Health Science Faculty Tapped for State Boards

Several members of the faculty in Piedmont Technical College’s Health Science division have been tapped to serve on various professional boards in the state, many in key leadership positions.

“Educators set the pace for health care,” said Jerry Alewine, dean of health science.

Alewine serves as the president of the South Carolina Society of Respiratory Care and Ann Allen, respiratory care program coordinator, serves as Jr. Director for the Piedmont region, representing the counties of Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Edgefield, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Oconee, Pickens, Saluda, Spartanburg and Union. Christy Nichols, program coordinator for invasive cardiovascular technology, is the chairman of the board and outgoing president for the South Carolina Society of Radiologic Technologists while radiologic technology instructors Dana Long and Bil Heath are vice president and treasurer, respectively.

Other faculty members serving on boards include Lenette Thompson, surgical technology clinical coordinator, SC Board of Directors for the South Carolina Surgical Technology Association; Deborah Hoffman, health and safety program manager, SC Nurse Aide Advisory Board; and Clay Sprouse, pharmacy technology program coordinator, SC Society of Health System Pharmacists Board of Directors.

Alewine said that having so many members of the health science faculty serving on these state-wide boards provides benefits to the health care field as well as to the college.

“When you have educators in these professional societies, it changes how the society looks at students,” Alewine said.  “We are in the classes every day. It keeps the instructors in the forefront of the industry and it gives us a voice to help set the standards.”

Participation in these societies also benefits the students, Alewine said.

“By being in these societies, we are able to expose our students to networking opportunities with other educators and potential employers,” he said. “Our students are the future of these societies and we want to make sure they are involved.”