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  • McQueary College of Health and Human Services

Missouri State student receives national recognition

July 20, 2022 by Olivia R. Fowler

Cassidy McCandless, MS, RD, smiles in her PA labcoat

Cassidy McCandless, MS, RD, is the sole champion of the 2022 PAS Student of the Year, determined by the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA).  

McCandless received this honor in May 2022 at a conference attended by hundreds of PA students and professionals from across the nation. 

When she initially had been told that she won, McCandless couldn’t believe that it was real. 

“I was on campus in one of the study rooms. I returned a missed phone call from a random number and was convinced there had been a mistake.” 

The first person she called to share the news? Her PAS advisor, Nathan Miracle. 

“I had been stressing out about the whole process for so long and all the while he was in my corner, constantly cheering me on,” McCandless said. “So were my family and friends, of course, but my advisor had a front-row seat the entire time.” 

One out of 10,000 

The AAPA PA Student of the Year is chosen at the end of a lengthy selection process. 

In order to be considered, students must: 

  1. Be nominated by a faculty member or peer. 
  2. Get contacted from someone from the AAPA.  
  3. Submit information, including a resume, details of volunteer experience, two short essays about the future of the PA profession, as well as describing where you see yourself fitting into the profession. 

There are over 280 PAS programs throughout the United States with the average class size being roughly 30 students per program. In any given year, there are about 10,000 PAS students per class. 

“There are so many unique and talented people within our program. It easily could’ve been someone else,” McCandless humbly stated.

“I’m in no way the best PAS student. I just happened to meet the requirements for the AAPA board’s criteria and had some luck. With that being said, I’m thankful that I was chosen.” 

Meeting her fans 

The craziest thing to happen since being chosen? The recognition she’s received within her local and PA community.  

“My friends came up to me and told me that I was on the front page of a local newspaper,” McCandless shared. “I had no idea where to even buy a newspaper. I found a stack at my nearest gas station and ended up buying three because I was so excited.” 

McCandless was also rendered speechless upon meeting Hayley Arceneaux, one of her idols. Arceneaux was the medical officer on the 2021 SpaceX flight, an astronaut PA, and the youngest American to fly in space. 

Her future in the PA profession  

With this prestigious honor under her belt, McCandless has had many new doors open to benefit her career as a PA. 

“I’ve been contacted by so many people and presented with some amazing job and volunteer opportunities after being recognized for this award.” 

McCandless began her medical career as a dietician. Her hope is to blend her new career as a PA with her background in dietetics. 

“Everybody always assumes that if you change professions, there’s something wrong with it. But for me, it was the opposite. I want to further my impact to reach a larger community.” McCandless said. “I wanted to learn more and become more involved with patient care.” 

The AAPA Student of the Year award gave McCandless the platform she needed to shed light on the issues with nutrition in healthcare, as well as the need for greater diversity within the world of medicine. 

“Becoming a PA allows me to share my nutrition background with my colleagues and patients,” McCandless said. “I hope to open the door for a more nutritious approach to medicine.” 

Learn more about the PAS program 

Filed Under: Dietetics, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, MCHHS News, Physician Assistant, Spotlights Tagged With: diversity, MCHHS, Physician Assistant Studies, Spotlights

Ensuring educational success

May 19, 2022 by Jonah Rosen

In order to provide the best care to patients, healthcare workers must constantly learn new things to stay up-to-date in their field. Continuing education has become an important tool in the healthcare industry.  

“When working in the hospital as a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), you are sometimes given continuing education money in order to keep your license,” said Dr. Monika Feeney, department head School of Anesthesia.  

The world-renowned medical organization, the Mayo Clinic, has established a program to ensure its employees get the best continuing education possible.  

“The Mayo Clinic recently announced that they will pay 100% of the tuition for any of their CRNA employees wanting to get the DNAP at Missouri State.” 

How the program works 

CRNAs who are wanting to get into the program must currently have their master’s and be prepared to get their doctorate.  

“The doctorate degree can be completed in one, two or three years,” said Feeney. “They are all distance classes, so students can complete the program where they currently reside”  

The university also has a satellite campus on Mayo Clinic’s campus where they offer onsite options for required Campus time. “Our program is made for working people and that drew the attention of Mayo Clinic,” said Feeney. “We are really excited about the opportunity they are giving their employees and this partnership we have.” 

How to apply 

Current CRNAs at Mayo Clinic are asked to apply through the Missouri State DNAP application.   

Applicants will then go through an interview process to determine if they are eligible for this program.  

Students will be selected shortly after the interview process. 

Learn about our DNAP Completion Program

Filed Under: Nursing Tagged With: MCHHS, MCHHS Spotlights, students

Flu cases on the rise

December 8, 2021 by Jonah Rosen

Flu shots offer through Magers Health and Wellness Center.

After a quiet influenza season in 2020-2021, the flu is starting to make a comeback.

According to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) visits for patients with influenza-like illness are nearly double compared to years past.

“Nationally we are seeing a trend that is not good,” Dr. Kip Thompson, Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health and Sports Medicine at Missouri State University, said.

University hospitals like Michigan and Florida State are starting to see around 50-60 patients a day showing up for cases of the flu. Most of those patients are aged 18-25.

A good portion of those patients are being diagnosed with Influenza A (H3N2).

“Those numbers are alarming. The number of people ages 18-25 that are vaccinated are lower now than in recent history,” Thompson said.

What is Influenza A (H3N2)?

There are two types of influenza: type A and type B.

“Type B is the normal human flu that we see every year,” Thompson said. “Type A, which is currently being spread at a high rate, is known to mutate more and cause more infections.”

Both are treated in the same manner, but Type A can become more severe.

This year’s flu vaccine is a quadrivalent. This means the vaccine provides protection against two A strains and two B strains.

Learn more about the flu

Ways to prevent the spread

Like many viruses, there are ways to stop the spread of infection.

Common ways to prevent the flu include:

  • Washing hands for 20 seconds.
  • Wearing a mask in high populated areas.
  • Staying at home when sick.
  • Practicing other good health habits.

Getting vaccinated is one of the best ways to help stop the spread.

Missouri State students, faculty, and staff (and their dependents) can get their free flu vaccine at Magers Health and Wellness Center.

Schedule an appointment today

Filed Under: Public health and sports medicine Tagged With: MCHHS, McQueary College of Health and Human Services

He gained the tools he needed to succeed in corporate health

March 8, 2021 by Juliana Goodwin

Matt Hancock with spouse on commencement day.

Matt Hancock earned a bachelor’s in exercise science, became a personal trainer and managed a gym.

The Springfield native eyed MSU’s health promotion and wellness management graduate program because he wanted to make change on a larger scale.

“I really wanted to get into corporate health,” Hancock said. “It has been blowing up over the past couple of years. There’s a lot of opportunity. Companies are realizing healthier employees are more productive, too.”

Working while completing his degree

Missouri State’s program was attractive because it was flexible and offered a mix of seated and online courses. He worked full time at Mercy and was able to go to school part time and tackle his degree in chunks.

“I really liked the core classes because they let me learn a lot more about the direct areas I was going into, such as how to build up a program, how to look at a population health approach. My undergrad was more studying facts. My master’s was more applicable to everyday life and translating into a working situation,” Hancock said.

As part of a clinical requirement for his master’s, Hancock completed a 420-hour internship at Bass Pro working for the company’s wellbeing program.

He added on a certificate in health education because Hancock felt it would give him an edge in the job market and it did.

Shortly after graduating in spring 2019, Hancock left Mercy and joined Prime Inc., as Driver Health and Fitness Coordinator.

Matt Hancock giving presentation at work.
At Prime, Inc., Matt Hancock oversees programs that improve employee health.

Making a difference

At Prime, Hancock was able to use the knowledge he learned in his master’s courses to directly impact driver health.

He revamped the wellness program and reaches nearly 8,000 drivers.

“In the past, Prime focused on a 13-week weight loss program for drivers,” Hancock said. “We have evolved to focus on a whole person virtual approach now. When COVID entered our lives, we had to look at our health initiatives in a different way. In-person services were no longer an option, so in October 2020 we began designing our own online wellness platform using a learning management system called Learn Dash.”

“The master’s program really helped prepare me for my career by giving me the base of knowledge I needed. I didn’t know anything about corporate health when I started. I learned a lot to prepare for the position I am in now.”

Through this platform they created health risk assessments, collected health data and designed and evaluated programs more efficiently to suit drivers needs based on the health risks that are prevalent in the occupation, such as fatigue and back pain.

A holistic approach to employee health

The platform will allow them to offer fitness, nutrition and mental health programs around-the-clock to fit drivers’ unique schedules over the road.

“All aspects will be gamified so we can create an engaging, competitive atmosphere by offering points to our drivers for completing certain health-related activities and tasks,” Hancock said.

Drivers can access virtual personal training and nutritional counseling with their registered dietitian.

Taking a holistic approach, they also addressed:

  • Mental health, which is so important during the pandemic.
  • Created a tobacco cessation program since 60 percent of drivers use tobacco products, said Hancock.
  • Formed a healthy driver task force and put together exercises that drivers can do at truck stops or using equipment on the truck
  • Showed employees how to make healthier choices on the road.

“Not everyone is interested in losing weight or eating right, but if we have several initiatives they can focus on, then we can let them hone-in on one that helps them lead a healthier life,” Hancock said.  “It has gotten a lot of traction. We are starting to see improvement in employee health. It’s really a rewarding job. This is what I’ve been wanting to do for many years. I want to make a big impact on driver health, satisfaction, happiness and lifestyle.”

Explore a master’s degree in health promotion and wellness management

Filed Under: MCHHS Alumni, Public health and sports medicine, Spotlights Tagged With: Alumni, Health Promotion and Wellness Management, MCHHS, Public health and sports medicine, Spotlights

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