Buckeye Hills Career Center

Diversified Health Occupations

The Diversified Health Occupations program focuses on the concepts, knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for health care workers in hospitals, nursing homes, medical and dental offices, home health agencies, rehabilitation facilities, and veterinary clinics. Level I students receive classroom instruction in patient care skills, medical terminology, and care of medical and dental equipment. Laboratory experiences for the Level I student include practice of patient care skills, medical software programs, and a two-week field experience at various health care facilities. Students completing the seventy-five (75) hour Nurse Aide Course are eligible to participate in the state certification testing program. 

Level II Students have two options for training. Diversified Cooperative Health Occupations is a cooperative training program in which the student is employed for 15 hours per week in a health care facility/agency. Classroom instruction is focused on employment skills, workplace ethics, and advanced medical terminology. Patient Care Technician- Tech Prep is designed for students desiring advanced skill training and academic preparedness for education beyond high school. Academic courses include chemistry, algebra, and technical writing. Laboratory instruction will be focused on the skill training required for homemaker/home health aide, restorative/activity aide, EKG technician, and phlebotomy. Students completing the skill training will be eligible to participate in state and national certification testing programs. In 2003-2004 a strand was developed with pathways to Rio Grande Community College Radiologic Technology and Diagnostic Medical Sonography associate degree programs.

 The DHO program currently has 14 junior and 23 senior level students for academic year 2006-2007.

A new DHO strand in Health Information Management (HIM) designed to prepare students in the management of medical information was implemented in August 2002. The career area focus is on compilation, maintenance, and retrieval of records, reports and statistical data on clients receiving health services. 

The HIM program currently has 1 junior and 2 senior students enrolled for academic year 2006-2007.