OhioHealth Continues Finding New Sources to Grow Talent Through Work-Based Learning

On the heels on a major announcement with Columbus State Community College, OhioHealth, a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare outreach of the United Methodist Church, announces a new working relationship with South-Western City Schools and Tolles Career and Technical Center in Plain City to find the next generation of young talent.

With the new collaboration, OhioHealth will work directly with both organizations through a Work-Based Learning program, creating formal critical-roles pathways for seniors.  The goal is to prepare students for roles in nursing, pharmacy, patient service associate, medical assistants and more.  Under this new collaboration, OhioHealth associates at OhioHealth Dublin Methodist, OhioHealth Doctors, and OhioHealth Grove City Hospitals.  The program has already hired two dozen student interns in a Patient Support Assistant-intern (PSA-i) role.

“To continue to be the leader in local healthcare, we have to be the leader in finding the best and brightest young talent,” Mindy Sanford, OhioHealth senior advisor, workforce development partnerships and programs said.  “We believe with this collaboration with two quality education entities, we have tapped into a young professional pipeline, with an eye to a long healthcare career, and a desire to serve our patients and live the OhioHealth mission and values that make our organization special.”

Pre-Nursing students will apply, interview, and have the potential to be selected into the OhioHealth program. In this program, pre-nursing students complete their State Tested Nursing Assistant certification by the end of their junior year.  The senior year will be half classwork, the other half working in their paid PSA-i role.

In June, OhioHealth and Columbus State Community College announced an innovative partnership that will double the number of professionals trained in five healthcare fields, addressing a critical need for patient care specialists throughout central Ohio.

As part of this new collaboration, the program will serve as a potential feeder program to the larger OhioHealth and Columbus State Community College partnership.

“We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with OhioHealth in this transformative initiative,” Todd Hoadley, Ph. D., CEO and Superintendent of Tolles Career and Technical Center said, “This relationship not only strengthens our commitment to providing high-quality career technical education but also bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world experience. Our students will greatly benefit from the hands-on experience, working alongside healthcare professionals and interacting with patients. Such exposure is invaluable as it extends their learning beyond the traditional classroom setting, equipping them with practical skills and insights necessary for a successful career in healthcare. We look forward to seeing our students thrive and grow through this unique and enriching experience.”

“We are thrilled for our South-Western Career Academy (SWCA) students to partner with OhioHealth on innovative solutions to address the health care and workforce needs of our community,” Christine Galvin, Director of Career-Technical Education at Southwestern City School District said. “This relationship will provide our students with invaluable hands-on clinical experiences by allowing them to go directly from the classroom to the hospital floor. OhioHealth and South-Western City Schools have a shared focus on fostering the next generation of health care professionals for tomorrow’s workforce.  As we look to double the number of graduates from our pre-nursing program heading into 2024, this partnership will provide SWCA students with affordable, accessible, and sustainable career opportunities through Work-Based Learning.”

The goal is to grow this opportunity each year and continue to open the pipeline of local healthcare talent, while adding jobs in the local market.

About OhioHealth   

Based in Columbus, Ohio, OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare outreach of the United Methodist Church.   

Serving its communities since 1891, OhioHealth is a family of 35,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, and a network of 15 hospitals, three joint-venture hospitals, one managed-affiliate hospital, 200+ ambulatory sites and other health services spanning a 50-county area. For more information, visit ohiohealth.com.