Southeastern Voke to offer two new health services programs

Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School will be offering two new vocational programs -- medical assistant and dental assistant-- which are two of the fastest growing professions in today’s health science field.   The programs are slated for September of  2013 and will have brand new facilities as part of the high school’s three-year, $33 million construction project.  

 The two majors are expanding the high school’s current health services program, which also offers classes to become a certified nurse’s assistant.   Southeastern Vocational Director Leslie Weckesser said the school decided to expand in the health field because it is growing faster than other industries.   In fact, the U. S. Department of Labor estimates that both professions will grow more than 30 percent before the end of this decade.  

“These two programs will be a great addition, and we’ll be able to keep up with industry demand by preparing graduates for the field,” Weckesser said.

Students will be eligible to take their national boards during their senior year before they graduate.  The medical assistant program will be headed by Dennise Palioglou, a registered nurse who is already a health services instructor at the high school, and the dental assistant program will be taught by Tracey Green, a registered dental assistant who currently teaches at Southeastern Technical Institute.  

Students who become medical assistants will be qualified to work in a variety of medical jobs, which include assisting with basic medical procedures, performing EKGs and phlebotomy, working in a laboratory, and assisting with billing and secretarial work in doctor’s offices and insurance companies.    Those choosing dental assisting will be eligible to work in with patient care procedures, patient management, dental office communications and business transactions, and dental laboratory duties

Besides being qualified in their fields, graduates will also have a head start in a number of other jobs.  Career pathways include working as an EKG technician, emergency medical technician, licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacy technician, phlebotomy technician, physical therapist, radiology technician, and dental hygienist.

Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School is a public 9-12 vocational high school located in Easton, Massachusetts, serving approximately 1,250 students from the city of Brockton and the towns of East Bridgewater, Easton, Foxborough, Mansfield, Norton, Sharon, Stoughton, and West Bridgewater.