On Sept. 14 I was a mentoring panelist at the Pathways into Health Conference held in Chicago, then I was able to network with many of the leaders and organizers in a "next step" forum.

In preparation for this event I invited organizers to introduce themselves to each other and to conference participants, using my Tutor/Mentor Blog. You can meet some of these leaders at http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2007/09/pathways-into-health-conference-sept-14.html

On Sept. 13 I met with David Coe, who is with the Northern Arizona University Community Health Center in Flagstaff. David is doing tech support for the Pathways network, as well as his own organization and invited me to set up a page in a http://www.myhealthcareer.net web forum, so I could share T/MC knowledge with this network of health and university leaders.

One of the clear follow-up goals of the conference was that people who attended could continue to discuss the issues raised, and work together toward the goals of this group, using the Internet as a meeting place.  I'll be adding my own ideas to this network here, and in the MyHealthCareers forum.  I invite any other health professionals, or mentoring programs working with hospitals or health insurance companies, to introduce themselves here and to add their links in the section I've set up to host health care information. 

In 1992 a team of graduate students from DePaul University did a strategic planning process, taking the role of university and hospital/healthcare leaders who were creating a leadership strategy aimed at mentoring kids to healthcare careers, while at the same time lowering the emergency room and other costs of poverty for hospitals in inner city or high poverty areas.

Their presentation has been updated by T/MC over the past five years, and can be viewed at

http://www.tutormentorexchange.net/Partner/CC/Presentations/Hospitals_TQM/hospitals.pdf

If you see this as a strategy you'd like to develop from your hospital, university or insurance company, we'd like to be your partner to help such a strategy grow and have its intended inpact on youth, education, violence reduction and workforce development goals. Email tutormentor2@earthlink.net or call 312-492-9614.

The November 15 and 16 conference is an ideal place to meet, network with the T/MC and other tutor/mentor leaders, and to educate other members of your health care network about the potential of creating a hospital tutor/mentor connection strategy.  We invite healthcare leaders to lead workshop discussions at this conference as part of your own efforts to draw more attention to the need for additional youth supports for young people in your hospital service area.