High school students will soon have the chance to explore careers in health care beyond the roles they typically see on TV.
Community Heart and Vascular Hospital will host its second annual Heart of Healthcare: Diving into Career Opportunities event from 6:30-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 8075 Shadeland Ave. The event is open to all students and requires no registration.
The idea came from Jennifer Funk, nursing director at Community Heart and Vascular Hospital, who wanted to show students the wide variety of roles available in health care.
“We needed to attract more students into the health care system and into roles,” Funk said. “I wanted to introduce students to other health care roles beyond [nursing and physicians] that maybe they weren’t even aware of.”
Funk said early exposure is key.
“High school curriculum can be very scripted,” she explained. “Being able to introduce them to these possibilities before that decision has to be made could influence what classes they decide they want to take and what track they want to be on.”
Last year’s event drew more than 100 students from 14 schools. Organizers expect similar or larger turnout this year. The 2024 program will feature 14 hospital departments offering hands-on activities, including radiology, surgery and pharmacy.
“We’ve got everything from radiology, showing images, to surgery, where students can touch surgical equipment,” Funk said. “We’ve got pharmacy, where students can grind fake pills, and the ability to ask questions of people doing those roles.”
Several colleges and universities will also attend.
“Really trying to connect the student with, here’s the role that you got introduced to, now let’s go find out how you get into that position,” Funk said.
Donetta Gee-Weiler, vice president of the Cardiovascular Product Line and chief nurse executive for Community Heart and Vascular Hospital, said the event highlights the full scope of health care.
“Too often, people think if you are not a nurse or a doctor, you won’t be needed — but this event shows the opposite,” she said. “There are so many meaningful roles that are vital to caring for patients, and many of them are available right out of high school.”
Students will receive a passport booklet with QR codes linking to details about each department. Funk said feedback last year was “very positive,” with students even requesting on-site job shadowing.
Looking ahead, she hopes to keep expanding the event.
“I see us growing,” Funk said. “I see us adding more higher ed. I see us adding more non-clinical position opportunities as well.”
The event will take place in the hospital’s entry atrium and café. More information is available at eCommunity.com.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
