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Patient
simulator brings new
realism to college’s programs
t’s
the age-old problem of teaching health care
techniques: You don’t want novices pumping
real patients full of drugs, but then there’s
no way of knowing if the student just killed
a plastic mannequin.
Southwest Georgia Technical College solved that problem with a computerized patient simulator that realistically mimics the behavior and responses of a real human.
“He’s a really exciting piece of equipment,” says Southwest Georgia Tech VP of Economic Development Kathy Harvill about the device, which has been nicknamed “MILTON — The Million-Dollar Man.”
“He
differs significantly from traditional dummies
used in health care classes,” Harvill
explains. “For one 
thing,
he’s not dumb. The simulator reacts to
students’ procedures. If students give
it the right dosage, it gets better. If they
miscalculate, it succumbs.”
“It can do anything a patient can do,” says Southwest Georgia Tech Director of Instruction Dr. Annie McElroy. It was McElroy who first put things in motion when she approached nursing instructors for a list of dream instructional items. At the top of the list was a patient simulator that mimics a live patient’s actions.
Donations to buy the simulator soon started pouring in to the school’s Foundation.
“We
had great community support,” says Harvill,
who spearheaded the fundraising effort. “Our
annual Foundation campaign was phenomenal.”
Dr. Freida Hill, president of Southwest Georgia
Tech, says the new equipment will have a far-reaching
effect in Southwest Georgia. “It is a
well-known fact that more health care workers
are needed,” Hill says. “We must
be able to provide the latest technology that
will prepare students to become the highly competent
health care professionals we so desperately
need.” 
The cookbook is a selection of favorite dishes chosen by Program Director Anne Clark and her culinary students. Recipes range from Southern staples like macaroni and cheese to international treats such as almond-stuffed dates. Food for Thought, which is also peppered with historical information about Albany Tech, was planned partly to coincide with Clark’s retirement last year, but also to tie in with the college’s fundraising campaign. “Teaching has been a passion throughout my life, and I have fond memories of so many events, students and special occasions where we enjoyed these dishes,” Clark says. For $12, the cookbook is available at the school bookstore and several local retail shops. The school’s Printing/Graphics program, Print Shop and Office of Public Relations all collaborated with the Culinary Arts Department on the project. “I can personally attest to how good our Culinary Arts students and faculty are,” says Albany Tech President Dr. Anthony Parker. “The
first year I was here, I gained a lot
of weight eating Mrs. Clark’s delicious
cheesecakes. I try to consume less now,
but it’s difficult.” To order
the cookbook, call 1-229-430-1624. |
lbany
Technical College is stirring up both
memories and profits with Food for
Thought, a cookbook compiled by the
Culinary Arts Department.
ince
2001, South Georgia Technical College
has encouraged students’ hoop dreams
by fielding the JETS, the only men’s
basketball team in Georgia’s Technical
College System. In November 2004, the
college made it a matched set when it
added a women’s basketball team,
also the only one of its kind statewide.
otary
Club International recently presented
the Georgia Department of Technical and
Adult Education’s Office of Adult
Literacy with a $30,000 Ade Project award
for GED scholarships. The award was presented
by Rotary International President Jonathan
Majiyagbe at the Rotary Presidential Celebration
on Literacy and Education held in Macon.
Named in honor of Majiyagbe’s late
wife, the Ade Project has the goal of
promoting and supporting literacy programs
around the world.
ake
the skills of students in Welding and Joining,
Industrial Systems Technology, and Electrical
Construction and Maintenance, combine them with
a classroom full of materials donated by supportive
local businesses, and what do you get?
