personnel Shortage Task Force; and
• Vickie Ybarra, director of planning and development at the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, who is well known regionally and nationally for her work on diversity and health careers.

Additional information about the events is available at www.cwu.edu/~healthcareers/healthcareerfair.html.

For more information, or for persons of disability to arrange for reasonable accommodation, call (509) 963-3220, or (for the hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963-2143.