LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Mercy Health-St. Rita's is working to cultivate local talent to stay in the area after graduation.
The medical center's Rising Star program places high school students who are interested in the medical field into a month-long internship. They will get the chance to explore various career opportunities in the healthcare field, such as surgery, pharmacy, nursing, and emergency medicine, among others. The program is designed to give the students the connections and resources they need to move forward in their careers, which the organizers hope is in Lima.
"So the idea is, let's grow our local talent. We've got brilliant children here, and it's time that our hospital, our healthcare, reflects the community that they serve. So let's grow our students here, let Mercy support them in their educational efforts, in their employment efforts, and hopefully get to work with them once they are ready for employment," explained Carla Thompson, resource navigator at Mercy Health-St. Rita's.
The internship is a paid position, and eight students from Lima City Schools and Lima Central Catholic were hired. This is the third year of the Rising Star program.
