A regional college health conference has invited three of the staff members from University Health Services at the University of Massachusetts to be speakers at an annual event.
The conference is being held by the New England College Health Association (NYSCHA) and the New York State College Health Association (NECHA). NYSCHA holds an annual meeting every October and combines the meeting with NECHA every two years.
The meetings are for anyone who wishes to become more aware of college health services and issues. This includes students, who are encouraged to attend the event. It has been regular practice to invite UHS staff to speak at the event.
According to the NYSCHA Web site, “The NYSCHA/NECHA Combined Annual Meeting is designed for anyone with an interest in college health – physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, health educators, social workers, mental health professionals, administrators, clinical support staff and students.”
The UMass staff speakers are Frederick H. Bloom, O.D., Pierre Rouzier, M.D. and Tom Schiff, Ed.D.
Bloom will be giving a discussion on “Red Eye and Selected Ocular Emergencies” with emphasis on diagnosis and treatment. He has been actively involved in the Five Colleges for more than 30 years.
Rouzier will be speaking on the “Common Problems of the Elbow, Wrist and Hand,” as his position as physician at UHS entails the role of a sports medicine expert. He is an assistant professor at UMass as well as author of The Sports Medicine Patient Advisor.
Schiff’s session will be with the focus of a number of male health issues ranging from violence to diversity, entitled “Healthy Guise? Some Realities of College Men’s Health.” He draws from his experience as leader of the Student Health Advisory Board and member of the Social Justice Education program.
In addition to the speakers, there will be companies promoting products and amenities that are relevant to the themes of the event. Also, adding a wider scope to the conference are several nonprofit organizations that will be making various presentations.
This year the event will be held in New York from Oct. 10-12 at the Saratoga Hotel and Conference Center.
Saratoga Springs was the choice location for this year due to the travel convenience for both New England participants as well as the New Yorkers.
The event opens on a Wednesday at 11:45 p.m. with a luncheon and a keynote speaker and closes on Friday at 12:15 p.m. Events will run from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday with several breaks in between speakers.
This is to encourage those in attendance to interact with the speakers.
There are a wide range of topics being discussed this year, covering everything from MySpace and studying abroad to the HPV vaccine and eating disorders.
