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About HOSA

HOSA Is a Pipeline for Future Health Professionals​

 

Learn, Lead, Serve and Innovate
HOSA is a student-led global organization that provides a unique program of leadership development, motivation, and recognition exclusively for middle school, secondary, postsecondary, and collegiate students enrolled in health and biomedical sciences.

 

The rapidly changing health industry needs dedicated workers who, in addition to their technical skills, are people-oriented and capable of playing a leader or follower role as a member of a health team. HOSA recognizes the importance of providing students with instruction beyond the technical skills required for entry into the health field and plays a unique role in preparing students for higher education and entry-level certification (EMT, CNA, etc.).

 

HOSA provides opportunities for students to develop, practice and refine their technical, leadership, and teamwork skills to achieve a seamless transition from education to a career.

 

Membership

HOSA is currently made up of more than 290,000 members and has seen a growth in membership for 34 consecutive years. 

About Kansas HOSA

Kansas HOSA is a state affiliate of HOSA-Future Health Professionals that was established in 1980. Kansas HOSA is made up of over 1,500 members in 61 chapters as fall 2024. Kansas HOSA continues to grow, in 2018 Kansas HOSA was recognized at the International Leadership Conference for a 42% membership growth from the previous year. In 2022, 2023, and 2024, Kansas HOSA achieved Gold Standards of Excellence recognition from National HOSA.

 

Kansas HOSA organizes two leadership conferences each year as well as a state officer retreat. In addition to the conferences, Kansas HOSA also provides an opportunity to participate in Kansas Citizenship Day each year in Topeka, Kan.

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Kansas HOSA continues to grow! 

The bar graph below shows chapter numbers since the 2016-2017 school year and the trend line tracks membership numbers.  Obviously membership was affected in the 2020-2021 school year due to Covid.  
Below that is information tracking our registration numbers for our conferences.

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HOSA membership growth.PNG
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Conference growth trends.PNG

Brief History of HOSA

HOSA-Future Health Professionals began with six (6) charter states at the organizing meeting in Cherry Hill, New Jersey in November 1975 and was officially organized at a Constitutional Convention held in Arlington, Texas, in November, 1976 which was attended by state supervisors/advisors, teachers, and more than three hundred (300) student leaders.

 

In the beginning, the organization comprised of only six (6) states with nearly 6000 student members and focused on limited supportive nursing, dental, medical, and related occupations programs, as well as organized pre-technical programs in health careers approved by a State Department of Education.

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The first Competitive Events Committee was appointed prior to the 1978 leadership conference.  Four (4) events were implemented during the First Annual Leadership Conference in Oklahoma (1978).  Each event focused on general health issues and/or across‑the‑board leadership development aspects of HOE programming: HOSA Poster (Health Issue), Extemporaneous Speaking, Informative Speaking (currently called Prepared Speaking), and Job Interview (currently called Job Seeking Skills).

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In June 2004, members of the delegate assembly at the HOSA National Leadership Conference formalized HOSA’s commitment to assuming a more aggressive leadership role by implementing solutions to resolve the challenges and issues facing the health care industry by making the following changes:

  • References to Health Occupations Education were changed to Health Science.

  • The term “vocational” was changed to:  “career and technical education”.

  • HOSA-Future Health Professionals became the official name of the organization.

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