In January, the Penn State Beaver Office of Continuing Education will begin another series of educational programs for health care professionals who are preparing to become personal care home administrators and/or administrators and direct-care staff who must meet continuing education requirements. Individuals providing elder care for family members are also welcome to register.

The Penn State Beaver Office of Continuing Education offers professional programs, courses, and training opportunities for individuals and companies at all levels. Business, corporate training, engineering, health care, and credit certificates in homeland security and entrepreneurship are available and can be reviewed by visiting http://www.beaver.psu.edu/CE/profdev.htm or by contacting the Continuing Education Office at 724-773-3700 or beaverce@psu.edu.

Hundreds of Penn State Beaver students, faculty and staff attended the Fall Health Fair held Nov. 30 in the Student Union Building. The annual event is designed to provide Penn State students and employees with a variety of health-related information and updates. Representatives from various area health care offices were available to talk with visitors in groups as well as one-on-one. The Health Fair is sponsored by the campus Health Center and the Office of Student Affairs. For more information, contact Barb Kugel, campus nurse and health fair coordinator, at bxk31@psu.edu or 724-773-3955.

Penn State Beaver will host its annual health fair, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 30, in the lower lobby of the Student Union Building. The event is designed to provide Penn State students and employees with a variety of health-related information and updates. Representatives from various area health care offices will be on hand to talk with visitors. The health fair is sponsored by the campus Health Center and the Office of Student Affairs. For more information, contact Barb Kugel, campus nurse and health fair coordinator, at bxk31@psu.edu or 724-773-3955.

Tables have turned this summer at Mount Nittany Medical Center, as 29 Penn State students coach doctors at their jobs. Doctors are learning from a team of pre-med students how to transition from using handwritten medical records for patient discharges to electronic health records (EHR). Student coaches are stationed around the hospital from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week to help doctors learn EHR software. During downtime students have the opportunity to speak with doctors and nurses about their careers and the student's field of interest.

Caitlin Grim, a senior Penn State Health Policy and Administration student, has been honored as a 2010 recipient of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Early Career Healthcare Executive Regent's Award.

Penn State employees served by Geisinger physicians and services will be able to continue those services with coverage into the new year as part of the University's benefits package. Penn State administrators were notified today (Dec. 16) that an agreement has been reached between the University's health care administrator, Highmark Blue Shield, and the Geisinger Health System. All Geisinger providers will continue to be in the PPOBlue Network.

Penn State is continuing to keep employees up-to-date on information related to their health care benefits, following the recent announcement by Highmark that Geisinger Health System and its providers may not be part of the health care network after Dec. 31. A letter from Penn State is expected to reach employees over the coming days, however, in an effort to expedite the delivery of the information, a website has been created: http://ohr.psu.edu/benefits/insurance/health/geisinger-and-highmark.