Sustaining Our Future, Career Mentoring at Pondera Medical Center

Presented by: Mary Erickson, BSN, MSMDirector of Clinical Services

Pondera Medical Center, Conrad, MT

What is it:A program put together in conjunction with

Conrad High School Career Mentoring Class to expose students to all aspects of the healthcare industry.

How it started:Just a conversation with a teacher!School BoardHospital Administration & Management Team

How it works:Business Tract

Administration Accounting – payroll,

AR, AP Business Office –

billing Reception IT Purchasing Medical

Records/Transcription

Healthcare Tract Acute Care Extended Care Home Health Radiology Lab Doctor office Dietary Housekeeping Engineering PT/OT Social Work Case

Management/Discharge Planning

Jr. and Sr. students come to PMC 3 times a week for their last period (2:45 – 3:30) for a whole semester

They are each assigned an area for the weekThe first week is 3 days of orientation:

Confidentiality – patient and business Safety – facility codes, etc Name tags and security Student interests Resume and interview review/practice

How it works:

How it works:Students are graded on attendance and

participationStudent evaluations are done by each area

each weekBreeches in confidentiality result in

automatic failure of the classThe last 2 -3 weeks are “student picks” Complete a special project over the course of

the semester

Program Goals:To expose students to healthcare careersTo help our high school also expose students

to business in general and the “real world”Hopefully peak an interest and support for

PMC from a younger crowd

The Students:Had 7 students with interest spanning from

fashion design to IT to hairdresser to nursing.

What do they do when they’re here:This is the hard part!Area objectives (handout)Always get a department overview to include

educational background and requirements to work in an area

Data entry projects, resident activities, observation, checking outdates, QA and Infection Control activities – whatever you can think of!!!!

Feedback from Students:Enjoyed it overall and found it to be a good

use of their timeTimeframe seemed to be just right for most

areasWe needed to be more prepared for their

visitsMore projects for them to doMore focus on individual career options

Feedback from StaffEnjoyed the interactions with the students Enjoyed the opportunity to talk and show

someone else their workWas able to keep their work flow goingThought time spent with them was too shortSometimes difficult to find a project for them

to doNeeded clearer expectations of what to do

with them

What will we do different next year:

More focused with student interestsHave projects/duties lined up for them to doClearer objectives for both sides

What are you doing today to sustain the future of your organization?

“As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery