HOSA-Future Health Professionals is an international student organization endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and the Health Science Education (HSE) Division of ACTE. Our two-fold mission is to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. HOSA’s goal is to encourage all health occupations instructors and students to join and be actively involved in the HSE-HOSA Partnership.

As a chartered state association member of HOSA, the Pennsylvania program provides a unique program of leadership development, motivation, and recognition exclusively for middle school, secondary, postsecondary, adult, and collegiate students enrolled in HSE programs. HOSA is the only Career and Technology Student Organization (CTSO) that is 100% health care!

In May 1979, a group of Health Occupations teachers (now known as Health Science Education instructors), state staff members, teacher educators,  and executives from the National HOSA staff held a Constitutional Convention in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  At this time, the State Constitution and Bylaws for PENN HOSA were developed.

In June 1979, Pennsylvania was awarded its national charter for HOSA at the National HOSA Convention, Cherry Hill, New Jersey.  The first “five” chartered chapters in Pennsylvania, in alphabetical order, were:

• Berks County AVTS, East (now the Berks Career & Technology Center- East Campus)
• Franklin County AVTS (now the Franklin County Career & Technology Center)
• Westmoreland Community College
• Willow Street – Lancaster (now the Lancaster County Career & Technology Center)
• York County AVTS (now the York County School of Technology)

In the spring of 1991, the first Collegiate Chapter (Alpha Chapter) was organized at Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.

Since its inception in 1979, Pennsylvania HOSA, better known as PENN HOSA-Future Health Professionals, has grown steadily reaching over 3,700 members from the 110 local PENN HOSA-Future Health Professionals chartered chapters.

HOSA-Future Health Professionals is not a club to which a few students in school join. Rather, HOSA is a powerful instructional tool that works best when it is integrated into the HSE curriculum and classroom. HSE instructors are committed to the development of the total person. Those who join the HSE-HOSA Partnership recognize the importance of providing students with training far beyond the basic technical skills needed for entry into the health care field. The rapidly changing health care system needs dedicated workers who, in addition to their technical skills, are people-oriented and capable of playing a leadership or followership role as a member of a health care team.

HOSA’s mission is especially critical when considering the acute shortage of qualified workers for the health care industry. It is essential that the HSE-HOSA Partnership maintain its momentum and encourage all HSE instructors to integrate HOSA into their curriculum and classrooms.