BayCare Program Inspires Teens to Explore the Possibilities of a Future in Health Care
by SHAYLYNN MARKS
In early June, Winter Haven Hospital hosted its inaugural Career Camp, a BayCare initiative designed to give high school students hands-on exposure to clinical and non-clinical healthcare careers. The three-day camp brought together 10 students eager to explore the many possibilities for a future in health care.
Launching a Local Legacy
“We wanted to provide something more accessible for students in this area who are interested in health care but can’t travel across the region to attend similar programs,” says Kim Choate, a nursing professional development practitioner.
The Career Camp was the result of collaborative planning between Choate and Kristen Smith, Chief Nursing Officer of Winter Haven Hospital.
“Kim and I really talked about it,” Smith says. “I brought the strategy, she executed, and she is amazing. What she put together was exceptional.”
For Choate, the impetus for the camp was personal.
“I have five kids. One of my daughters was very interested in becoming a pediatrician,” she says. “I knew that she would love something like that.”
The students included ninth- through 11th-graders. Applications were simple and spread by word of mouth.
“It was just an application they had to fill out,” Choate says. “They had to sign, have things like a medical release form notarized to make sure everybody was safe and okay to be there.”
Immersive Experiences and Hands-on Learning
The program gave students the chance to tour departments such as labor and delivery, respiratory therapy, radiology, food and nutrition services, pharmacy, and the cardiac cath lab. The end result was a rare behind-the-scenes look at health care in action.
“Their favorite by far was working with respiratory therapy,” Choate says. “The team brought in pig lungs and hooked them up to ventilators. The students got to touch the lungs, see them breathe, and even saw what a pneumothorax looks like. They also got to practice intubation, which was huge for them.”
The camp included a mix of lectures, tours, and hands-on demonstrations. Each day featured a lunch-and-learn session with a hospital leader who shared their personal career journey.
“For the first day, Kristen came and shared her story of becoming a nurse and how she got to where she is now,” Choate says. “Our Chief Medical Officer also came and spoke to them about his journey to becoming a physician.”
Broadening Career Awareness
Smith emphasizes the importance of exposing students to the full spectrum of roles in health care.
“We were really intentional with it being a career camp and not like a camp junior nurse or anything like that because again, we wanted to expose them to all parts of health care and really focus in on the fact that there’s a lot of different types of careers within the four walls of the hospital,” she said.
That broad exposure is already making an impact.
“One of the campers thought she wanted to be a nurse. After working and doing all that with respiratory therapy, she kept asking a lot of questions and she’s really interested in a career in RT now,” Smith says. “That is kind of the whole point of what we were trying to accomplish.”
Plans for Expansion
Buzz about the exciting opportunity spread quickly.
“We’ve already gotten calls after the first day about people hearing about it and wanting their child to participate,” Smith says.
“So, I think we definitely will be expanding, but it might be really hard with 40 campers to be able to provide all those unique opportunities. So we’ll see.”
“But I definitely think we would like to expand to 15 or 20 [students] next year if we can make that happen.”
A Lasting Impression
Both leaders hope the camp inspires students not only professionally, but personally. “They’re building skills now that they can use for a lifetime,” Choate says.
She recalled a shy student who surprised her on the last day.
“She was getting in her car for the last time, and she turned to me and said, ‘This was the best ever,’ ” Choate says. “And she had been one of the quietest students the whole time. That meant so much to me.”
As BayCare continues to address workforce development in a rapidly changing health care landscape, the Winter Haven Hospital Career Camp stands as a shining example of early engagement.
“These kids are our future,” Smith says. “And it’s our job to show them what’s possible.”