HURON — Approximately 45 students from regional chapters of Health Occupation Students of America-Future Health Professionals (HOSA) recently attended a Mini Scrubs Camp, to experience hands-on learning about several health care careers.

The event was held at Huron Community Campus.

A variety of health care related skills-based activities were available, with students participating in each activity including clinical nursing, physical therapy, respiratory therapy and phlebotomy. Clinical health care professionals from a variety of organizations were on-site to demonstrate specific actions within each health care role and to provide students with an opportunity to try their hand at each skill.

“Scrub camps like this provide our students with the opportunity to try some of the skills their occupation would entail and gives them a better idea of whether or not this is the field they would like to go into,” said Rita Baszler-Lanners, School Nurse, Career and Technical Educator and HOSA co-advisor for the Huron School District.

Students participate in intubation and airway techniques to learn about respiratory therapy careers.

Several organizations supported event through providing education including Huron Regional Medical Center (HRMC), Southeast Technical College (SETC) and South Dakota State University (SDSU) BREATHE-SD Program.

Brock Rops, deputy director for the South Dakota Area Health Education Center and executive director for South Dakota HOSA, assisted in planning the event in Huron. “The mission of what we do in HOSA is to provide resources for any student with an interest in a health care career,” said Rops. “We want to nurture and encourage their interest through mentorship programs, mini camps, skill events, leadership academies, tours and speakers in the medical field in hopes that the students will work in health care in South Dakota one day.”

South Dakota HOSA was established in 2012.  The Huron Chapter was chartered in 2018 and is co-led by Lanners, Teresa Haatvedt, RN, BSN, and Rebekah Storm, DNP.  Iroquois and Wolsey-Wessington also have active HOSA chapters.