13th District's new U.S. congressman, John Joyce, glimpses future of local health care

Amber South
Chambersburg Public Opinion

The region's freshman congressman used his first official stop in the area since his inauguration into the U.S. House of Representatives to explore how young adults are preparing to become the health care providers of tomorrow. 

Just hours after making his first address on the House floor, Republican Rep. John Joyce of the new 13th Congressional District spent late Friday afternoon at Penn State Mont Alto. The Blair County dermatologist toured the allied health programs, which prepares students for careers as nurses and occupational therapy and physical therapist assistants. 

Health care is one of the biggest issues on the Congressional agenda and is often identified as voters' biggest concern.

U.S. Rep. John Joyce looks over Lucina, a birthing simulator, at Penn State Mont Alto during a visit on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019. Also pictured are, from left,  Dr. Carranda Barkdoll, nursing programs coordinator, and Ben Cai, a nursing student.

Joyce said he sees it as his responsibility to support research in the health care field and help empower students to pursue those jobs. He commended PSMA's programs for their high degree of interaction, providing students with real experience to use daily on the job as well as insight to help them determine the specialties and facilities for which they would be the best fit. 

The school's offerings are "so significant" and illustrate "what education needs to be about today," he said. 

"You're going to see changes in health care and I think that Penn State is on the forefront of helping me understand the educations of our students in this community," Joyce added. 

More:Heavy turnout is decisive for Dr. John Joyce in Pa. 13th District

More:John Joyce, PA-13's Republican candidate, aligned with Trump on policy issues

Congressman enthusiastic on tour

Joyce's visit to PSMA began with a discussion with Chancellor Francis Achampong and Chief Academic Officer Michael Doncheski. He then joined several students and instructors to see how a maternal simulator named Lucina gives students hands-on training in a variety of labor and delivery scenarios, from a normal delivery to obstetrical emergencies. 

PSMA incorporated Lucina into its nursing program starting with the fall 2017 semester. It is the most advanced of the program's multiple patient simulators. 

Nursing student Mary Shriver "delivers" a baby from Lucina, a maternal simulator, at Penn State Mont Alto, during a visit from U.S. Rep. John Joyce on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019. Also pictured are, from left, Joyce, Chief Academic Officer Michael Doncheski, nursing student Ben Cai, and PSMA Chancellor Francis K. Achampong.

After admitting that he knows nothing about birthing babies, Joyce rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt and moved in close to watch and ask questions as the brown-haired, 5-foot-9, 111-pound robot "delivered" a 5.5-pound baby.  An instructor noted it was nursing student Mary Shriver's first time at "catching" the baby. 

Lori Orndorf, an assistant teaching professor in the baccalaureate nursing program, showed Joyce a computer screen that operates as Lucina's command center, controlling the simulation and giving students a full range of scenarios like what they could experience in a real delivery room. Even the baby can simulate different situations, such as not crying and requiring resuscitation. 

After spending some time talking to Dr. Daniel Dandy, PTA assistant teaching professor and academic coordinator of clinical education, Dr. Angela Hissong led Joyce on a tour of a house on campus where occupational therapy students learn to assist people with mobility issues with daily tasks such as cooking and eating, bathing and other hygiene, and dressing. 

Dr. Angela Hissong, professor-in-charge of the occupational therapy assistant program, talks to U.S. Rep. John Joyce in the OTA training house at Penn State Mont Alto on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019.

Asked what he learned on the tour, Joyce pointed out PSMA's new $13 million, state-of-the-art allied health building recently approved by the Penn State Board of Trustees, which is slated for construction starting in July 2020 and is to open just over a year later.

"Penn State Mont Alto is preparing people for the future. They're solving workforce development problems," he said. 

From left, Penn State Mont Alto Chancellor Francis K. Achampong; Dr. Daniel Dandy, academic coordinator of clinical education; and U.S. Rep. John Joyce, discuss allied health programs during Joyce's visit to PSMA on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019.

More:New $13 million health building at Penn State Mont Alto gets OK

More:What is it like to have polio? Penn State Mont Alto chancellor to share his story

Visit comes as shutdown makes history

Joyce's visit came one day before the partial government shutdown became the longest of any shutdown in history. While it started before Joyce came to Congress - following a breakdown in negotiations between Democrats and President Trump over the latter's demand that $5.7 billion for construction of a wall on the southern border be included in any spending bill - he emphasized at least twice that a reporter's question on his view of the shutdown was "valid." 

"I think we need to come to the table, we need to listen and realize that the responsibility of Congress is to have an open government. I'm working hard to make that happen," he said. 

Support local journalism:Here is a special offer for new subscribers

Joyce earlier Friday used his first address on the House floor to call for Democrats to pass a spending bill that funds the wall and ends the shutdown. He pointed to the struggles the shutdown has caused for employees at a federal prison just outside his district's boundaries. 

"These hardworking men and women do not deserve this shutdown - no American does.

"We are in this situation because Democrats refuse to compromise and fund the border wall, even though many of them voted to do so in the past.

"Today I offer a question to my colleagues across the aisle – what changed?

"Are you really willing to reverse a previous position and keep government closed just so you can resist the President’s agenda?

"It’s time to fund the wall and send the President an appropriations that package he will sign."

That Democrats previously supported a border wall was a point Trump made last week in a televised speech to the nation. It is true Democrats supported a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border via the Secure Fence Act of 2006, per PolitiFact; however, that called for $1.4 billion for about 700 miles of fencing - more than $4 billion less and at least several hundred miles fewer than Trump seeks for a concrete (or, most recently, steel slat) wall today. 

Joyce is the first non-Shuster to represent the region's district in Congress in about 45 years. The 13th District covers Franklin, Adams, Fulton, Blair, Huntingdon and Bedford counties, most of Somerset County, and parts of Cumberland, Westmoreland and Cambria County.