The Roosevelt Park, Michigan campus of Ross Medical Education Center recognized the month of May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Each student from the Medical Assistant program, Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration program, and the Dental Assistant program was given packets that had information on mental health, addictions, signs to recognize issues, ways to help, and other great resources to support those in their community suffering from mental illness.
The campus also was thrilled to invite a special guest speaker from HealthWest to present on addictions and suicide prevention. According to their website, the mission of HealthWest is “To be a leader in integrated health care, inspiring hope and wellness in partnership with individuals, families, and the community.” Their speaker exemplified this by taking the time to outline for the students, staff, and faculty all of the incredible services offered in their local community. Many of the students shared that they were impressed by the variety and number of organizations and services in their area designed to help individuals and families struggling with the impact of mental illness.
In addition to the speaker from HealthWest, the Roosevelt Park campus was also fortunate enough to able to have guest speakers from the local Muskegon Health Department. These speakers came into the classrooms and presented to students, staff, and faculty. They spent time sharing meaningful statistics and information on the surrounding areas of prescription, alcohol, and other stimulant abuse and addictions. All classes were invited in and were able to get some valuable information and resources that they could use for their future patients as well as for friends and family. It was a very valuable and impactful presentation that will be useful to many students as they prepare for their career in healthcare whether as a medical assistant, medical biller/coder, or dental assistant.