PA College Magazine - Spring 2021 - 5

PA COLLEGE / ON THE PULSE

A New Program Director
for Radiography

Melanie Seneca

Digital radiography has become the
standard in diagnostic imaging. This
makes the radiographers who operate
this equipment an essential part
of health care teams. As such, PA
College's Radiography program
provides the health care community
with educated, professionally
competent entry-level radiographers.

In February, Melanie Seneca joined
the College as the new director of
the Radiography Program. Before
coming to PA College, Seneca worked
at Pennsylvania State University -
Schuylkill Haven for more than 17
years as a clinical instructor and
adjunct faculty member for its
Radiologic Science Program. While
there, she served as a didactic
educator, a clinical instructor at
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey
Medical Center, and the interim
clinical facilitator.
Seneca holds a master's degree in
health education from Pennsylvania
State University, a bachelor's degree
in organizational behavior and
applied psychology from Albright
College, and an associate degree in
radiological sciences from Harrisburg
Area Community College. n

College Unveils Medical Assistant Program
This fall, PA College will launch a
new Medical Assistant program,
which offers a nine-month hands-on
technical certificate including both
theory and clinical courses, as well as
an externship experience. Students
will learn clinical skills such as drawing
blood, taking vitals,
performing tests, and
giving injections, as well
as clerical skills such
as billing, coding, filing
insurance claims and
more. Upon completing
the program, students
are eligible to take the
Certified Medical Assistant Heather Myers
exam through the
National Healthcareer Association.
Leading the program is Heather
Myers, who joined PA College in
January as the Program Director.

Myers studied at Ashford University
in the Healthcare Administration
program and earned her Associate
Degree in Specialized Technology -
Medical Assistant. Prior to coming to
the College, she worked as a Medical
Assistant Instructor for nearly 10
years at Fortis Institute
in Towson, MD. Myers
also served as a Medical
Assistant Instructor at
YTI Career Institute in
Lancaster.
The Medical Assistant
program provides an
entry-level gateway for
anyone interested
in starting a career in health care.
For more information, visit www.
PAcollege.edu/medical-assistant. n

In Memoriam
Donna Hlavacek,
RN, MSN

Sadly, beloved nursing instructor
Donna Hlavacek, RN, MSN, died
in January after a long illness. She
primarily taught the " Foundations
of Nursing Practice " course for the
College's Associate of Science in
Nursing program for three decades
until her retirement in 2018. Teaching
those principles and skills fundamental
to nursing to " brand new " learners
required kindness and patience, gifts
that Hlavacek possessed in abundance.
Many graduates have shared stories
of how Hlavacek positively impacted
their educational journeys, helping
them navigate the decision to become
nurses. While she held them to high
standards, her students found her to
be approachable and caring.
Michelle Duffy '20, RN, shared this
remembrance: " My first semester
clinical class was her very last before
her retirement. I will always remember
what she told me on my very first day
of clinicals. We were talking about
the fact that I was an 'older' student
and that I had waited until my four
children were grown and in college
before I set out to go to school myself.
I told her how nervous I was because
all I felt I had going for me was my
desire to help people. Donna's response
will stay with me always. She said:
'The day you lose that desire that you
have, I want you to stop being a nurse
because that is what matters.' "
Earlier this month, the PA College
Community paid tribute to Hlavacek's
positive impact on so many students
by planting a flowering shrub in her
memory at the College. n

PA College / Spring 2021

5
http://www.PAcollege.edu/medical-assistant http://www.PAcollege.edu/medical-assistant
PA College Magazine - Spring 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of PA College Magazine - Spring 2021
