FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Adventist Health wants to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Soon there will be a new way to consider a career in the medical field.
Adventist Health is starting a workforce development program called “LAUNCH.”
It stands for “Learning and Understanding New Careers in Healthcare.”
“We believe that we can spark that interest, spark that passion, that energy in a student,” Partnership and Marketing Exec. Adventist Health Central Calif. Network Kiyoshi Tomono said.
Tomono says they want to start growing local talent that they can hire one day.
“The program is really about young folks exploring the possibility that healthcare is a career for them, not just in the clinical space,” Tomono said.
Participants aged 16 and up will have the chance to explore a wide range of careers through hands-on learning, mentorship and professional development experiences.
That includes both in-hospital and outpatient settings.
“It would be great for all of us if that student knows what they’re getting into and is passionate about it,” Tomono said.
The first cohorts will begin in February at Adventist Health Bakersfield and Adventist Health Hanford.
It will eventually expand to six other hospitals across Central California as well as several Adventist Health medical offices.
The program is broken up into three tiers based on experience and goals.
Tomono says they believe providing this opportunity will give participants a better idea of what to expect in these roles.
He says they also hope it helps reduce shortages across the healthcare field.
“We’d love to see and kind of teach to the book, the kind of people that we want in these roles and be able to hire at the end of it too,” Tomono said.
LAUNCH applications are open and will close January 4th for the first round.
High School students, college students and those exploring new healthcare career opportunities are welcome to apply.
You can find a link to apply by clicking here.
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