Our goal here is to present—to the world at large, and especially to our alumni—the remarkable scholarly, career, and community activities taking place within Heritage; to celebrate the achievements of our faculty and students; and to highlight recent initiatives that have already begun to enhance Heritage’s distinctiveness and preeminence among the nation’s leading career colleges.
Our newsletter also gives our students and alumni useful information, tips, and tools for use in their careers. In this issue, for example, we offer online resources for graduates who operate small businesses.
At Heritage, we operate on a single guiding principle: Education is the key to a better life. We believe everyone should have a career doing something they love. The programs we offer are carefully chosen on the basis of market demand and are specifically designed to train our students quickly for fulfilling careers that they can start upon graduation.
Many thanks, as always, for your interest and support.
Dick Shepard
President
Kansas City -- The Heritage College Campus in Kansas City has moved to a new location. The new campus is located at 1200 East 104th Street in Kansas City.
“Our new campus is beautiful,” said Heritage College Director Larry Cartmill. “We’ve been growing so fast that it’s great to have a little elbow room. With a student body of well over 500 students, we had really outgrown our old facility. Now we have room to expand.”
The new Kansas City Heritage campus has over 25,700 feet of space for classrooms, labs, clinics, and administration. Some of the exciting features of the new campus include a state-of-the-art gymnasium, a spa-like massage clinic, an expanded library, a computer classroom that now provides virtual library service, and a high-tech x-ray lab.
Heritage College and Heritage Institute are now offering an exciting new degree program called X-Ray Medical TechnicianSM. This program is designed to train students to become medical assistants who are more competitive in the workplace because they have limited-scope x-ray skills in addition to their medical assisting training.
Medical assistants work in doctor’s offices, clinics, HMOs, extended living facilities, urgent care facilities, and other medical organizations. Their work can include patient intake, vital signs, phlebotomy, diagnostic testing, sutures & dressings, health information management, medical billing and coding, medical office administration, laboratory services, and more.
“It’s all about giving our graduates a competitive edge in the market place,” said Heritage Director, Tess Anderson. “It has become so difficult to hire, train, and retain medical assistants that employers have become increasingly selective in their hiring process. Our grads will go into a job interview with the compelling advantage of a double set of high-demand skills.”
Because demand for skilled medical personnel exceeds supply, medical employers are discovering a tremendous need to hire workers who have the broadest possible skill set.
Dr. Gregory Morrow, M.D., F.A.C.S, who sits on the Heritage Institute Advisory Board, had this to say with regard to the value of Heritage X-Ray Medical TechnicianSM graduates: “In today’s medical business climate, where controlling medical costs is the name of the game, having employees with more diverse skill sets has increasingly become an asset for medical offices of all kinds.”
Medical assisting requires a diverse set of skills and talents.
“My medical assisting career has been especially rewarding because of the broad variety of tasks & duties involved,” said Heritage X-Ray Medical TechnicianSM instructor David Deegan. “You do something different every day. It’s fast-paced. One moment you’re doing a blood draw, a minute later you’re soothing a scared child and a few minutes later you’re developing X-Ray film. It’s people intensive. One thing is for sure, medical assistant work is never boring!”
Another advantage of the Heritage X-Ray Medical TechnicianSM program is that it can serve as an excellent entry to the medical field for people who have no prior medical experience.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov/oco/ocos164.htm) reports that medical assistants held about 387,000 jobs in 2004. They report that employment of medical assistants is expected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014 as the health care industry expands because of technological advances in medicine and the growth and aging of the population. Increasing utilization of medical assistants in the rapidly growing health care industry will further stimulate job growth. In fact, medical assistant is projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations over the 2004–14 period. The BLS projects medical assistant employment to grow 27% or more between 2004 and 2014.
“It’s a fantastic career path,” said Anderson. “The best advice I can give a person looking for a new career is to choose a field that is in high demand and get the best training you can find. That’s why we created our X-Ray Medical TechnicianSM program. It’s a well-rounded curriculum that was carefully designed to make our graduates extremely valuable to employers.”
The Heritage X-Ray Medical TechnicianSM program offers an occupational associate degree that includes training in limited-scope x-ray in addition to a traditional medical assistant curriculum. Limited-scope x-ray operators are not radiologists, but they can do many of the routine x-ray tasks that are common in most medical offices.
Heritage College & Heritage Institute offer programs that can be completed quickly (usually less than 14 months).
Our programs have been carefully chosen to lead to careers that are in high demand in the marketplace.
Oklahoma City - Have you ever wondered what a career in Massage Therapy might be like? This story profiles the first year of the career of an Oklahoma City Heritage College Massage Therapy graduate.
Cheryl Vanover graduated from Heritage College in Oklahoma City in 2005.
Cheryl started her career in her home and recently moved her office to downtown Anadarko, OK. From the time she started her business, she has approximately quadrupled her clientele.
Internship
“I love my career,” Cheryl said. “I’m extremely grateful to Heritage for arranging an internship for me at OU Medical Center-Center For Healthy Living. That was an awesome experience. The clientele I met there became the foundation for my business. I have kept a lot of my clientele from there, I go to their homes now, and they pay me to travel there.”
Event Marketing
Cheryl markets her business primarily by giving massages at events and through various organizations.
“I’ve been really creative about finding places to demonstrate my skills and build new client relationships,” she said. “You just need to get out and do it. The people I’ve met at these events have become regular clients for me and I expect most of them to keep coming back for many years to come.”
Some of the events and organizations that Cheryl has worked include:
- Native American health fairs
- Sports massage for the Colorado State Womens’ Swimming & Diving team at the Mountain West Conference Championships
- Sports massage on the Riverside Indian School's boys basketball team
- On-site chair massage at the Willow Creek Golf Tournament-Willow Creek Country Club in Oklahoma City
- Corporate Clients – “I have a company I go to every now & then in Oklahoma City to do on-site chair massage on their employees.”
Word-of-Mouth
The ultimate marketing tool in Cheryl’s success has been word-of-mouth. “I have "big-dogs" for clientele in the city, a dentist (client) just bartered with me to do some dental work on my husband, a couple of lawyers, accountants, councilors. I have some clientele in Lawton, OK as well. I go just about everywhere I'm needed. Most of my clients have found me by word of mouth. I like it that people hear about me and say ‘Oh, you're Cheryl the massage therapist, I need to come see you.’ I guess I'm doing something right!”
Web Marketing
Another key marketing tool is the internet. Cheryl has built an excellent website www.bodymechanicmassage-ok.com that is driving new business for her. Note to Heritage grads: when you build a website, email your web address (url) to our webmaster at info@heritage-education.com and we’ll put a link to your site on the Heritage site – www.heritage-education.com.
Many Heritage graduates operate their own businesses. They enjoy the freedom and unlimited potential that can only come from working for themselves.
Owning a business has many advantages over working for some one else. You can set your own hours and you can’t be down sized or fired. If you run your business well, you can also make more money.
Working for yourself also has more challenges than working an ordinary job. You have to make bookkeeping arrangements. You are responsible for your facility. And, perhaps most of all, you have to find your own clients.
So how do you tell the marketplace about your business and convince them to become your customers, without going broke in the process?
In the first of our series on operating a successful small business, Heritage has prepared two articles about marketing for small business owners. These articles are available on our website. We invite you to visit our site to read the following stories:
These articles have been designed to make marketing your business easy. They include examples, easy-to-understand instructions, common sense advice, and step-by-step walkthroughs.
Follow the steps in these marketing primers, and you’ll be on your way to building a client base that will sustain your business for years to come.
Falls Church – Ten Therapeutic Massage students realized a professional dream this football season by performing sports massage therapy on NFL players.
“It’s like starting at the very top,” said Sarah Watua, Heritage Institute Assistant Director of Education, “An opportunity to work on athletes of this caliber doesn’t come along every day.”
The program consisted of five days of work, over several weeks, during the Washington Redskins training camp. The students were invited to the Redskins training facility where they had the opportunity to massage Redskins players. Participating Redskins players included Clinton Portis, Randy Thomas and many more.
The players were extremely impressed with the Heritage students. In fact, several of them have continued working with players through the football season.
During training camp, the students met with Washington Redskins Head Coach, Joe Gibbs, who expressed his gratitude and his belief in the value of sports massage. He told the students that they should be extremely proud of their profession.
Participating students also had the opportunity to tour the Redskins training facility, were invited into the players’ VIP lounge, and received Redskins merchandise as gifts of appreciation from the team.
The ten Falls Church students were chosen from among many applicants to participate in the program on the basis of good grades, attendance, and attitude. The students who participated were: Glenn Low, Kristina Jacobson, Dana Hill, Mary Bess, Kimberly Strait, Cameo Person, Rachel Sander, Arthur Dunbar, Albi Sadikaj, and Andria Johnson.
Jacksonville Student Hired to do Sports Massage
for the Florida Gators
Jacksonville – Lindsay Simons, a therapeutic massage student at Heritage Institute in Jacksonville, landed a dream job working for the University of Florida’s football team as a sports massage therapist.
“I can’t imagine a better first job,” Simons said. “Not only am I a huge fan of the Gators, but I strongly believe that sports massage has become an indispensable tool for top athletes. I’d love to make sports massage my specialty in my career.”
“Networking was the key,” Simons said. “I gave a massage to a friend of my boyfriend, who just happened to play for the Gators. He was so impressed that he mentioned me to the coaching staff and arranged an interview for me with the Athletic Director, and the rest is history. I start as soon as I graduate. I would give my fellow students one piece of advice: Just start working. You’ll meet people, and they’ll know other people, and opportunities will follow. Get out there and use your valuable new skills!”
Ft. Myers – In our rapidly-changing modern world, professionals need to constantly improve and expand their skills & knowledge. This philosophy is as important for massage therapists and allied health workers as it is for doctors and scientists.
Heritage Institute students and staff in Ft. Myers were inspired last year by the adventures of Nancy Brinkley who traveled to China for in-depth training in Eastern medicine philosophies & techniques.
Nancy was honored to be selected to participate in the professional exchange program. “I was extremely excited,” she said, “but a little nervous as well. I really had to summon up my courage to travel alone to such an exotic place.”
“After a 27 hour flight, I landed at the Beijing Airport. I know I shouldn’t have been surprised, but none of the signs were in English and armed soldiers were everywhere. I had learned about 20 phrases of Chinese, which I somehow used, along with hand-gestures, to make my way to the Chinese People’s Republic Hotel.”
“The hotel was very nice. After a hot shower and a bite to eat, I began to get over my culture shock. I was proud of myself for getting this far, and I began growing excited about all of the wonderful things I was going to learn.”
Nancy attended a 3-week exchange program at the Beijing Massage Hospital, where she studied the TuiNa technique and wellness routine, Guashan therapy, acupressure and cupping, and Baguan therapy, as well as basic Chinese medicine theory including traditional techniques & therapies.
“Since I got back, I've begun using TuiNa techniques in my private practice,” said Brinkley. “I’ve been using it in combination with aromatherapy to help Parkinson's patients and have been extremely impressed with their receptiveness to the techniques.”
“The experience has also helped me in my teaching. It has given me a more broadly holistic understanding of traditional Chinese medicine that makes me more authoritative as an instructor. In addition, the teaching techniques I witnessed in China have made it easier for me to simplify concepts to make comprehension easier for my students.”
Kansas City - In Autumn of 2006, an X-Ray Medical Student at Heritage College in Kansas City suffered a terrible tragedy. She lost her two-year-old sister in a house gas explosion and her step-mother was severely burned over 80 % of her body.
The family’s home and possessions were completely destroyed. The student and her family incurred enormous funeral and medical expenses. They also were faced with the cost of replacing their home and possessions.
Kansas City’s students, faculty, and staff showed their support and care by holding several fund raisers and taking donations.
“There’s no way money can make up for such a great loss,” said Heritage College Director Larry Cartmill. “But I am deeply touched by the spirit of community displayed so generously by our students and staff.”
Heritage College appreciates and thanks everyone who donated money, time, and energy to help meet this need.
The student’s name is intentionally not listed in this story for the sake of privacy.
Heritage Students Honored as Students of the Year
Denver - Four Heritage College students in Denver have been awarded “Student of the Year” honors by the Colorado Private School Association (CPSA) for the 2006 school year.
“We are extremely proud of our students,” said Heritage College Director Jennifer Sprague, “It’s amazing how hard they work. Our students understand the value of education and the determination they demonstrate to build a better life for themselves is humbling. Heritage is deeply committed to nurturing that hunger for self-improvement.”
The award winners are determined on four primary factors: Commitment, Performance, Leadership and Professionalism. CPSA places emphasis on the student’s career goals in selecting the winners.
In order to be considered, the student must be nominated for the award by a member of the faculty or staff of their school.
The Heritage College students honored for 2006 are:
Ida Giron, X-Ray Medical TechnicianSM - “Student of the Year”
Misty Koblischke, Esthetician - “Meritorious Recognition”
Eric Ortegon, X-Ray Medical Technician(SM) - “Meritorious Recognition”
Beatrice Moore, Massage Therapist - “Meritorious Recognition”
The staff and faculty of Heritage College extend heartfelt congratulations to the winners!
Heritage Manassas Holds Fundraiser for
Injured Student
Manassas - Part of the time-tested formula for success is overcoming obstacles. Everyone faces challenges on the road to fulfilling their dreams, and the people who refuse to quit are usually the ones who triumph. Sometimes, however, we all need a little help.
The students, faculty, and staff of Heritage take pride in their community spirit and their dedication to helping each other succeed.
“I’m always impressed with the way we support each other,” said Heritage Institute Manassas Director Tess Anderson. “When any member of the Heritage community needs help, everyone pitches in.”
So it’s not surprising that when a cosmetology student at Heritage Institute in Manassas experienced a terrible string of bad luck this autumn, the school’s staff, students, faculty, and advisory board immediately pitched in to help.
The student suffered a painful setback to her career plans when she was involved in an off-road ATV accident. She broke her neck in the crash and required emergency surgery. In addition to her neck injury, the student also broke her arm, some ribs and several teeth.
To make matters worse, the student did not have health insurance.
As if to add insult to injury, her car was broken into soon thereafter. The thief smashed her car window with a crowbar and made off with the student’s cosmetology kit and books.
The student, who had expected to graduate in November, now faced mounting expenses, physical therapy, additional surgeries, and a long recovery period. Many people would have given up, or at least put their dreams and plans on hold. Not this student. Her education was her number one concern. Her friends & teachers at Heritage were shocked when she visited the school just days after the accident to declare her determination to return to school as soon as possible.
A fellow student, Shervena Beatty, knew she had to help. Beatty, 40, is a former Deputy Sherriff’s Officer who views her career change as an opportunity to reach out to younger people.
Beatty worked with the faculty and students of Heritage to plan fundraising events & activities to raise money to help alleviate the injured student’s financial strain. Fundraising activities included a pot luck luncheon, a raffle, and contributions from Heritage Advisory Board members & local retailers.
“When I saw this single mother in so much pain,” said Beatty, “I knew I had to help. Her perseverance and courage inspired me. With determination and faith, and maybe just a little bit of help, people can rise above just about anything.”
The student’s name is intentionally not listed in this story for the sake of privacy.
Submit story ideas to Heritage College Marketing Director, Jay Casper at jaycasper@gmail.com or 303.522.2791
Kansas City -- The Heritage College Campus in Kansas City has moved to a new location. The new campus is located at 1200 East 104th Street in Kansas City. 
Ft. Myers – In our rapidly-changing modern world, professionals need to constantly improve and expand their skills & knowledge. This philosophy is as important for massage therapists and allied health workers as it is for doctors and scientists.
