Summa Western Reserve Hospital Broadens Career Horizons at Richardson Elementary

Summa Western Reserve Hospital physicians and employees recently visited Richardson Elementary School students in March to discuss hospital careers and the importance of teamwork within a hospital setting. Throughout the month, employees from across a broad scope of hospital departments, including medical staff, maintenance, marketing, quality improvement, sleep medicine, graduate medical education, speech pathology, nursing and food services met with students to talk about their career field and how they work with others in the hospital to provide collaborative care for patients.

“It is never too early to expose students to the multitude of career opportunities that exist, and doing so by partnering with businesses in our community makes the experience even more relevant,” said Dr. Todd M. Nichols, Superintendant and CEO, Cuyahoga Falls City Schools. “Ensuring our students are both career and college ready is our first job, and requires a rigorous blend of both traditional academics and exposure to real-world employment environments. The partnership with Summa Western Reserve Hospital provides students with a glimpse at the broad range of jobs available in a single-setting, and is a great way to motivate them toward our goal of readiness.”

Summa Western Reserve Hospital Chairman of the Department of Medicine, Dr. Patrick Blakeslee (Pictured) recently visited Richardson Elementary School kindergarteners to talk about the importance of education. He also showed the students how doctors prepare for procedures when treating patients and explained what doctors wear and why. The students were able to put on hospital masks, gloves and hats to see what it is like to dress like a doctor.

Summa Western Reserve Hospital Electrical and Construction Supervisor, Jeff Anstine (Pictured) also visited with 4th graders at Richardson. Anstine demonstrated how various hospital departments work together. The 4th graders participated in the presentation by dressing up in various uniforms that hospital employees wear on the job. The students were assigned tasks and worked together to care for a patient. Students played the roles of admissions and registration representatives, volunteers, dietitians, maintenance personnel, surgeons, nurses, chaplains, and patients.

“Even at this early age, it is important that we recognize key opportunities to expose students to their bright futures, and guide them in both academic and career endeavors, and this partnership with Cuyahoga Falls City Schools provides an ideal way to do just that,” said Dr. Robert Kent, President and CEO, Summa Western Reserve Hospital. “It is a great honor to be working with Richardson Elementary as a part of this process, and to be an integral part of the school system’s goal of readiness. Our physicians and staff welcome the opportunity to lead by example for this next generation of innovators, educators, physicians and nurses and we hope to impart a little about what we do as a team and in our careers so that one day these students can also realize their career goals and perpetuate a positive impact on the community.”