A local partnership will allow Delphos students to graduate with a Patient Care Technician certificate.
Rhodes State College has partnered with local schools to train students to become a part of the essential healthcare workforce right out of the gate after graduation.
The Healthcare Occupations Pathway Experience, or the “HOPE” project, aims to open many doors of opportunity in the healthcare field for students who complete the course. The 12-credit class counts toward their high school diploma and can be transferred over as college credit.
On top of the useful basic nursing skills, they’ll learn in high school, they will graduate ready to work in a hospital with their Patient Care Technician certificate.
Anthony Bodine, a junior at Delphos Jefferson High School says, “This will allow me to start early on my career and even if I would want to change it, this would allow me to have that aspect in mind.”
Students from Delphos Jefferson and Delphos St. Johns were the first to sign up for the HOPE Project. The principal of Delphos Jefferson, Chad Brinkman, says the school wants to prepare their students for post-graduation as much as possible.
He says, “When I look behind me at graduation commencements, I don’t want to see a kid leave saying, ‘Now what do I do? I think I’m going to college, but am I going to enjoy what I’m doing?’ or any of those questions.”
Even the students feel that sentiment, saying they appreciate the hands-on learning experience. “It makes feel like the school actually cares where the students are going to be at in life and that they actually are here to help us,” says Bodine.
Another benefit to the program is that students will get a taste of not only what college coursework will be like, but what college will be like for someone going into the medical field.
Rachel Fetzer, a senior at Delphos Jefferson says, “Especially with my high school classes, it’s been really hard to keep up with them, so it’s really getting me into that college mindset of getting my grades up, getting all my homework done on time.”
Mercy Health Saint Rita’s and Lima Memorial Health System are also on board with the Hope Project, and students will eventually get a chance to get firsthand experience in a hospital setting, and maybe even a job opportunity.
