As a result of these inter-relating pressures, hundreds of

job titles in health have developed and some aspect of the allied health training effort has become a function of every imaginable kind of institution. Most of these institutions are planning independently of each other; not one of which have allied health workers as their prime con

sideration.

All levels of governmental institutions are involved. On the Federal level, for example, Departments of HEW, DOL, HUD, OEO, there are many separately funded programs related to allied health training. The complexity and lack of coordination between governmental agencies is compounded on the state and local levels. The educational institutions frequently develop health occupations curriculum without regard to transferability of credit between health occupations within the same institution

or between educational institutions.

The hospitals, nursing homes, and other "user" agencies train for specific job notches, most of which are not applicable to other health jobs in other institutions or even within the same institution. The educational institutions make independent liaisons with some of the clinical institutions, and so we end up with a maze of sporadic and haphazard

affiliations.

The "user" agencies, such as the hospitals and neighborhood health centers need skilled health persons working the field immediately,

whereas the credentialling agencies, the health professional associations and the educational institutions appear to be "locking out" more and more persons who do not meet the higher and higher requirements for certi

fication.

In addition to the multitude of governmental, educational, and health service organization the private sector and voluntary ogranizations involved in allied health worker training, such as the National Association of Businessmen, the National Urban Coalition and the Urban League have become involved in allied health training.

Therefore, at Missouri Regional Medical Program in Kansas City our planning for allied health worker training has been directed toward opportunities for cooperative institutional efforts. Our aim generally, is to promote more appropriate and imaginative education and training within the variety of health career opportunities available at all levels of educational attainment, to give academic credit and career opportunities for the development of skills in the health occupations; to give individuals the opportunity for choices within the health occupations without loss of credit; to integrate work-study, etc., for achieving short and life goals in health careers so that the allied health training will be more relevant to serve all

modalities of health institutions.

This long range goal developed at MoRMP in Kansas City which called together a Community Advisory Council on allied health, composed

Metropolitan Junior College District

In cooperation with the Advisory Council members, there are several specific areas which require additional time consuming efforts and other resources (e.g. communication, coordination, cooperation, and program development).

K. C. MORMP has submitted an outline rough draft to the Advisory Council members for the development of a Health Occupations School or Center which would be a health school "without walls". The

long range plan is to support and if necessary, change the health training components within the existing institutions, so that individuals entering

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the health field at any educational level will be given the opportunity for choice within the health occupations and also to move both laterally and vertically without being penalized. This is assumed to be one way to keep people in the health occupations.

The new Model Cities Neighborhood Health Center can be used

as a focus for an open system of health career mobility. MoRMP, K. C., in consultation with the Health Resources Institute, has plans to coordinate the training at the Model Cities Health Center with that of other institutions such as the hospitals and the educational facilities on all levels. Changes within the institutions such as educational credit for on-the-job training are planned.

Initial efforts have been made with pediatricians in the area to develop a pediatric physician assistant program which could tie into the health services need of both the inner-city and the community at large. Beginning October 1, 1970, a full time pediatrician (employed by Childrens Mercy Hospital) will begin to develop a pediatrician physician assistant program, working in cooperation with MORMP and the Health Resources Institute. Internists also have expressed interest in making use of

K. C. MoRMP resources in developing a physician assistant program which could be coordinated with that of the pediatricians.

Allied health worker planning at MoRMP in Kansas City has

also the potentiality of a revision in nurse curriculum.

A group of representative nurses from the education and service institutions are using MORMP in Kansas City as a resource in revising the nurse-training curriculum and credentialling procedures. This involves all levels of educational institutions, the professional associations, such

as National League for Nursing, and the credentialling agencies.

In summary, K. C. MoRMP has served as a resource and an

initiator with innumerable other institutions involved, to implement sound concepts in allied health training.