One of the most exciting aspects of being part of the Ross family is the opportunity to work with and learn from the healthcare professionals in the community. Students benefit greatly from these professionals during their externship experience, but even before there are many opportunities to gain knowledge from them. One of the most common ways is by having guest speakers from local agencies, organizations, and offices.
This fall, staff, faculty, and students from the Ross Medical Education Center campus in Knoxville, Tennessee got the privilege of hearing from Kelsie Crittendon, the East Tennessee Spokesperson and Development Manager from the March of Dimes. Kelsie was able to provide knowledge about the March of Dimes and the things that are available through their organization. She als shared about ways that, as a community, everyone can give their time or monetary donations to assist premature babies and families.
Kelsie shared a lot of important information with the Ross community beginning with the fact that premature birth is the number one killer of babies in America. There are over 15 million babies born prematurely each year in America and about one million will die according to the research from the March of Dimes.
As a follow up from her visit, Kelsie and the Knoxville campus were able to visit UT Hospital’s NICU floor for a field trip. Visiting the babies and taking a tour of the unit was very impactful to those able to participate. The nurses on the floor really take pride in their care for their babies and families. “It was amazing to see how the different machinery operated to help sustain the babies,” shared April Thomas, instructor for the Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration program. “The staff were friendly, amazing, thorough, and we could tell this was a passion, not just a job. They discussed with students how they are working to expand and get more privacy rooms for the babies and the families. The field trip was an eye opening experience for students.”