Union Hospital Tech program provides teens opportunity to explore health care careers
By Adam Gingrich
February 19, 2010
574
According to Chris Beck, manager of the vascular lab/cardiopulmonary rehab at Union Hospital (UH) of Dover, the hospitals UH Tech program began in 2004 and has really taken off these past few years.
Beck explained that the program began with a partnership between the hospital and the Explorers program of the Buckeye Council of the Boy Scouts of America. After a few years, the hospital continued the program independently.
Beck and Kathy Willoughby, communications coordinator at Union Hospital, said the program is easy to join.
Theres really not a lot of obligation other than we collect some information so that we can contact them each month, Willoughby explained. Participants only need to be between ages 14-20 and have an interest in a health care career.
The program offers the flexibility to work around the busy schedules of todays students. Whats nice about our program, Beck said, is that they can come in and out of the program as they wish. Students come to the monthly programs depending on the topic, which cover all different areas of the hospital setting.
Student attendance varies greatly each month, from 15-50, averaging between 25-35 students.
Willoughby noted that students can join anytime. UH Tech does have a kickoff meeting every October after presenting the program to all of the area schools. This past October, more than 100 students and parents attended the kickoff.
She added that the program allows students the opportunity to broaden their perspective.
If a student is interested in nursing, we dont want them to just attend the nursing program, Willoughby said. We like for them to attend the other programs so they have a broader scope and understanding of all the careers here in the hospital.
Beck emphasized that it is important to have an understanding of all the departments that support you so you have a better understanding of how the hospital operates and all the employees that support it.
He offered the example of a trauma patient that comes into the ER. In this situation, staff from eight departments have to respond within 30-40 seconds, he said.
With all this at stake, Youre going to want to know what [the other departments] do, Beck said. That way, you can relate to them better as to how to save the patient. If they have those experiences, theyre able to better care for that patient.
Willoughby added that young people often want to job shadow health care professionals, but it is hard in a hospital setting.
Thats not always easy to do because of patient privacy, she said, and also protecting students in that environment.
UH Tech students had the rare opportunity to view the operating rooms behind-the-scenes at the Feb. 4 meeting.
The February meeting featured Marissa Halstead, preoperative care manager. In her role, she oversees the operating rooms and the pain clinic.
Carter Eberwine, of Coshocton and a Buckeye Career Center senior, shared his thoughts about the February program.
I think the operating room here at Union is very interesting and very complex, he said.
Eberwine also shared why he is interested in a health care career. I very much enjoy the scientific aspect of nursing and any job in the medical field, such as a doctor.
He added, I think that it would be a very rewarding career both financially and emotionally, being able to help people in need and helping people have a better life.
Hope Burton, a home-schooled high school senior, also has an interest in nursing and read about UH Tech in an area newspaper. I was reading about it and Id actually never heard about it before. It sounded like something Id want to do since Im thinking of going into the medical field.
Stations at the presentation included mock setups of a laparoscopic procedure, an orthopedic surgery, displays of surgical tools and a demonstration of how to properly scrub-in for a surgery.
Beck and Willoughby credit support across all areas of the hospital for the success of the program.
Every single director, manager, employee in this organization has taken the tech program and considered it part of their own, Beck said. Were blessed that everyone in this organization has embraced the program.
He noted that this year the program had to overcome the hurdle of the H1N1 scare, which caused the monthly meetings to be temporarily canceled.
As the program has grown, it has expanded to involve multiple phases, Beck said. In the beginning, we just wanted to expose [the students] to health care careers.
The program now emphasizes the importance of volunteering and helps students develop relationships with Union Hospital staff. Connections with hospital staff often begin through job shadowing and later develop into mentoring relationships.
Community involvement has become so important to UH Tech that each meeting begins with a presentation from a charitable organization or a way to volunteer at the hospital.
A lot of students want to serve [in the community]. They just feel awkward making their first initial move, making contact with an organization, Beck said.
Organizations that have presented to UH Tech include the Dennison Depot, Habitat for Humanity and Salvation Army. Additional speakers have included: Mike Lauber, chairman of Tusco Display, who presented on the benefits of volunteering and Pam Dummermuth, with Union Hospital Community Health and Wellness, who presented opportunities with the Run for Home and the HealthyTusc Winter Hike.
The program is an asset to both students and their respective school districts.
Students should get involved because if theyre interested in health care, Willoughby said, or think they are, its a great opportunity to learn about the jobs that are out there and available so that they can make an informed decision.
The program also helps school guidance counselors. If youve got someone thats interested call us up, Beck said. Well get you in contact with the right people.
