December 15, 2007
Three young ladies from Akiak check out the career opportunities at YKHC’s Career Fair earlier this year: Deliliah Nicolai, Charity Owen, and Erlene Jones.
Career Pathways Program:
Growing Our Own
by Danielle Dizon, YKHC Public Relations
While YKHC's Recruitment office is busy attracting and interviewing potential health professionals from all over the U.S., the Career Pathways program is recruiting young health care professionals right here at home, building a workforce that in the next few years, Recruitment will be able to call upon.
YKHC's Area Health Education Center's (AHEC) Career Pathways program is dedicated to promoting health careers and recruiting young health professionals in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
"We believe in growing our own health care professionals," said Laurinda O'Brien, Executive Director of AHEC. "The philosophy behind this is that they are more likely to work long term, providing YKHC with a strong workforce and continuity of care for our people," said O'Brien.
Partnering with school districts to offer health career fairs, school-wide presentations, luncheons and job shadow opportunities is just part of the mission.
"Our vision is to offer opportunities for young people to expand their horizons," said O'Brien. Part of this initiative has involved a job shadow program that allows students to get first hand observation and experience working in health service departments including Radiology, Nursing, Optometry, and Technology.
"It's a great opportunity for students to gain exposure to health careers and job opportunities with YKHC," said Nancy Widrig, Career Pathways Manager. "It's a valuable learning tool to see if it's something they'd be interested in."
Sixteen students have been a part of the job shadow and work experience programs this year, including six seniors from Bethel Regional High School who are in a yearlong on-the-job training program.
97 sixth graders also made their way through the hospital during summer tour sessions, visiting the Emergency Room, Obstetrics Unit, Pharmacy, Diagnostic Imaging, Dental, Optometry and Nicotine Control departments.
Six students from Quinhagak, Kasigluk, Chefornak and Tununak also spent a two-week long internship in various departments earlier this year. The Lower Kuskokwim School District partners with YKHC to offer the Work Experience program, which flies students to Bethel to participate in job shadowing.
"We offer the job shadow program all the time," said Widrig. "All students need to do is call. Students can even do more than one shadow." A student must be 16 years old to job shadow in a YKHC facility and must be 18 to job shadow in the Dental Dept.
Hometown advantage is also a challenge
Recruiting future health care professionals is not an easy task with other high demand workforce agencies calling upon local workers as well.
"We're competing with the high growth industries like mining and construction, " said O'Brien. "We want to educate our young people so they know about the different opportunities and career options in their community, such as becoming a nurse, doctor, health aide or lab assistant."
Gail Alstrom, Stanford University graduate and St. Mary's Subregional Clinic Manager of six years, spoke of the challenges involved in maintaining a full-staffed medical facility, which provides services to four surrounding villages.
"I have a hard time filling my professional positions. For our mid-level positions (Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners), there's no one that's locally trained to fill these positions so we're having to hire outside," said Alstrom.
However, it's not just the professional positions that are difficult to recruit. "Health Aides are the hardest to recruit for because of the nature of their job, being on-call as the first responders in any incident."
Alstrom described the challenges or working at home where everyone knows you. "It's challenging but you learn to work in a confidential and professional environment, caring for your people."
As a mother of six, she proudly says she has no plans of leaving the community she grew up in. "We just built a new house and don't plan on moving anywhere."
If you'd like YKHC Career Pathways to visit your school or you'd like information on local and regional health career programs, please contact Nancy Widrig, Career Pathways Manager at 543-6986 or 1-800-478-3321. You can also email: nancy_widrig@ykhc.org
Become a Health Aide
Talk to your Tribal Council to find out if there are Health Aide opportunities in your community or you can call YKHC's Community Health Aide Program at 543-6160 or 1-800-478-3321 ext. 6160.
Become a Primary Dental Health Aide
Call Kathy Balasko at 543-6229 or 1-800-478-3321 ext. 6229.
