Barton Health recently hosted 12 students during its 19th Annual Technician Assistant Program - a program designed to expose local graduating high school seniors and college students to possible health care career opportunities.
Students are paired with Barton staff members who share on-the-job career information and training, as well as rotate students through clinical areas including Orthopedics, Medical-Surgical and Intensive Care Units, Rehabilitation Services, Gastroenterology Laboratory, Community Clinic, Emergency Department, Medical Imaging, Surgery, Skilled Nursing Facility, Family Birthing Center and Laboratory.
“This program has offered our student community members the chance to get a realistic picture of a career in health care before a significant amount of time or money is expensed,” commented Barton’s Vice President of Operations, Kathy Cocking, RN, MSN. “Over the years we have seen 80 percent of the students emerge from the program more excited than ever about their medical career goals, while the other 20 percent realized they would like to pursue other career options. Whatever the outcome, everyone feels successful since they can then make informed decisions about their future,” Cocking added.
Cocking, who began the Technician Assistant Program in 1991, believes that Barton has benefitted in many ways from the program by allowing staff members to mentor over 150 of our community’s youth since the program’s inception.
“Our staff finds this program extremely invigorating and fun,” Cocking said. “Many of the Barton staff and physician’s children have participated in the program, and we have hired many of the former students after college some of which are now physicians.
For more information, please contact Barton’s Public Relations department at 530.543.5615