Health care Explorers from across the West Florida Division attend a graduation ceremony at AdventHealth Tampa.
TAMPA, Fla., — A second year of student Explorers completed the program on health care careers at AdventHealth Zephyrhills by getting CPR certified. The first-of-its-kind Explorers program started at the hospital in the spring of 2024 with a cohort of 17 young men and women from ages 16 to 20 years-old. This year, 20 students were accepted at Zephyrhills as AdventHealth volunteers, giving them access to an immersive learning experience.
Explorers is a program sponsored by Scouting America, where young people from all backgrounds can get career experiences. The Explorers meet monthly and work on various student-driven projects with adult guidance and support from AdventHealth team members.
This year at Zephyrhills, Explorers got dynamic learning experiences in areas like radiology/imagining and emergency medical services. On Tuesday, students finished up their months-long program by getting critical CPR training and certification. CPR, or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating and can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association.
AdventHealth Zephyrhills started the Explorers program, but this year 10 AdventHealth hospitals in the West Florida Division were also able to host their own programs. 70 of the AdventHealth Explorers were able to attend a special graduation ceremony on July 17, 2025.
“We’re excited to be able to grow this program with nearly every AdventHealth hospital in the West Florida Division taking part for the 2026 session,” said Mistie Palmer, AdventHealth workforce development programs manager. “We are excited to invest in and inspire young people in our community to pursue jobs with great potential for personal growth, professional fulfilment and financial success.”
To apply for the AdventHealth Explorers program next year, click here.