New Scholarship Preserves SPC Educator’s Legacy

St. Petersburg College President Dr. Tonjua Williams fondly remembers her time working at the Health Education Center with her friend, the late Dr. Angela Cashwell Carney. The two often lunched together, planning their career moves and solidifying plans to earn their doctorate degrees. On November 29, Williams was one of several to speak in honor of Carney, whose husband, Dr. Conferlete Carney, endowed a scholarship for SPC Health Information Management students in her memory.

“She had such a warm, giving heart,” Williams said. “I’ve seen her do miraculous things for people at this college, including myself. It was such a blessing to the college to have had her here.”

Based on financial need, The Dr. Angela Rose Cashwell Carney Endowed Scholarship for Health Information Management Studies will be awarded each year to two students who are pursuing the Health Information Technology associate degree or the Health Service Administration bachelor’s degree. It covers the students’ tuition for the entirety of their program, as long as they stay eligible. Allied Health Sciences Dean Deanna Stentiford said Carney left a legacy that will live on forever.

“She dedicated her career to her students and SPC, and she really demonstrated the difference people can make,” Stentiford said. “Her legacy was spearheading and transforming the program into what it is today, and she was integral in getting the courses online in order to reach more students. She was a wonderful role model and example of what a professor should be. The endowment of this scholarship will allow her legacy to live on forever.”

Dr. Tonjua Williams, Denise Fonzo and Dr. Conferlete Carney

Dr. Conferlete Carney, a retired SPC educator and administrator, decided upon the endowed scholarship as a way to keep his wife’s name going and hopes it will generate awards to students for years to come.

“I wanted to do something good that was bigger than the human experience of Angela and I,” he said. “There is no better way to do this than with this scholarship.”

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New provost named for SPC’s Caruth Health Education Center

Dr. Eric Carver

St. Petersburg College has named Dr. Eric Carver as the provost of the college’s Caruth Health Education Center.

Dr. Carver has served in various roles at SPC including as HEC’s Interim Provost, Director (formerly Lead Faculty Associate) for the Center of Excellence for Teaching and Learning (CETL), and continuing contract faculty in the Health Information Technology department. He has also served as an adjunct for the Applied Ethics Department. Prior to his academic and administrative roles, he supported and managed grant projects that exceeded $3 million in federal and state funding for various programs within HEC.

Before joining SPC, Dr. Carver worked as a Financial Aid and Veteran Services advisor at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. In addition, his health administration experience also includes current service as a U.S. Air Force Reserve officer for the 920^th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida. He serves on several community boards including the Institutional Review Board for BayCare, Pinellas County Emergency Medical Services Advisory Committee and Leadership Pinellas.

Dr. Carver holds a doctoral degree in Health Sciences from Nova Southeastern and graduate degrees in both Public Administration and Bioethics & Medical Humanities. Additional graduate work includes certificates in Health Leadership & Management as well as Health Informatics. Other certifications include EMT, Practical Nursing, and Six Sigma Black Belt.

 

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SPC senior vice president honored for supporting Guard, Reserve service members

Last fall when Capt. Dr. Eric Carver, a decorated Air Force veteran, found out he needed to attend an 11-day training for his service in the Air Force Reserve, he knew it might be a problem, as he was serving as the interim provost at St. Petersburg College’s Caruth Health Education Center. He went to his supervisor, Senior Vice President of Student Services Dr. Tonjua Williams, for approval. She didn’t bat an eye and assured him that she would make sure that his post at the center would be taken care of in his absence.

This inspired Carver to nominate her for the Patriot Award, which is presented by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense affiliate.

“She was supportive, caring and genuine – all the attributes of an effective executive leader,” Carver said.

On Feb. 29, Williams was surprised and honored to be presented the award during an event on the HEC campus.

Tonjua Williams

“I was just floored,” she said. “It was a total surprise. As a college, SPC is very supportive of its employees. And I believe in what military personnel do, and I appreciate their sacrifice. I feel it is my duty to help them fulfill theirs.”

Carver said Williams deserves the award because she does a lot to serve veterans.

“She oversees Veterans Services for the college, and she supports my training as an Air Force Reserve officer. She sees my training as an asset to the college, because the more I learn, the more I can share.”

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SPC in the news: New St. Petersburg College degree aims to meet need for artificial limbs, braces

Bay News 9 reported on the college’s new Orthotics and Prosthetics Technology Associate Degree, which will be available to students this fall. Program Director Arlene Gillis was interviewed for the story and said the degree, the only one of its kind in the state, will “teach students the fundamentals of designing and fabricating prosthetic and orthotic devices.”

Research suggests the number of patients who will need this kind of care is increasing and current practitioners are retiring.

News about the degree also was posted in oandp.com, SmartBrief and Healio.com.

Video from the report also is available on the college’s YouTube channel.

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SPC now enrolling students in new Orthotics and Prosthetics Technology associate degree

St. Petersburg College, a national leader in orthotics and prosthetics training, is accepting applications through June 30 for its new two-year Associate in Science degree in Orthotics and Prosthetics Technology, the first and only associate degree for orthotic and prosthetic technicians in Florida.

For our info session: Monday, July 14 4-6 p.m. Health Education Center Apply for admission by June 30

The coursework, offered at SPC’s $11 million J.E. Hanger College of Orthotics and Prosthetics at the Health Education Center, meets a growing demand for certified technicians who can fabricate, repair and maintain quality orthotics and prosthetics under the direction of certified orthotists and prosthetists. The college has had a bachelor’s degree program in orthotics and prosthetics since 2005. This degree expands the options for students.

“St. Petersburg College is the only educational institution in the United States to offer orthotic and prosthetic education of all levels and scopes,” said Program Director Arlene Gillis. “Our Comprehensive Innovation Center houses O&P continuing education courses, certificate classes, an associate degree, bachelor’s degree and master’s level education. Having a complete orthotic and prosthetic career ladder means that SPC is a ‘one-stop shop’ for O&P education and students can enter the field in a variety of ways, adding to their credentials if they choose to continue their education.”

Orthotics and Prosthetics is an expanding health care field that involves evaluating, fabricating and custom fitting artificial limbs and orthopedic braces to help rehabilitate patients with disabling conditions. Demand for O&P professionals who can treat conditions brought on by age and rising rates of obesity and diabetes continues to grow, as do the educational requirements.

A recent study by the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education estimates that without an increase in O&P graduates, the number of practicing orthotists can serve just 61% of patients who need them. The study also projects the number of people using prostheses to increase by 50%. Currently, more than 54 million people experience functional limitations due to impairment or health conditions.

Careers in orthotics and prosthetics include practitioners (certified orthotists and certified prosthetists), pedorthists, assistants, fitters and technicians. The practitioner level provides comprehensive care, including assessment, treatment plans and practice management, and requires a master’s degree. Those who assist practitioners at various levels need post-secondary training and certifications.

Last year, SPC received part of an $11-million federal Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant aimed at expanding the number of trained, certified health care workers with expertise in orthotics and prosthetics.

In addition to the new A.S. degree, SPC also offers:

• A Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Orthotics and Prosthetics that can lead  to a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering, with a specialization in Engineering Management of Orthotics and Prosthetics at Florida State University
• Continuing education credits for O&P professional license renewals
• Mastectomy and Orthotic Fitter certificates that can apply to the associate degree

To help students master the computerized planning process, materials fabrication and professional patient skills they need on the job, SPC offers extensive facilities. These include 5,151 square feet of lab space with 48 individual work stations, 12 specialized fabrication devices, an overhead and wall projector system, and four industrial sewing machines; and 3,443 of lab support space for CAD/CAM systems, machining, laminating, plastering, thermal forming, mill/lathe and material testing.

For more information or to apply for the Orthotics and Prosthetics program, go to www.spcollege.edu/op or call 727-341-4153.

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In the news: Army sergeant nears dream of designing own prosthesis

The Tampa Tribune reported on the story of Army Sgt. 1st Class Billy Costello who, with the help of St. Petersburg College’s J.E. Hanger College of Orthotics and Prosthetics, is designing a device that would allow him to return to the level of activity he had as a Green Beret combat diver.

On Sept. 20, 2011, Costello stepped on an improvised explosive device in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. He lost his right leg above the knee.

Arlene Gillis, the college’s Orthotics and Prosthetics program director, is coordinating the effort. SPC is part of a consortium with Florida State University offering a master’s in industrial engineering, a specialization in the management of orthotics and prosthetics, the Tribune reported.

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More than 200 SPC students attend HEC Career Day

St. Petersburg College students learned about jobs/career opportunities and spoke with local health-related companies at Career Day Oct. 29 at the Caruth Health Education Center. Some of the participating vendors were BayCare Health System, HCA Hospitals, Gracewood Rehabilitation, Florida Hospital Carrollwood, Sunstar Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and more. As students visited vendor tables, they received a stamp on their attendance card. Once they had at least 10 stamps, they were entered into a drawing for three Publix gift certificates. HEC Career Day is held every spring and fall.

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