Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF) recently hosted 49 Miami-Dade County high school students for its 2011 Health Careers Academy.
Students spent the week at Baptist Health South Florida locations including Baptist, South Miami and Homestead hospitals learning about the requirements, demands and rewards of a health career.
As part of the program students shadowed healthcare professionals in a full range of departments, including surgery, cardiac rehabilitation, intensive care, emergency, podiatry and maternity. They also were visited by guest speakers from targeted specialties, learned CPR and visited the E-ICU, which is the electronic intensive care unit, to get a first hand view of the role of technology in healthcare.
Students began their week with brief presentations from Dr. Larry Feldman, Miami-Dade County Public Schools vice chair; George Foyo, Baptist Health South Florida COO, and Lincoln Mendez, CEO of South Miami Hospital.
“The Health Care Academy is designed to inspire students to succeed in school today and enter health careers tomorrow,” Foyo said. “The worldwide healthcare labor shortage offers numerous career opportunities. Now is the time for us to proactively encourage the next generation to pursue nursing and other health careers.”
Students in grades 10-12 were selected from Miami-Dade County public and private schools by a panel of healthcare professionals, who carefully reviewed applications and essays
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Baptist Health, the region’s largest faith-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization, has nearly 14,000 employees and is the area’s largest private employer. Baptist Health includes Baptist, Baptist Children’s, Doctors, Homestead, Mariners, South Miami and West Kendall Baptist hospitals as well as Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Baptist Outpatient Services and Baptist Health Enterprises. Baptist Health Foundation, the organization’s fundraising arm, supports services at all hospitals and facilities affiliated with Baptist Health.
For more information, visit online at www.baptisthealth.net.
