Category Archive

My Love and My Passion!!!! That is what I tell each and every student of my feelings about working in the medical field and as an instructor here at ATA College. Find what you truly love to do and run with it!!! In 1982 I became a Medical Assisting Graduate of Everest University located in Orlando Florida and started my career in the medical field. Over the past 29 years, I have worked both clinical and administrative positions of the medical office. With those years came many seminars and certifications that added to my education and advanced me to my current position as Instructor in the Medical Assisting, Medical Office Assisting and Medical Coding programs here at ATA.

November will complete my 4^th year here at ATA, what a true blessing ATA has been to my life. I have been given the opportunity to teach what I am passionate about and encourage many students to become all they ever dreamed to be. It is my goal each day to do all that I can to “lift” each student up. I love to share my years of real on the job stories to help the student’s get a visual of just what their future position will require. I try each day to bring to the classroom love, encouragement and most of all passion for a career that I personally feel is an excellent choice for their future.

I always welcome any opportunity to speak about ATA College. We have so much to offer with our programs. We are under the leadership of a truly good man (Don Jones) and he reminds the staff often that “customer service” is so very important to the success of ATA College.

I was born and raised in Louisville Kentucky.  A graduate from Sacred Heart Academy. I have two daughters, Carley Mueller Hallum- Buckingham and Morgan Elizabeth Hallum. I am a member and attend weekly Women’s Bible studies at Southeast Christian Church. I contribute financially to help support many who travel abroad on mission trips to follow their passion. As for me, well I am doing what I passionately love right here at ATA College!

Thank You to all the students who have touched my life beyond words that I could express or type.

With Love and Hugs

Ms Jaci

(Jacqueline Hallum)

 Introduction from Don Jones:

Kurt is a graduate of ATA College’s Practical Nursing Program. He is now completing an RN bridge program at the Shanghai Institute of Health Science (SIHS) in Shanghai, China. This is his second full year in China and he is scheduled to graduate in Spring 2012. ATA College originally signed an affiliation agreement with this college in the summer of 2010. The agreement allows for graduates of our Practical Nursing program to continue their education abroad in China. Eventually, ATA College hopes to offer an RN bridge program here in Louisville or at our college in Florida. Once we are approved to offer an RN program at either location, we can then enroll Chinese students that wish to study abroad in the United States. We are very excited about this mutually benefitting arrangement. The Chinese people and government place great value on quality education. This affiliation agreement once again affirms that ATA College is a quality organization that places student achievement and career success at the forefront.

Kurt Albright’s 4th Blog -Oct 4th 2011

The photo is from a small shopping street in our area of Shanghai

As I write this I can hear the fireworks exploding in the city.  We are in the middle of one of the Chinese holidays.  “Holiday” is a word I use loosely.  We work an extra two days next week to make up for the lost time.  Students will also go to class this Sunday to make up for missed classes.  It is interesting.  Actually, the break has been great.  I have eaten a ton of food that I can not pronounce or identify, and all of it has been really good.

Last week Chelina and I gave our first presentation at the hospital: introduce a new patient to the hospital ( the Chinese nurses did this quite effectively in English).  Next topic will cover the differences in scope of practice, which appear to be significant.

Last Tuesday on my way to work, five scooters were racing down the highway with pigs tied to the back seat.  One was dragging its little rear hooves on the ground.  It sounds very sad, but I don’t think it minded since it had already been butchered.  I didn’t really care why they were racing, I just wanted to know the prize for winning.  

A 5:30 a.m. bus ride generally means I get to see senior citizens practicing tai chi, kungfu and fan dancing.  Retirement here can happen at age 50 or so.  At 50 I am just getting started on a new career and striving for new goals (like attaching pictures to an e-mail. Next month I might even get an iPod).  

I have only walked 18 miles today, so now I am going to run stairs.  And, no, that is not a joke or sarcasm.  It has been a long, but very good day.  Next week I will send something else to significantly change the quality of your life (that is sarcasm.  I am probably having more fun writing this than you are reading it.)  

Kurt

View from the hospital where I work

Introduction from Don Jones:

Kurt is a graduate of ATA College’s Practical Nursing Program. He is now completing an RN bridge program at the Shanghai Institute of HealthScience (SIHS) in Shanghai, China. This is his second full year in China and he is scheduled to graduate in Spring 2012. ATA College originally signed an affiliation agreement with this college in the summer of 2010. The agreement allows for graduates of our Practical Nursing program to continue their education abroad in China. Eventually, ATA College hopes to offer an RN bridge program here in Louisville or at our college in Florida. Once we are approved to offer an RN program at either location, we can then enroll Chinese students that wish to study abroad in the United States. We are very excited about this mutually benefitting arrangement. The Chinese people and government place great value on quality education. This affiliation agreement once again affirms that ATA College is a quality organization that places student achievement and career success at the forefront.

Take two from the balcony

 Kurt Albright-3rd Entry Sept 26th 2011

Week 3 at the hospital: a lot of video transcription work and prep for a presentation that only partially happened.  Big thing here is to stay flexible.  And I just remembered my visa for China expires in two weeks.

Good news!  My 2:45 minutes of commute time ends in two weeks (not because my visa expires).  It looks like I will be moving into an apartment which is only two bus stops from the hospital: I am excited!   My roommate’s name is Quinnie.  She is a 30 year old Chinese lady working in Shanghai.  We have met in the past and hung out with a mutual friend.  She is happy to have an older roommate and I am happy to sleep in.  (Side note to Jo: don’t worry, I am not emotionally available.  For everyone else, you can ask Jo to explain.)

 Chinese class is going__________ (fill in the blank any way you wish.  The more negative the response, the closer to reality it will be).  We are using Sponge Bob Square Pants for the video segment: hilarious.  Quinnie has already told me once I move in to the apartment I have to speak Chinese and she will speak English.  In other words, we won’t speak to each other.  We’ll get along great.  Actually her English is really good so she will do all the talking (sounds like marriage).

 Coming here is still one of the easiest decisions I have had to make,

 Next week: Chinese Opera and hopefully some pictures 

Her fellow instructors describe her as:

• A wonderful person
• Like a ray of sunshine
• Passionate about our students and their learning experience.
•  Having  a positive outlook on life
• “The Muffin Lady”
• A gem to say the least

If you haven’t guessed it…… this instructor is Nancy Aguiar! 

Nancy teaches Medical Administrative Procedures, Keyboarding, Medical Law and Ethics, and Medical Records Management.  This week, Nancy was asked to write a couple of paragraphs introducing herself to the ATA community.

 I consider myself highly privileged to be part of the adjunct faculty for ATA College!  October 12 will be my second anniversary here in Louisville.  I have LOVED my experiences (for the most part!)…our school is SO supportive; the people SO diverse, the mission and message of knowledge and successes-in-the-making are clear and paramount!   When I considered coming to work here it was because Evelyn Kaufman said the Director of Education was looking for people who “were passionate about teaching and loved people.”  She hit me at the heart level!  That’s me!  My Program Directors that I report to are Julie Pope (MA) and Melissa Oeth (General Education).  LOVE THESE LADIES!  I feel SO BLESSED to be part of this great movement of empowering people to fulfill their full potential!

I am happily married to my husband, Ron, of 34 years.  He is the Director of Safety + Security at Southeast Christian Church. Our daughter, Becky, (to be married in December!), works for the American Cancer Society in Atlanta.  Our son, Scott, works for Technicare, here in Louisville.  Two wonderful kids that we are indeed so fortunate to call our own!

Indebted!

Love, Nancy

Introduction from Don Jones-

Kurt is a graduate of ATA College’s Practical Nursing Program. He is now completing an RN bridge program at the Shanghai Institute of Health Science (SIHS) in Shanghai, China. This is his second full year in China and he is scheduled to graduate in Spring 2012. ATA College originally signed an affiliation agreement with this college in the summer of 2010. The agreement allows for graduates of our Practical Nursing program to continue their education abroad in China. Eventually, ATA College hopes to offer an RN bridge program here in Louisville or at our college in Florida. Once we are approved to offer an RN program at either location, we can then enroll Chinese students that wish to study abroad in the United States. We are very excited about this mutually benefitting arrangement. The Chinese people and government place great value on quality education. This affiliation agreement once again affirms that ATA College is a quality organization that places student achievement and career success at the forefront.

 Kurt’s First Entry:

To start with, my name is Kurt. After completing my LPN course work at  ATA, I ended up in Shanghai, China to work on my RN degree.  ATA has asked me to write a blog describing my experiences in Shanghai, which I am happy to do.  First the disclaimer.  I am not a writer.  I am certainly not a humorist, and generally speaking, I am not into blogs. Until I became a student at ATA, I wouldn’t even do e-mails on a regular basis (which resulted in a lot of unpleasant phone calls from irritated friends).  Essentially I am technologically illiterate.  I didn’t send my first text message until last year when I came to China. (My phone in the U.S. still has a retractable antenna).  My long-term goal is to learn how to attach a photo to an e-mail.

Now that I have properly lowered the bar on expectations I will explain how a nursing student from ATA becomes a nursing student in Shanghai: I don’t know.  Really, I don’t exactly know.  Don Jones, the president of ATA, somehow had a contact in Beijing, who somehow had a contact in Shanghai, that somehow got me here.  And I am not sure that is exactly correct.  Anyway, I am in Shanghai and I have been asked to write a diary.  I will start my diary next week with updates on a weekly basis. Feel free to send me a comment or e-mail a question.  I have also included my telephone number in Shanghai–given my disclaimer, you can probably guess why.  

Kurt

e-mail: albrightkurt@yahoo.com

Tel #: 13761713641

LaKeesha Turner was gracious enough to write a lovely piece describing her experience as a volunteer at Dress For Success.  ATA is very excited to have such a wonderful individual representing our school.  Please read about her experience below.

Awesome. Inspiring. Fantastic.

These are words that I use to describe how I felt volunteering last week with Dress for Success.

Awesome: I woke up Thursday morning to the sun shining into my bedroom and I remember thinking…. Today is going to be a great day! I arrived at the boutique ready to train and learn the ropes of this wonderful organization with a huge smile on my face. The staff and volunteers welcomed me with open arms and introduced me to their routine. After a quick run through I was now a personal shopper. My job for the next few hours was to work one-on-one with clients to help ladies select professional attire and provide encouragement to these awesome ladies as they prepared for their interviews.

Inspiring: Walking throughout the boutique with the ladies was truly inspiring and eye opening. We talked goals, dreams and aspirations. All of the women I assisted felt positive about their upcoming interviews and were excited to ‘shop’ for attire. We tried on blouses, slacks, suits, shoes, jewelry, hand bags and more. Every woman that stepped from behind the dressing room curtain would have the biggest smile on her face. Some hummed songs, some outright laughed, and one lady cried she was so happy. “LaKeesha, you are truly my angel” one lady said to me. She hugged me goodbye and said she’d think of me when, not if, she got her job!

Fantastic: As the hours dwindled down to minutes I took a moment to ponder all that I’d accomplished in so little time. I’d ‘shopped’ for clothes, gave interviewing tips, words of encouragement and even passed out some hugs. I walked to my car feeling fantastic! I felt honored and privileged to have assisted these fabulous women who all want nothing more than to improve their lives for not only themselves but for their families, too. Will I return to help in the future… absolutely! Dress for Success has a new volunteer who is committed to helping in any way that I can. Awesome. Inspiring. Fantastic.

Go ahead and volunteer! I guarantee you’ll have a wonderful time and walk away feeling like you truly helped someone. Hope to see you there!

Greetings from the Florida Campuses!

Would you like a glimpse into the life of ATA students in Florida?
We currently have 2 locations, one in Largo and one in Spring Hill.

Our MA’s and MCB’s have fun and study hard!

(more…)

Career Services is pleased to announce a new affiliation agreement between ATA College and Baptist Healthcare. This exciting relationship allows ATA students to participate in externship programs at more than 20 Baptist Medical Associate facilities, 4 Baptist Urgent Care facilities and 4 Baptistworx locations.

This is a great opportunity for ATA students in our various allied health programs to gain hands-on experience at one of Louisville’s largest healthcare providers. Baptist employs a large number of ATA graduates and I expect this trend to continue as Baptist managers are able to get to know our students and see them in action during the externship.

We are very excited about this opportunity and look forward to further developing this relationship.  

–Brett Weber

Director of Career Services

Pictured L to R: Katie Bechtold, Kathy Johnson, Brett Weber and Bree Couch (Not pictured Lee Ann Wilson)

Some of you recognize him as the president of ATA College, while others of you see him as “the boss.”   When I see him, I’m more inclined to view him as the boys in the green pride at Camp Boggy Creek do; they recognize Don Jones as one of their summer camp counselors.  What you might not know about Don Jones is that he spent this past June volunteering a week of his time at Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis, Fl.  Camp Boggy Creek is no ordinary camp-It’s a magical place that serves seriously ill children ages 7-16.  Boggy is a year round facility that offers both family weekends and week long summer sessions.  The children served at Boggy suffer from heart problems, hemophilia, cancer, epilepsy, severe asthma, spinal bifida, sickle cell, and have immune deficiency problems.

                This was Don’s second time volunteering at Boggy, having spent a week in the summer of 2007 in the green pride, during Asthma week.  Don returned to the green pride this summer working with the oldest campers during the week of Hemophilia.  At Boggy, the volunteer’s description is very simple: Make sure the kids have the best week of their lives.  No one spends time at Boggy and calls it volunteering or work.  If you’re at Boggy, you’re simply playing with kids 100% of the time and that’s exactly what Don did with his boys who ranged in age from 13-15.  He let his boys paint his bald head green for Silly Olympics, he danced to Justin Bieber in the dining hall, and participated in late night sneak outs with his cabin, even though it was way past his bedtime.  If you saw him at camp you’d never know that the man playing basketball in the pool or eating spaghetti without hands or utensils is 55 years old.  You’d never convince his 13, 14, and 15 year old boys that he normally wears a tie and dress shirt to work.  His boys would laugh at his professional attire as they’re used to a guy in a baseball hat that takes them fishing in the morning and attempts to dance the Dougie, despite his lack of rhythm.  His boys would never believe you if you said Don is worried about people messing up his painted walls at work because the Don they know isn’t afraid of a food fight and is a fierce competitor during the camp “aquatic activity,” also known as the water fight.  One of Don’s campers said it best during the afternoon web of kindness, “I’ve been a camper for seven years and Don is the best camp counselor I’ve ever had.”  That’s pretty powerful stuff, especially since it’s coming from a 15 year old boy who wasn’t afraid to stand in front of the whole camp and say it.

                When he wasn’t playing with his boys, he spent time helping them to deal with their illness.  Hemophilia is a medical condition in which one’s blood struggles to clot, often due to a lack of factor VIII.  Those suffering from hemophilia may bleed internally especially at their joints: knees, elbows, ankles etc.  The bleeding can damage organs and tissues and may be life threatening.  Children at Camp Boggy Creek are given the unique opportunity to learn how to self-infuse.  Self-infusing is an injection of factor that gives blood the ability to clot.  The kids at camp learn how to self-infuse by infusing others.  Don volunteered to let one of his boys, Jacob, practice sticking him.  While he was willing to let Jacob practice for however long, the camper only stuck him twice because he didn’t want to hurt Don.  I was interested to know if the experience was painful and when I asked Don, he responded, “Saying goodbye to my boys was the hardest part of camp, not getting stuck with a needle.”  Don poured his heart into his week at camp and with that he made life- long friendships.

                It’s a tradition at camp to end the day and night with a cabin chat.  During this nightly ritual, both campers and counselors go around the room and reflect on the day.  Don was shocked to hear one of his campers, who had been recently placed in foster care, announce to the cabin that he would like to have a dad like Don.  Perhaps if you are reading this now, you too are shocked because you’ve only known Don Jones to be the business type.  Despite your understanding of Don Jones, you should know he’s much more than president of your school and much more than just your boss.  He’s a man that really wants to leave a positive mark on this world.  Don wants his character to be revealed in every avenue of his life whether it’s his relationship with his family and friends, or how he runs a school community.   And with that, the boys comment in the cabin chat that night came as no surprise to me, as it seems to only reaffirm my three favorite words to say when Don’s near:  “That’s my dad!”

Dad and I at boggy 2007 during his first volunteer experience