Horizon Health Education Department Gets New Home

The Horizon Health Education Department has a new home – literally.

The department recently moved from the main hospital to a house across the street, at 798 East Court Street. The new “Education House” will serve as a clinical training site for Horizon Health staff, as well as community classes.

Horizon Health purchased the East Court Street home two years ago as part of its medical campus development efforts.

“As our staffing levels and services have increased, so has our need for more specialized clinical education,” said Rachel Kelley, vice president of nursing and chief nursing officer. “Our highly skilled education team not only will meet the needs of clinical staff, but also will provide health education to interested community members.”

In addition to healthcare-specific certification classes, the Horizon Health education team will host a variety of community classes. These include basic life support (BLS), first aid, Heartsaver CPR/AED (adult/child/infant) courses, and Safe Sitter classes.

The new education space will have two full-body simulators. These lifelike manikins imitate the actions of a real patient, allowing learners to practice a multitude of clinical skills. This includes how to perform a full head-to-toe assessment, start an intravenous line (IV), and listen to heart tones, the lungs, and abdomen.

“This advanced training will increase competencies and enhance the confidence of our medical professionals as they continue to address the ever-changing healthcare needs of our communities,” said Billi Jo McNeill, MLD, BSN, RN, education manager at Horizon Health.

Other hands-on education includes “task trainers.” These lifelike models/simulators allow participants to practice a specific skill or task, such as wound care, airway management, IV procedures, and catheter placement. Additionally, an auscultation trainer teaches participants the correct locations for listing to sounds of the heart, lungs, and bowels.

The Horizon Health education team consists of McNeill; Kim Crawford, BSN, RN, educator; and Gabriel Boedecker, education coordinator.

For more information about community classes, contact the Horizon Health Education Department at 217-466-4333 or education@myhorizonhealth.org.