Durham College (DC) is proud to announce that it will offer its first degree program, the Honours Bachelor of Health Care Technology Management (HCTM), beginning in the 2018-2019 academic year. The first program of its kind in Canada, the HCTM degree addresses an identified need in the health care sector for professionals with a hybrid skill set consisting of medical technology expertise and business management acumen.

Students in the HCTM program will develop knowledge in the principles of health care management and business practices, the management of biomedical technology, safety, and regulatory and legislative requirements to support industry standards and positive patient outcomes. Learning will occur in the classroom, laboratories and the field, and will prepare graduates to bridge the gap between health care business management, clinical practices and the comprehensive technological requirements related to the planning, procurement and management of biomedical equipment.

“The significance of Durham College announcing its bachelor degree programs in 2017, as we celebrate our 50th anniversary, cannot be understated,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “When we imagine our next 50 years, the evolution of what a college education looks like – particularly in the type, complexity and relevance of the programs we offer to students – is exactly what we’re thinking about.”

The HCTM program has been developed by DC in collaboration with members of a Program Advisory Committee that includes subject matter experts and representatives from regional hospitals and health care organizations, advocacy groups, non-profits and major biomedical equipment manufacturers (e.g. GE, Philips, Aramark and Siemens). The core of the program comprises six streams of study including science and technology, biomedical equipment and clinical systems, mathematics and quantitative methods, management, research and design, and the health care industry, professionalism and ethics.

“We know that medical technology is the key to optimizing delivery of health care in Ontario and around the world, but as that technology advances so does the need for professionals who speak the language of both the innovators and the practitioners,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, vice-president, Academic, DC. “Graduates of the HCTM program will be the implementers who can bridge the two sides, providing strategic leadership that encompasses the assessment of current and innovative technologies and matching them to clinical objectives.”

Ontario colleges began offering four-year bachelor degree programs in 2002 to provide a unique option for students looking to integrate theory with intensive applied learning. College degrees offer students career-focused education that combines the best of both the theoretical knowledge and analytical skills traditionally associated with a university education and the applied skills acquired through a college education.  Students graduate with the comprehensive theory and practical experience required by employers in today’s competitive and quickly evolving workforce.

Rising Canadian country star Eric Ethridge has been added to the line-up for Durham College’s (DC) 50th anniversary Homecoming Weekend that starts Friday, September 8! Ethridge will rock the Oshawa campus with his hit single, Liquor’s Callin’ the Shots, and more great music to help launch three fun-filled days of music, meals and memories on September, 8, 9 and 10.

Register for Homecoming Weekend events and purchase tickets for the Party Through the Decades now!

Entrance into all weekend events is free with the exceptions of dining at Bistro ’67 and the Party Through the Decades, which is a 19+ event that requires purchased tickets that include entrance into the party, food, one complimentary drink and a commemorative, special edition DC50 t-shirt. Tickets are $50 each ($25 for students) and can be purchased online.

Events are as follows:

Friday, September 8

Homecoming Weekend Kick-off

Noon to 3 p.m. | Bus loop, Oshawa campus

• First stop on the Colleges Ontario Amazing 50 mobile exhibit tour
• Live music by Professors of Funk and rising country star Eric Ethridge
• Free pizza, ice cream and giveaways!

Guest speaker: Steve Paikin

4 to 6 p.m. | Student Services building (SSB), Room 116AB, Oshawa campus

• Anchor of TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin
• Author of Bill Davis: Nation Builder, and Not So Bland After All!
• Book signing

Athletics Hall of Fame Induction

6 to 11 p.m. | Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre, Gyms 1 and 2

(Purchase tickets directly from Durham Lords)

• Ceremony and dinner

Movies on the lawn

8 to 11 p.m. | SSB courtyard, Oshawa campus

• Double feature (movies to be announced)
• Free popcorn

Saturday, September 9

Family Day

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. | South Wing courtyard, Oshawa campus

• Free incredible kids’ zone with balloon animals, bubble show and station, magician, inflatables, photo booth and more!
• DC Memory Lane – college memorabilia exhibit
• Live music
• BBQ and food trucks

Varsity vs alumni games

9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Baseball diamond and CRWC Gyms 1 and 2, Oshawa campus

(Visit the Durham Lords website for game schedule and to register and participate)

• Volleyball
• Baseball
• Softball

Party Through the Decades

7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. | CRWC Gyms 3, 4 and 5, Oshawa campus

• Live performance by Colin James
• DJ and dancing on huge Twister dance floor
• Decades-themed food stations
• VW Camper photo booth
• Retro arcade games
• Celebrity impersonators
• Free giveaways – DC50 special edition t-shirts!

Sunday, September 10

Bistro ’67 Homecoming Brunch

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Bistro ’67, W. Galen Weston Centre for Food, Whitby campus

• Reservations recommended
• Visit bistro67.ca for menu and to book seats

All weekend

Bistro ’67 prix fixe dinner menu

• Reservations recommended
• Visit bistro67.ca for menu and to book seats

Homecoming Weekend is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new ones while commemorating 50 amazing years of DC.

See you there!

Calling all members of the Durham College (DC) family! DC wants you to join the party as we celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2017 with Homecoming Weekend this September.

On September 8, 9 and 10, our college community will come together for three fun-filled days of music, meals and memories, as we celebrate DC’s past while looking ahead to the future.

The theme of DC’s 50th anniversary is The Start of Something Amazing, and Homecoming Weekend will get its own amazing start on Friday, September 8 when the Colleges Ontario Amazing 50 mobile exhibit rolls onto campus. Enjoy a pizza party, hear from guest speaker Steve Paikin, author and host of TV’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin, and round out the day with a movie on the lawn.

Next, spend Saturday, September 9 with the whole family as DC hosts a kid-friendly festival of BBQ and food trucks, free activities, live music by The Tiki Collective and varsity alumni games in volleyball, baseball and softball. Then join your fellow DC alumni and friends for a Party Through the Decades, a nostalgia-filled dance party featuring performances by Juno award-winning singer-songwriter Colin James, and Fred Schneider of The B-52s!

Finally, wrap up your Homecoming Weekend experience on Sunday, September 10 with a delicious brunch at Bistro ’67, DC’s full-service, teaching restaurant, which was recently named one of Canada’s 150 Neighbourhood Gems.

Entrance into all of the weekend events are free with the exception of dining at Bistro ’67 and the Party Through the Decades, which is a 19+ event that requires purchased tickets ($50 each and $25 for students).

You can register for each of the events and purchase tickets for the party online.

Homecoming Weekend is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with old friends, and make some new ones, while commemorating 50 amazing years of DC.

See you there!

On July 15, Durham College (DC) held a barbeque event to welcome hundreds of competitors, coaches and families, along with organizers of the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG), to its Oshawa campus and Durham Region. The college, which is providing residence for many of the NAIG participants, was excited to show their support for the competition.

“The games are a wonderful opportunity to share the talent, skills and dedication of the Indigenous community,” said Dr. Elaine Popp, vice-president, Academic. “With that in mind, it is very fitting that DC is one of the host locations for the game’s participants because community is an important part of our history.”

Attendees were blessed by Elder, Dr. Shirley Williams and heard remarks from Dr. Popp, as well as Oshawa Mayor John Henry, Durham MPP Granville Anderson and Oshawa MPP Jennifer French.  Performances followed, by Indigenous artists Smoke Trail, the All Our Relations Métis Drum Circle and Knowledge Keeper, Troy White, who performed Mi’kmaq drumming.

DC’s Aboriginal Student Centre also opened its doors to any participants seeking support from Aboriginal employees, Bawaajigewin Community Board members and volunteers, and/or those looking to participate in fun activities during their stay.

Hosted by the City of Toronto with events throughout the Greater Toronto Area, NAIG is the largest continental sporting and cultural gathering of Indigenous people. This year’s games will see 5,000 participants, including athletes and coaches, in attendance.

 

The games can be followed on Twitter and Instagram with #AllOne and #NAIG2017.

In May, Durham College (DC) alumnus Dominic Rehayem received the Ontario Award for Paramedic Bravery from the provincial government in honour of a heroic rescue he made in 2015.

A graduate of DC’s Advanced Care Paramedic program, Rehayem was working as an advanced care paramedic with the Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services when he rescued a man who had fallen into a river following an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident.

On April 11, 2015, Rehayem made a 20-minute ATV ride to find the man, who had been helped to a nearby island by a friend who then left to find help, because an ambulance could not reach the area.  After finding the man lying on the island, freezing, Rehayem sprang into action. He gave the man some of his own clothing before strapping him to Rehayem’s body and swimming back across the river. Once back to shore, Rehayem brought the man into a nearby cabin to raise his body temperature, lighting a fire and making some hot chocolate, before making the 20-minute ride back to the ambulance.

The Government of Ontario bestows the Ontario Award for Paramedic Bravery annually to recognize paramedics for individual acts of outstanding courage. Individuals are nominated by their home services and honourees are selected following a committee review of submissions.

 

On June 15, Pam Stoneham, associate dean of the School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Technology (START), added to Durham College’s (DC) 50 Acts of Kindness by taking part  in the Habitat for Humanity Durham: Women in Power Build 2017 with an all-women group of colleagues. The female-focused build rolled out across three days and saw 150 like-minded women from all professions and backgrounds join forces to build new homes for local families in Oshawa and raise funds for the cause.

Stoneham, who is also an ambassador for Habitat for Humanity Durham, was joined by a DC team that included Mary Pearce, Sue Moore, Julie Hauber, Melissa McLean, Arian O’Neill-MacLellan, a DC graduate and START welding professor, and students Nataskki Frazer and Michelle Pegg.

While participants enjoyed a quick Zumba warmup, entertainment and lunch over the course of the day, among other treats, their energy was focused on helping to build safe, decent and affordable homes for families in Durham Region.

“Initiatives like this are a great opportunity to highlight that the skilled trades are a place for women,” said Stoneham. “It was a privilege to work alongside women on a build project that contributes so meaningfully to our local community.”

Habitat for Humanity Durham is a chapter of Habitat for Humanity Canada, a national non-profit organization with a mandate of working towards a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. The Women in Power Build project is part of the group’s larger Women Build initiative that is held across the Greater Toronto Area. Since the event started in 2009, over 5000 women have taken part and constructed 85 homes. Additionally, over $4 million dollars has been raised as a part of this event through fundraising and sponsorship of the volunteers.

Donations to the Habitat for Humanity Durham: Women in Power Build 2017 campaign are still being accepted and can be made via the DC team’s fundraising page.