Camp C.A.R.E. returns for a wild second year at UNT Health
Camp C.A.R.E. returned to UNT Health Fort Worth for its second year, bringing students
from across the Dallas-Fort Worth area together for a wilderness survival-themed experience
that combined team-building activities with hands-on learning about careers in public
health.
Camp C.A.R.E. — which stands for community, action, research and education — is a four-day summer camp created for students interested in careers in public health, health care administration and physician assistant studies.
Following the recent reorganization at UNT Health, this year’s camp represented a collaborative effort across the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. While last year’s inaugural camp featured an apocalyptic-themed camp experience led by the Department of Public Health, this year’s program extended its interdisciplinary focus partnering with the Physician Assistant Studies program to introduce students to a wider range of health professions.
Amanda Brosnan, PA-C, led a session in the Regional Simulation Center where campers rotated through a three-station wilderness emergency simulation. Using
virtual reality-enabled scenarios and simulation center actors, campers practiced triage
and wound care while strengthening their clinical decision-making skills through hands-on
emergency medicine exercises. Campers created improvised tourniquets, recognized anaphylaxis
from a bee sting, identified temperature-related emergencies and developed response
plans for snakebite scenarios.
"Health professions training works great when it is interdisciplinary,” Brosnan said. “Pairing public health thinking that focuses on risk, prevention, and resource allocation with hands-on clinical skills gives students a full picture of what it means to make decisions under pressure and care for someone in a real emergency.”
This year’s camp welcomed new and returning students. Throughout the week, campers
participated in activites designed to stregthen academic and professional skills while
exploring real-world public health challenges. During the "Cost of Survival" breakout
session, Dr. Allen Solenberg introduced students to health care systems and operations,
highlighting the relationship between public health and health care administration,
while encouraging critical thinking around prevention and decision making in health
care.
For many students, thinking about higher education can bring uncertainty about the future and the path ahead. As campers began sharing their concerns about college and career decisions, Drs. Misty Smethers and Charlotte Noble and PA Amanda Brosnan created an open space for honest conversations, helping students explore educational pathways while learning about the career opportunities available within health care professions.
“This was my first year serving on the Camp C.A.R.E. team, and my hope was for every
learning experience to feel intentional,” said Emma Carrillo, academic student navigator
in the Department of Public Health. ”All week long, students got to discover how their
personal strengths and technical skills can translate into careers in public health,
and we’ve been grateful to receive such postive feedback throughout the week.”
Campers also completed two community service projects. In partnership with Hagar’s Heart, students crafted bracelets and wrote letters for the organization’s “I See You” care packages. These packages which are distributed to survivors of domestic violence serve as reminders of community support. For their second community service project, campers organized shopping bags and sorted classroom materials for teachers through The Welman Project. Every camper received certificates of completion for their community service to accompany their summer camp swag bags.
On the final day, leaders from the North Texas team of Texas Search and Rescue introduced campers to the organization. Samantha Gates and Cathy Brown shared how they dedicate their time as volunteers with Texas Search and Rescue and introduced campers to the organization’s mission and field techniques used to locate missing persons. Campers then put those lessons into practice by participating in a search-and-rescue mission across campus, piecing together evidence to track down a hidden “missing” camper lost in the UNT Health wild.
From navigating wilderness emergencies to discovering future career pathways, Camp C.A.R.E. challenged learners to think beyond the classroom and imagine the impact they can make in the world around them. After another successful year, the Department of Public Health is already looking ahead to expand the program next year and build even stronger partnerships across UNT Health next summer.