Staffing shortages in the healthcare industry continue and the Catoosa County College and Career Academy are working to combat the shortage.
The school is putting students in positions to work at hospitals in our area.
17 students got the opportunity to interview for positions at CHI Memorial or Hamilton Medical Center. If any of the students are hired, right after graduation, they can jump right into the workforce.
Positions range from patient care technician, medical assistant, electronic medical records, phlebotomy, and other clinical positions.
Jadyn Fisher is getting ready to graduate from Heritage High School and Catoosa County College and Career Academy.
She interviewed for a patient care tech position; Fisher said joining the healthcare industry fits who she is as a person.
“I had a granny that was sick for a long time, and I think that kind of sparked my interest in taking care of people. Really, I have always been the type of person to be able to do hands-on things with people and be able to make a better improvement on their lives,” Fisher said.
She was nervous about the interview process but believes CCA set her up for success and helped her land a job.
“We did a certification test back in December, and I already got my CCMA, which is my certified clinical medical assistant and my certified phlebotomy tech certification,” Fisher said.
Vince Velarde-Bell with Hamilton Medical Center gave high praise to how well prepared the students were for the interviews and how qualified they were for the jobs.
“Folks getting certifications now in high school huge for us in regards to quality and caliber of candidate,” Velarde-Bell said.
Angie Stiggins with CHI Memorial said the students were not your average candidates and that they had easily separated themselves from others.
“I, myself, would have any of these students take care of me and feel very comfortable with that because they are that well trained and prepared,” Stiggins said.
She said it is more than just the certifications that they have earned.
“But their communication skill set, their soft skills, which is really lacking in a lot of candidates today,” Stiggins said.
Fisher encourages parents in the district to let their children attend the college and career academy as it can set them up for an early future.
