Ida S. Baker, High Tech North compete in HOSA event

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE BREEZE Ida S. Baker students participated in the Region 6 Health Occupations Students of America competition at High Tech Central.
Cape Coral students were among the award winners for the Region 6 Health Occupations Students of America competition at High Tech Central.
Health Occupations Students of America, or HOSA, is an organization for students in secondary and post-secondary institutions looking to enter the health industry.
The annual competition was held Feb. 12 and included secondary students for the first time.
Sheila Sarver, HOSA coordinator, said all of the students who participated are members of the organization and chose how they wanted to compete. Events included medical math, medical terminology, CPR, human growth and development and more.
“Students can choose what competitive event they want to be involved in,” said Sarver. “Some of the events had a written test, and others had a written and skills test.”
Sarver added that volunteer judges from the community decided who was the best competitor in each event.
Students from Ida S. Baker High School and High Tech North participated in the competition.
Jamie Gross, an instructor from Ida S. Baker’s Medical Academy, said 13 students in the program participated. The academy has been open for four years, but this is the first graduating class that has taken four years worth of medical classes.
“These are juniors and seniors who’ve been through it the whole time,” said Gross. “We’ve graduated others, but they haven’t had the extensive experience this group has.”
Gross said Ida S. Baker has the highest attendance of all schools in Lee County because of the academies.
“Our attendance, out of all the schools, is the highest because of our academies,” said Gross. “They are the best of the best and like what they are doing.”
Gross said students from Ida S. Baker competed in medical math, medical terminology, medical photography, health poster and extemporaneous speaking.
In the speaking event, students were given a topic and allowed 10 minutes to prepare a speech on the topic. This year students were asked to give a speech on child obesity.
In April, seven students from Ida S. Baker will compete at the Florida State HOSA Conference in Orlando.
Sarver said any of the Feb. 12 winners who received the gold, silver or bronze are eligible to attend the state competition.
“It is up to schools how many they can afford or how much fund raising takes place,” said Sarver.
For more information, visit: www.hosa.org.