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Partnering to Encourage Future Health Professionals

Mid-Carolina AHEC’s Health Careers Program (HCP) is proud to announce a continued partnership with Prisma Health Richland. Recently, Mid-Carolina AHEC HCP students had the chance to participate in a reality-based education program that introduces adolescents to the Level 1 Trauma Center through Project READY, Prisma Health Richland’s community outreach program.
Lara Peck, program coordinator for Project READY, begins the session with a presentation explaining various behaviors that lead to traumatic injury. The presentation included a brief anatomy lesson of various body parts, such as the brain and spinal cord, that might be impacted in a trauma event. Students also met a presenter who experienced a traumatic injury as a child, leaving her lower body paralyzed. The presenter shared her story about her accident and experience as a patient and gave the students the opportunity to ask questions about her experience and how she lives her daily life.  
Later students were able to take a tour of the Prisma Health Trauma Center. Nurses met with the students, explaining various procedures and allowed students to get acquainted with the equipment used to treat injuries. After visiting the trauma bay, students were able to observe how an operating room was prepared for surgery. They concluded their tour with a visit to the morgue and then a trip to the physical therapy level where students had the chance to experience what it’s like to be a patient recovering from a trauma event. 
“Throughout the course of this program, I was overwhelmed with many emotions,” explained HCP student Selby A.. “Participating in Project READY gave me a great sense of accomplishment. I have numerous goals that I want to achieve before college and programs that introduce various careers is a wonderful opportunity.”
The 2019-2020 Health Careers Program students and Mid-Carolina AHEC would like to extend gratitude to the Prisma Health Richland Project READY coordinator and medical staff for their dedication to community outreach and student education.  Find out more about Mid-Carolina AHEC’s Health Careers Program online.
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