May 25,2022- The Jerry J. Dawson Civic Leadership Institute serves the youth in the community through five pillars, one of which is healthcare. For more information on the DCLI healthcare pillar, click here.
“The goal is to identify students who are interested in healthcare and help them to gain experiences with major employers in our community,” Dr. Juanita Morris, DCLI coordinator said. “And then help them to transition to becoming whether it is an EMT, whether it’s a CNA, whether it’s in marketing, CPA work, or whether it’s an RN. Part of the job is to make sure there are resources available for them to complete that first two years at Richland”
Last year, DCLI partnered with local healthcare to pilot a three day high School healthcare boot camp. The program serves as an opportunity to expose high school students to different healthcare careers.
“We are low on healthcare workers and that’s such a need,” Sonja Chargois, Community Engagement and EDI Coordinator said. “I know when I was in high school there wasn’t anything that helped me begin to think ahead about what you may want to do or what are possibilities you can do. I think this program is so vital in the sense that it exposes youth at an early age to figure that pathway before they make a decision. People go to college and end up graduating, and they don’t go into a career they got their degree in. That’s so common but this program can really help students hone in and really work towards that career they are interested in the healthcare field.”
The program was pioneered by Benie Kalala, Community Sourcing Strategist for HSHS St. Mary’s. Kalala realized that because healthcare professions are not in abundance, students don’t have many opportunities that can lead to careers in healthcare.
“Healthcare professions, you aren’t finding them in abundance,” Kalala said. “So there are lots of different gaps. Whether it’s in nursing, surgical technologists, radiation, or radiology, respiratory therapy. There are so many different gaps out there. And really educating our students on what careers are out there, is really important to me to help close those gaps.”
The boot camp is going into its’ second year and will be expanding to Decatur Memorial Hospital.
The boot camp will be five days. Two days will be full job shadowing at St. Mary’s and DMH. Fields include radiology, respiratory, ER, ICU, and surgical technology. The last day will be a trip to St. John’s College of Nursing to do a simulation lab tour and a tour of the college.
One of the goals of the boot camp is to build community through healthcare.
“They will continuously do different tours, projects, and activities,” Shardai Hickmon, DCLI Healthcare coordinator said. “It will allow them to be a part of the community and build community. A lot of these students will be some of the same students we will see next year, helping the new set of students navigate. It is kind of a way to continuously grow and go, and give everyone that sense of a family and community. Because at the end of the day that is one of the major goals of putting the boot camp together.”
Registration for the healthcare boot camp is currently open, and is accepting a maximum of 24 students. The boot camp is free of charge. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. The institute will cover the cost of CPR certification, as well as the required immunization and tuberculosis shots that are arranged through one of the hospitals.
“Our job is to remove every barrier, to make sure we create the experience, Dr. Juanita Morris said. Their job is to show up on time, be picked up on time, and to be fully engaged in the say. We have expectations of them and they have expectations of us and that is how this works.”
Register here.
Boot camp begins on Monday, June 20th, and will end on Friday, June 24th. Each day will start at 9 am and end at 3 pm.
