Flagler High School Students Get Close-Up Look at Medical Careers

PALM COAST, Fla., December 19, 2016 Last week, more than 50 students from both Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas high schools got a better look at the careers found inside Florida Hospital Flagler.

This opportunity is one of a series of Career Exploration Tours sponsored by the Flagler Education Foundation and Flagler Schools through the Classroom to Careers initiative. The day began with Florida Hospital Flagler chief nursing officer Robert Davis giving the students an overview of the myriad of careers available inside the hospital. Directors of the various hospital departments then briefly described each of their fields. Students were provided with information on salary opportunities, training requirements, and personal experiences from each of the presenters.

It was then time for the students to gear up in gowns, head coverings, and gloves as they learned the importance of keeping their hands clean within the hospital. Florida Hospital Flagler staff taught the lesson by way of a timed contest, which had the students racing to see who could correctly get ready for an emergency situation.

As part of the experience, the students were separated into three groups to get a closer look at the careers in action through guided tours of the various working areas of the hospital. They saw firsthand how each department work in concert 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, from Environmental Services and Food Services to Physical Therapy and Radiology.

Following these tours, Davis said to bring these students into a health care arena so they can see the various careers that healthcare has to offer them, understanding what the educational requirements are, and what their earning potential is, provides a really great opportunity for us to influence and positively inspire students.

Lynette Shott, executive director of student and community engagement with Flagler Schools, spoke to the importance of exposing students to multiple career options, especially those related to opportunities in the Flagler County community. She shared that Career Exploration Tours, such as this one, recognize the importance for students to understand that a hospital is more than just doctors and nurses.

It is critical that we bring students from all ages so they can see something that spurs their interest, perhaps a field they were not aware of and can go back and follow through with their counselors to make sure they can plan those post-secondary opportunities to tie into what they found of interest here, she said.

Renee Stauffacher, a coordinator with Flagler Technical Institute (FTI), followed the students on the tour. She also informed the students FTI will extend Patient Care Technician and Patient Care Assistant certificate programs to high school students.

They'll be earning their Certified Nursing Assistant license and if they want to continue on, they can earn their Phlebotomy and EKG certification, she said.

The Flagler County Education Foundation played a key role in transporting the students from the two campuses to the hospital. Davis also serves on the board of the FCEF.

About Flagler Schools

Flagler Schools strives to be the nation's premier learning organization. Our mission is to ensure educational success through high expectations and innovative thinking in a safe learning environment to empower students to reach their full potential as responsible, ethical, and productive citizens in a diverse and changing world. We can be reached online at http://flaglerschools.com, or https://www.facebook.com/FlaglerSchools and via telephone at Call386-437-7526.

About Florida Hospital Flagler

Florida Hospital Flagler is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 46 hospital campuses and nearly 8,200 licensed beds in 10 states. With 99-beds, Florida Hospital Flagler is one of the six Florida Hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties that composes the Florida Hospital East Florida Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region has 923 beds and more than 6,000 employees. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region collectively contributed nearly $120 million in benefits in 2015 to the underprivileged, the community's overall health and wellness and spiritual needs, and capital improvements.