New immersive experience ignites youth's interest in health care careers

With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting the need for health care workers to grow five times more than the national average, the nation faces an urgent need to invest in its health care workforce. Aging populations and a rise in chronic diseases are driving an increasing demand for doctors, nurses and other skilled health care roles.

One of the nation’s largest health systems, AdventHealth, is taking proactive steps to bridge this gap by engaging the next generation in STEM and health care-related fields through large-scale immersive entertainment and high-tech experiential education.

As part of this strategy, AdventHealth designed a new 11,000-square-foot immersive showcase that features hands-on interaction, including high-tech simulation labs, virtual and mixed reality stations, and custom health care-inspired video games, designed to showcase the wide range of exciting careers available in health care.

The experience debuted this week to 60,000 attendees of the International Pathfinder Camporee, an event organized by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, who gathered in Wyoming for a week of activities, honors classes, friendly skills competitions and community service.

Highlights of AdventHealth’s New Experience:

- Simulation Labs: Hands-on virtual reality experiences allow attendees to perform medical procedures in a controlled, realistic environment.
- Augmented Reality Stations: AR stations immerse attendees in what it looks like to be a health care professional.
- Custom Video Games: Engaging games that highlight various health care roles and the importance of teamwork in medical and business settings.
- Musical Experience: Music synchronized with attendees' heartbeats emphasizes the unity and teamwork of being part of a larger team like AdventHealth.
- Wholeness Sphere: A visual centerpiece that represents the global presence at the event and the interconnectedness that exists across nations.

“We’ve long engaged young people through school-based programs and activities in our communities and knew we needed to keep innovating. Captivating kids’ imagination through interactive fun and exploration is a major leap in that strategy,” said Olesea Azevedo, chief administrative officer and chief people officer for AdventHealth. “By sparking an interest in health care careers early on, we’re investing in the future of health care. We want to show them the myriad of opportunities available, in addition to being doctors and nurses, and help them see how their unique talents can contribute to this exciting and challenging field.”

“To be able to get hands-on experience has really opened my eyes to what health care workers do to provide care for their patients. This really made me appreciate their role a lot more,” said teen attendee David Haye who says he’s interested in being a surgeon or EMT. “It’s made me want to pursue a career in health care."