ACHS Names Pat Reder DETC Outstanding Graduate Award Winner for 2010

American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) has named Pat Reder, RN, HHP, 2010 Distance Education Training Council (DETC) Outstanding Graduate award winner.

Reder has worked as a registered nurse for about 30 years, including critical care and emergency and trauma medicine. She has always had an interest in holistic health because she feels there is “a need for an integrative approach between allopathic and holistic healthcare practices.” That is why Reder chose to enroll in ACHS’s Holistic Health Practitioner Diploma program, which she completed in December 2009, in addition to a Certificate in Nutrition, Bodycare, and Herbalism.

Her distance education experience with ACHS gave her “confidence to seek out opportunity,” Reder says. After finishing her first course, Reder says she was able to use the knowledge base from that course to approach her employer about incorporating wellness coaching into their services. She also has used her training to develop a wellness coaching program, which she successfully trialed with her co-workers, and has since “opened the door to marketing the wellness coaching program to their clients.”

“My ACHS studies have enabled me to get involved with many different volunteer projects,” Reder says, “and to participate on Boards and Committees in an effort to improve the health and wellness in my community.”

In addition, Reder has been providing individual and group wellness classes for the past year, and was a featured speaker at the ACHS Holistic Health Career Fair in August 2009.

Each year the Distance Education Training Council asks their accredited institutions to select exceptional distance education graduates for recognition. Award winners must meet select criteria set for academic records and the quality of their contribution to their chosen profession in specific, and society in general. Outstanding Graduates are featured in the DETC Outstanding Graduate brochure and on the DETC website.

For more information about the DETC Outstanding Graduate awards visit www.detc.org.

American College of Healthcare Sciences is the only accredited, fully online college offering degrees, diplomas, and career-training certificates in complementary alternative medicine. Founded in 1978, ACHS is committed to exceptional online education and is recognized as an industry leader in holistic health education worldwide. For more information about ACHS programs and community wellness events, visit www.achs.edu, call (503) 244-0726, or stop by the College campus located at 5940 SW Hood Ave., Portland OR 97239.

ACHS Names Michael Edwards DETC Famous Alumni Award Winner for 2010

“A ‘mid-life accident’ opens the door to a whole different world of healthcare,” says Michael Edwards. “We often hear of individuals having a ‘midlife crisis,’ I had a midlife accident.

While shooting video in a train station, Edwards was hit by a speeding train. During his recovery process, Edwards discovered natural health and healthcare. Inspired by this “different world,” he searched for colleges that offered courses in natural health, enrolled with the American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS), and went on to graduate with a Certificate in Nutrition, Bodycare, and Herbalism.

The DETC Famous Alumni award honors distance education graduates who meet select criteria or academic records and the quality of their contribution to their chosen profession and society in general.

Before enrolling with ACHS, Edwards had been out of school for several years, “but was inspired by what [he] read in the materials and [was] encouraged by the positive comments from ACHS instructors,” he says. His experience with ACHS gave him the courage to re-apply for graduate school, he says, thirty years after his original application.

“The first acceptance I had at ACHS made a big difference to me, and it motivated me to read and teach as often as possible,” Edwards says. “I feel I’m doing my share to give people back control of their health.”

Since completing his Certificate, Edwards completed his master’s degree and launched Thee Wellness Institute (previously The NC Health and Wellness Institute), specializing in preventative health programs and natural products for the community. Edwards also worked as the Clinical Health Educator at Cherry Point Marine Base before accepting the position of Education Program Manager at Patrick Air Force Base. While in this position, Edwards has developed several health-promoting programs and has led motivational wellness classes for thousands of service members in the U.S. Marines, Navy, and Coast Guard.

DETC Famous Alumni award winners are featured in the DETC Famous Alumni brochure and on the DETC website. For more information about the DETC award, visit www.detc.org.

American College of Healthcare Sciences is the only accredited, fully online college offering degrees, diplomas, and career-training certificates in complementary alternative medicine. Founded in 1978, ACHS is committed to exceptional online education and is recognized as an industry leader in holistic health education worldwide. For more information about ACHS programs and community wellness events, visit www.achs.edu, call (503) 244-0726, or stop by the College campus located at 5940 SW Hood Ave., Portland OR 97239.