Greater Cleveland High School Students Learn About Healthcare Careers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2024
Greater Cleveland High School Students Learn About
Healthcare Careers at “Explore Your Future” Summit
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State University Wolstein Center was buzzing with excitement this week as 150 Cleveland-area high school students got a unique, immersive glimpse into the world of healthcare at Explore Your Future, the Northeast Ohio Healthcare Careers Summit. Through hands-on activities and interactive workshops, students didn't just hear about the possibilities—they lived them, sparking their interests and inspiring them to be part of the next generation of healthcare professionals.
““Hands-on career opportunities are a key component of effective career exploration and readiness. ”
Hosted by presenting sponsor Cleveland State University College of Business and produced by The Center for Health Affairs and the Greater Cleveland Career Consortium (GCCC), the summit offered students hands-on experiences in high-wage, high-growth and high-demand healthcare careers, including respiratory therapy, radiology, exercise science, laboratory sciences, nursing and more. The immersive event was designed as part of the GCCC Planning and Career Exploration (PACE) curriculum to expand students’ awareness of the diverse and dynamic field of healthcare, provide interactive sessions to help them explore their interests, and inspire their future careers.
Student experiences included getting to solve real-world scenarios faced by hospital and clinic managers; preparing lab specimens; learning how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED); exploring the many facets of the field of nursing; and participating in a scavenger hunt while learning about nuclear medicine.
“Hands-on career opportunities are a key component of effective career exploration and readiness. We are thrilled that so many partners across healthcare fields came together to support the learning and growth of their future employees—Cuyahoga County high school students,” shared Autumn Russell, GCCC’s President & CEO. “This is an example of getting career-connected learning right—this event is just the beginning.”
“It is critical that we inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals to ensure our communities remain healthy and vibrant for years to come.”
The summit brought students from eight area school districts together with eight employer and education partners. University of Akron, Cuyahoga Community College, Lorain County Community College, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth and University Hospitals provided hands-on learning experiences. Students participated from schools in Cleveland, East Cleveland, Cleveland Heights-University Heights, Garfield Heights, Maple Heights, Warrensville Heights, Shaker Heights, and Richmond Heights.
“The Monte Ahuja College of Business of Cleveland State University was thrilled to serve as premier sponsor for the Explore Your Future Healthcare Careers Summit,” said Anne Nelson, Senior Assistant Dean.
Nelson worked as the lead partner in bringing the summit to the CSU campus. Dean Melissa Gruys of the Monte Ahuja College of Business and Nelson fully support healthcare education and experiential learning, as higher education must continue to improve efforts to help students understand and experience the many career paths that support healthcare services within various industries. The College of Business is home to undergraduate and graduate healthcare management academic programs housed in the Department of Management and led by Dr. Tracy Porter, Interim Chair.
“Dr. Porter and I believe business powers the healthcare ecosystem, and so we are excited to have supported this collaborative effort to expose more people to healthcare industries, educational programs, and associated careers that are needed to grow a workforce that will help power the healthcare needs to support the Cleveland community," added Nelson.
Earlier this year, GCCC and The Center for Health Affairs came together to bring this event to life. The objective has been to create pathways for students with a potential interest in healthcare in order to connect them to fields they may not be aware of but that have substantial demand.
“It is critical that we inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals to ensure our communities remain healthy and vibrant for years to come. By hosting this summit, we are investing in the future – the futures of these students, the future of our hospitals and their workforce, and the future of our region, where the healthcare sector holds an essential role in our local economy,” said Joy Johnson, chair of The Center for Health Affairs’ Community Health Affairs Board of Directors and executive director of Burten, Bell, Carr Development, Inc.
Recognizing the importance of this summit are several organizations that provided sponsorship support: Cleveland State University, Select Specialty Hospital, MMT Ambulance, Cleveland Clinic, Central School of Practical Nursing, New Bridge Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, John Carroll University, Wingspan Care Group, Regency Hospital Company, and CHAMPS Group Purchasing. GCCC and The Center for Health Affairs thank these organizations for helping to make this event possible.
“We are grateful to our partners at GCCC for helping to create an event that so successfully engaged students and partners, and we are so pleased with the enthusiasm with which this event has been received, including by our sponsors and especially by our host, Cleveland State University,” said Brian Lane, President and CEO of The Center for Health Affairs. “We hope that this will be just the first in an ongoing collaboration to bring these experiences to area students and connect them with the incredible healthcare institutions in our region.”
About The Center for Health Affairs
As the nation’s first regional hospital association and today representing 37 hospital and healthcare organizations across 10 counties in Northeast Ohio, The Center for Health Affairs aims to enhance the effectiveness of the healthcare community and the health of the communities it serves by providing expertise, resources and solutions to address the challenges currently being faced by the region’s healthcare providers. The Center’s efforts focus on areas in which member organizations and their communities can benefit from a regional approach, including community health; emergency preparedness; public policy and advocacy; and finance and reimbursement. Learn more at neohospitals.org.
About the Greater Cleveland Career Consortium
Established in 2022, the Greater Cleveland Career Consortium—a collective of public, private, education, and nonprofit organizations—takes a comprehensive, coordinated, and community-wide approach to career exploration and readiness—PACE—that empowers young Greater Clevelanders, sets them up for success, and advances regional economic prosperity. GCCC partners with school districts to embed self-awareness and career-based learning opportunities for all students during the school day and connects employers with local school districts, students, and families to help build our regional workforce. To learn more, visit www.greaterclecc.org