The Northeast Dutchess Area Fund of Berkshire Taconic has bolstered Sharon Hospital’s Career Readiness Initiative, in its second year, with a $10K grant. High school students are accepted to this program that is a combination of lectures and hands-on activities to learn about various healthcare professions. Meeting with Sharon Hospital clinicians and staff, they learn skills such as CPR, blood pressure monitoring, bacteria scanning, and more. The curriculum was soft-launched last year. Trish Rexhouse, Leadership Gifts Officer for Foundations of Nuvance Health, says it was a great success; a student participant was hired as a dietary aide after completing the program and has since been promoted.  

Students see that many career paths are possible after attending the immersive program, including Rehabilitation Technician, Medical Assistant/Secretary, Cardiac Monitor Technician, Patient Care Technician. These entry-level opportunities have pathways to move up within Sharon Hospital and are in alignment with its goal of promoting internally and supporting career growth. Rexhouse shares that students have a diverse mix of interests. Some are curious about specific career paths such as physical therapy; others are interested in becoming nurses or doctors.   

Sharon Hospital is encouraged by the momentum, interest in the program, and positive feedback from participants. After receiving training by attending both an MRI session and getting hands-on exposure to ultrasound devices, one student shared, “Both experiences were fun because we were interacting with the machines and procedures rather than just asking questions. I learned a lot and had a great time!” Another shared, “you don’t just have to be in the medical field [as a doctor or nurse]. There are a ton of other jobs available here.”