During the 2022-2023 school year, Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital caregivers took time from their usual duties to work as teachers, mentors, presenters, facilitators and role models for high school students as part of the new Healthcare Career Academy.
Dr. Erin Avondet and her amazing team of residents and med students volunteered their time to teach the curriculum. Going beyond typical lists of risk factors for disease, they taught students how to advocate for public health in their communities and address upstream causes of health problems such as social, economic, and political factors. The students learned how policy choices and resource distribution can advance or hinder health equity.
Other Primary Children’s caregivers presented about their own career paths, exposing youth to career options ranging from nurse to medical assistant to “logo-changing person” (as one enthusiastic youth referred to their favorite presenter, a marketing and communications professional).
“I loved hearing about all the different parts that help keep a hospital running. I felt like it gave me a much more developed understanding of all the career possibilities I could have,” said one student.
“I felt like I was receiving information from a primary source,” added another.
Elisabeth Orozco, Youth Education Outreach Coordinator, is currently recruiting caregivers “to showcase their career to curious and driven students.” She’s not asking anyone to do anything she wouldn’t do—Elisabeth recently took a turn herself, presenting about her career in youth outreach. Caregivers can volunteer for the Healthcare Career Academy by filling out this form. The Academy needs volunteers from all specialties and departments, including both clinical and non-clinical roles, to spotlight the diversity in healthcare careers.
Elisabeth has found that successful presenters “often bring interactive tools or activities to showcase their careers. Hands-on skills workshops invigorate our student to think deeper into possible healthcare careers.” Tori Smedley, a registered dietician with Primary Children’s Hospital, taught the students how to count sugars—an activity several students mentioned as a highlight in their course surveys. Sharing her career journey with aspiring high school students was a privilege, Tori told us. “The students had very thought-provoking questions.”
“The goal of Healthcare Career Academy is to help build a pipeline of diverse caregivers so our employees better reflect the communities we serve,” said Karlee Kump, who is part of the Pediatric Community Health team that operates the program. Nearly half of the high school students who participated identified as non-white. After finishing the Healthcare Career Academy, most students reported that they were even more interested in pursuing healthcare careers, including careers at Intermountain Health.
At the end of the semester, student teams presented their final projects, competing for $1,000 scholarships to any Utah school of their choice. In the most recent cohort, the first-place presenters suggested solutions to confront the air quality problem and its effect on asthma. Other teens presented about accessibility, obesity and diabetes, zoning codes, and emotional wellbeing. Katy Welkie, CEO of Primary Children’s Hospital, noted that every student presentation demonstrated “impressive ideas and work.”
“The youth of this program is what makes this program thrive,” said Elisabeth. “Their inventive ideas for improving their community will shape Utah's future."
Contributors
Karlee Kump, MS, CHES
Pediatric Community Health Program Manager
Intermountain Children’s Health
Carolyn Reynolds, RN, BSN, MS
Clinical Executive Director, Community Based Care
Intermountain Children’s Health
April Young-Bennett, MPA
Marketing and Communications Manager
Intermountain Children’s Health