News
Renown Regional Medical Centers Hospital Career Days Give Students a Look into Real-Life Medicine
02-04-2008
Reno, NV – (February 4, 2008) - Approximately 1,000 students from Washoe County School District high schools will participate in Renown Regional Medical Center’s eighth annual Hospital Career Days spanning for four days – Feb. 19, 20, 21 and 22. The event offers senior high school science students the opportunity to learn about healthcare occupations within the hospital setting and see firsthand the skills needed to pursue those careers in areas including nursing, imaging, rehabilitation therapies, dietary services and laboratory analysis.
A popular component of the event is the real-time broadcast of a surgery being performed at Renown Regional. In addition to watching the surgery live on a large screen, the participants have an audio link to the surgeon, allowing them to converse about the procedure as it happens. The event also features tours of a variety of hospital areas and a medical career fair with exhibits and hands-on demonstrations including one that allows students to use surgical instruments to simulate an operation.
“Hospitals nationwide are struggling with shortages in many healthcare occupations,” said Dennis Hoban, director, recruitment services, Renown Health. “Renown believes that community-based initiatives such as Hospital Career Days contribute to our ability to provide quality patient care well into the future. This program introduces young people to a wealth of information about various challenging and very rewarding healthcare career opportunities.”
“Our students love Hospital Career Days and eagerly anticipate attending this event,” said Denise Hedrick, executive director of the Education Collaborative of Washoe County, Inc. “It really does give them a taste of the excitement and rewards of working in healthcare. Our partnership with Renown Regional provides an ideal situation in which students can learn firsthand what working in a hospital environment is all about.”
Hospital Career Days is sponsored in part by a grant from the Nevada Public Education Foundation, which receives funds from USA Funds, Alcoa Foundation change to USA Funds, and Nell J. Redfield Foundation. These funds subsidize bus transportation for the participants to the event and pays for the substitute teachers needed so that classroom teachers can attend.
In addition to the surgery broadcast, tours and demonstrations, professionals from numerous medical specialties and allied medical fields are on hand to provide information and answer questions. Students from all Reno and Sparks high schools will participate in the activities, as will students from Gerlach, Incline and the Regional Technical Institute.
About the Education Collaborative of Washoe County, Inc.: A nonprofit organization that connects businesses with public schools in Washoe County to provide volunteer, material and financial support for opportunities such as school/business partnerships, workforce development via school-to-career activities, and a donation/recycling warehouse for use by educators.
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Editor’s Note: Media representatives are invited to accompany students during Hospital Career Days on Wednesday, February 21.
The schedule is as follows:
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. - Surgery broadcast
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. - Tours of various hospital areas
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. - Exhibits and demonstrations
All media must be escorted on hospital property. To ensure uninterrupted access to the event, contact Alexia Bratiotis, Public Relations Business Partner at (775) 772-5191 no later than Tuesday, February 20.
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