Alan is an Irish educated paramedic with previous experience in a variety of settings in Ireland, Europe, North America and the Middle East. He is adjunct faculty with Portland Community College, faculty in the paramedic programs at Fanshawe College, London, Ontario, Canada and a Paramedic Educator with Hamilton Health Sciences in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He is also a Prehospital Emergency Care and First Aid Program Manager with the International Committee of the Red Cross. He provides consultancy services to a number of organizations worldwide on research, clinical governance and educational matters. He is an editor and peer-reviewer for several publications including the Irish Journal of Paramedicine, and has affiliations with several organizations around the world as a paramedic researcher. 

Alan joins the Functional Nutrition instructor team to bring his expertise of research to the program. As a functional nutritionist, it is vitally important to discern between science-based and non science-based research. Alan has a background in teaching paramedics, and for the Functional Nutrition program he teaches the Research and Evidence-Based Practice for Nutritional Therapy course in Term 1. 

Alan also teaches in the Foundations of Clinical Research program in the modules Good Clinical Practice and Overview of Study Design.

Have you considered a career in healthcare? Are you organized, efficient, detail-oriented, consistent in your work, and do you have a desire to play a vital role in a hospital or clinical setting? If so, Medical Coding may be the perfect career for you.

The following information will explore how to become a medical coder and start your healthcare career.

If you have ever considered starting a career in the healthcare field and enjoy working with people, consider becoming a patient access specialist. In this role, you will work directly with patients and their families—performing registration duties, medical billing submissions, insurance verification and authorization requests, and financial counseling—all while providing excellent customer service and ensuring compliance to regulatory agencies through adherence to strict patient safety policies.

Tweet: A certified nursing assistant (CNA) works under the direction of a licensed nurse—registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN).

A certified nursing assistant (CNA) works under the direction of a licensed nurse—registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN). CNAs do not perform nursing duties, but rather assist with healthcare related tasks and act as a liaison between patients and nurses. There are two levels: CNA 1 and CNA 2. Both require state certification; however, should one desire to work in a hospital setting, a CNA 2 certification is required. CNAs work in a variety of healthcare settings and are responsible for taking vital signs, height and weight measurements, assisting with bathing, toileting, dressing needs, and other daily care needs that an individual may require assistance with.

You’ve decided you want to start a career in healthcare, but with all of the the many options available you may be unsure about which path to take. In this post we’re going to focus on the perks of one specific healthcare career, and that’s medical coding. Medical coders play an integral role in healthcare and are relied upon to translate physician notes into regulated medical codes for physicians and for insurance reimbursement. A medical coder must sift through and decipher medical jargon, physician handwriting, and complex cases to ensure the correct ICD codes are assigned in order to provide the best fiscal outcomes for patients and medical facilities.

Every 43 seconds, someone in the U.S. experiences a heart attack, many of which can result in fatal cardiac arrest. Considering the fact that the Obama Administration started the Million Hearts initiative five years ago, setting the goal to prevent 1 million strokes and heart attacks by 2017, it's no surprise that late last month, President Obama officially proclaimed February 2016 American Heart Month. He also strongly encouraged people to participate in National Wear Red Day (Feb. 5) to share love and support for those struggling with heart disease.

Jessica Larsen has a dream of someday becoming a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Today she is one giant leap closer to her dream thanks to her Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) 1 and 2 training at PCC CLIMB.

Updated June 8, 2022

There's something especially rewarding about careers that allow you not just to make a living, but help people as well. That’s the precise reason why many people choose to work in healthcare. But you don’t have to work as a doctor, there are plenty of other jobs in healthcare where you can make a difference.

There are a wide variety of technicians and support staff that work hard day-in and day-out to support their fellow medical professionals. Here we’ll take a look at a day in the life of a sterile processing technician as one example of an important healthcare career that you may not be familiar with.

Illness — acute or chronic — or injuries can interrupt life dramatically. The rise and fall of emotions in reaction to an illness, injury, or surgery can create instability, numbness, and a sense of hopelessness. A cancer diagnosis can take a person through dozens of emotions in a single minute. Fear of the unknown, loss of control, confusion, grief, anger, depression, and anxiety can hit hard. Who will be there to help this person during this surreal and scary time?

As a healthcare professional, your communication skills need to be stellar and a top priority. Good communication skills are required by ALL healthcare professionals, not just by the social workers and psychologists. Active listening, responding appropriately to patient’s needs and concerns, properly assessing body language, and possessing a non-judgmental attitude are all necessary skills that healthcare workers need to possess. The importance of communication in the healthcare industry can help prevent injuries and death, increase trust between the patient and the caregiver, and strengthen relationships with other staff members. This post will discuss how communication can save lives in healthcare and increase success on the job. 

Updated March 9, 2022

Going into the healthcare field is one of the most rewarding career choices one can make. But, due to the nature of the industry, it often doesn’t leave much time — or energy — for basic personal health. In fact, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which left healthcare systems scrambling with high turnover and capacity issues, 62 percent of nurses in a national survey reported experiencing symptoms of burnout. It's also common for healthcare professionals to experience chronic illness, in addition to risking exposure to contagions like COVID-19.

It’s important that healthcare professionals are working to stay healthy and happy, despite the odds, by committing to reducing stress, eating better, and making changes to their lifestyles.