Health Occupations Student Association (HOSA)

HOSA provides a unique program of leadership development, motivation, and recognition exclusively for secondary, postsecondary, adult, and collegiate students enrolled in HSE programs. HOSA is 100% health care!

Mission

The mission of HOSA is to enhance the delivery of compassionate, quality health care by providing opportunities for knowledge, skill and leadership development of all health science technology education students, therefore, helping students to meet the needs of the health care community.

Since its inception in 1976, HOSA has grown steadily reaching nearly 120,000 members through 47 chartered HOSA State Associations and approximately 3,200 secondary and postsecondary/collegiate chapters in 2009-2010.

HOSA 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.