Center of Excellence for Health Professions Development (COE)

Main Strategies

• Assessment of the Healthcare Industry Needs for Continuing or Specialized Education
• Assess local educational needs in the healthcare industry.
• Offer customized curriculum and training as needed. 
• Evaluate online continuing education programs.
• Encourage continuing education as a tool for regional healthcare professionals to maintain competence and improve their practice. 

• Service Learning Initiative
• Plan trans-cultural community population-based clinical and community health experience for NAH senior students.
• Serve as a liaison between NAH’s students/instructors and the community. 
• Help students and instructors gain understanding of our communities. 
• Help students and instructors enhance their sense of personal values and civic responsibilities. 

• Lunch & Learn   
• Bring monthly seminars on emergent and important health issues.  
• Provide educational opportunities for students and faculty to enhance and refresh their practice.
• Presenters are potential employers for our students.

• Dine & Learn
• Bring monthly discussions and presentations for instructors.
• Instructors discuss and share learned successes or failures
• Instructors enhance teaching methodologies. 

• Nursing Re-Entry

• A 208 hour program designed for:
• nurses who need to reinstate licensure,
• nurses with current license but who have been out of practice for more than four years,
• nurses who are required to obtain a TX license (foreign or out-of-state), and
• nurses interested in professional development or a change of practice area. 

• NCLEX-RN Preparation
• A 101-hour curriculum
• Prepare international licensed nurses and graduates of US-approved nursing programs for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).  
• Serve as liaison for referrals to other healthcare programs.

• Healthcare Professionals Information & Referrals
• A gateway that assists international healthcare professionals in establishing a plan of action to enter the healthcare workforce. 
• Create referrals for STC’s continuing education institutes, NAH programs, and STC careers. 

• Community Health Outreach Committee- CHOC
• Bridge the gap between community resources and NAH students and instructors. 
• Provide scholarships to NAH students. 
• Showcase NAH technology and programs to the community, students and their parents through an annual event (Harvest of Health).

• Enrichment Seminars in Minority & US-Mexico Border Health
• Seminars for NAH senior students and students (MD, MPH, public health, and other health professions) enrolled at the South Texas Environmental Education and Research program at the University of Texas Health Science Center Regional Area Health Center in Harlingen. 

•  Community Service.  Director’s hours of community service are dedicated to the South Texas Promotores Association, Inc. (STPA), a grassroots, community-based organization that works on health education and promotion.  STPA is the largest association of certified Community Health Workers (CHW)/Promotores in Texas and in the nation and the official site for training & certification of CHW.
• Assist with Training and Certification of Community Health Workers/Promotores 
• Help obtain funds for STPA's community projects.