Dozier-Libbey Students Place 8th at International Leadership Conference

Antioch—Dozier-Libbey Medical High School chapter of HOSA: Future Healthcare Professionals placed 8^th at the 41^st Annual International Leadership Conference held in Orlando, FL in June.

In order for students to have qualified to compete in Florida at the annual conference, they had to have placed in the top 3 at their state competitions.  Dozier-Libbey won gold at the California state conference in Sacramento in March.  The team included senior, Meena Espinoza, Natalie Tong and Cinddy Wu Deng, juniors, Jaica Porter, sophomore, and Nathan Tong, freshman.

HOSA: Future Healthcare Professionals is a service, leadership, and engagement organization for high school and college students pursuing a career in healthcare. The organization boats over 250,000 members internationally and there were over 10,000 students in attendance at the annual conference in Florida. Competitive events at the conferences include traditional paper and pencil knowledge tests, hands-on practicums, extemporaneous speaking and writing, and VAPA events designed to educate others on important healthcare issues.

Dozier-Libbey students’ event was ‘Medical Reserve Corps Partnership’. For this event, students partnered with Contra Costa County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) for 6 different events to serve, educate, and prepare the community for actual emergencies. Throughout the school year, the HOSA chapter organized 15 events including a blood drive, flu clinic, a disaster drill at Richmond Rail Yard, and a POD (Point of Dispensing) activity designed to distribute medications to the community in the case of an outbreak or contamination.

In Orlando, the students formally presented a portfolio of the chapter’s activities to a panel of MRC judges.

The team placed 8^th, in the top 10 finalists, out of an estimated 35 teams. This is an improvement over last year when they did not place at all. They’ve already begun planning how they will improve for next year in Dallas, TX.

Dozier-Libbey Medical High School is a California Distinguished school of 700 students.  Certified by Linked Learning and the National Academy Foundation, the school offers integrated curriculum to challenge and prepare students for college and careers in healthcare.

For more information about the school, visit the website at www.DLMHS.antiochschools.net.

Information provided by Joe Horacek, Vice Principal of Dozier Libbey Medical High School