The first session of the Cattaraugus County Career Academy (CCCA) was held this past week at Jamestown Community College. CCCA is a new program to the region that leverages existing best practices, develops new curriculum, builds new hands-on workshops, runs group activities, secures, and integrates mobile technology into learning opportunities, and aligns role models and mentors with a cohort of youth to increase participation of adolescents in one of four focused career paths; Advanced Manufacturing, Business & Entrepreneurship, Health Care & Medical Wellness, and Land Use & Agricultural Resource Management. Applications for the healthcare track are still open! For more information, click here.

Currently, two Physician Assistant students, Timothy C. Stead, AEMT, and Nicole G. Ellison, EMT-B, at the DePerro School of Health Professions located at St. Bonaventure University, are studying the impact of stressors on the overall health status of first responders. This IRB-approved study aims to better understand EMS providers' cardiovascular health relative to the general population. Tim and Nicole will visit several of the EMS agencies in our catchment to collect saliva samples from EMS providers. To learn more about their project, click here. Additionally, if you are an EMS provider that would like to participate in their study, please click here.  

I have recently been asked to join the Cannabis Advisory Committee as part of the Healthy Cattaraugus County Coalition. I attended my first meeting this week, where we discussed the prevention education needed for youth and how these prevention efforts will be put into action. It also allowed me to get updates from other community organizations, and I look forward to participating more in the future.