MIDDLESBORO — The Southeast Kentucky Area Health Education Center, in conjunction with Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College (SKCTC), recently hosted the first ever Summer Scrubs Camp in Bell County.

Sponsored by Middlesboro Appalachian Regional Hospital (ARH), the Bell County Summer Scrubs Camp was held June 15-18 to give local high school freshman the opportunity to see what healthcare is all about.

Each day of the camp, students were afforded the opportunity to speak with, ask questions of, and observe healthcare professionals at work.

Students were also given the chance to see behind the scenes of the Middlesboro ARH Hospital, spending time in the different departments, and attending presentations given by several staff throughout the week.

However, the idea of the camp wasn’t just to tell them what it is like to work in health care, the goal was to show them. Hands-on activities and exercises played a big part in filling the camp’s agenda.

Students had the opportunity to learn basic suturing techniques with the assistance Dr. Jamal Bazzi, as they practiced their skills on Suturing Simulators.

Numerous SKCTC Allied Health Faculty Members donated their time to lend hands on learning exercises with the camp participants. Students had the opportunity to try their hand at drawing blood, giving shots and even intubation — all on specially designed simulators and training aids.

On Wednesday, students visited the Southeast Eye Associates office for a tour, and to learn more about careers in Optometry.

On Thursday, through an innovative partnership with the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine and the Minimally Invasive Surgery Program, the Bell County Summer Scrubs Camp was fortunate enough to have the chance to watch a live surgery being performed at the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital.

The surgery was viewed by using telemedicine and ITV technology.

Dr. Joseph Iocono, assistant professor of surgery and pediatrics, and assistant director of the Minimally Invasive Surgery program, UK College of Medicine, chose a case that demonstrated key aspects of minimally invasive surgery. He performed a gallbladder removal on a 16-year-old female.

Throughout the surgery, Dr. Iocono described the procedure, tools, and techniques he was using.This project was also set up so that Dr. Iocono was able to answer the student’s questions throughout the procedure.

Following the surgery, students traveled to Harrogate, Tenn., to tour the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine.

While at the impressive facility, current medical students and staff gave the Scrubs Camp Students a detailed tour of the school, as well as spent the day with them in the classroom facilitating an interactive Vital Signs Course in the Manipulation Lab taught by Dr. Howard Teitelbaum, DCOM Faculty Member.

Tiffany Scott, Health Careers Program Coordinator and Camp Director, issued the following statement about the program:

“Programs like these give students the opportunity to explore different career options in an interactive and hands-on approach. Students don’t get to just read about the career, they actually get to experience it. Our Summer Scrubs Camps couldn’t exist with the cooperation and support of our local sponsors and the many health care professionals who so generously donate their time to speak and work with our students. We sincerely appreciate their dedication and assistance. It was vital in making this project a key component of promoting and maintaining an interest with our future generation of healthcare providers.”

Eleven students participated in this year’s Bell County Summer Scrub Camp.