Local High School Students Participate in Providence Hospitals’ Pursuit Program
July 10, 2009
COLUMBIA, SC – July 8,2009 – Pursuit, Providence Hospitals’ education program for rising high school juniors and seniors in the Midlands is underway this week. This two-week summer program allows students the opportunity to shadow health care professionals and learn about the medical field first-hand.
Only 42 students were chosen out of 100 applicants from Richland, Lexington and Fairfield districts for this year’s Pursuit program. The program is split into two, two-week sessions, with 21 students participating in each session.
The Pursuit program gives students a chance to discover what it’s like to work in a hospital and encourages them to consider health care professions as part of their future. Program participants take part in a mock gallbladder surgery and share in a patient care scenario using an interactive simulation mannequin. Students shadow employees in various clinical areas, including nursing units, the laboratory, pharmacy, radiology and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. Additionally, students visit the University of South Carolina School of Medicine to learn more about research and clinical studies. Students who complete the program also receive a small stipend.
Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity Health System, Providence Hospitals is known statewide for its compassionate care. This non-profit organization is licensed for 304 beds and is comprised of four entities: Providence Hospital, Providence Heart & Vascular Institute, Providence Hospital Northeast and Providence Orthopaedic & Neuro Spine Institute. A faith-based health care facility in the Midlands area of South Carolina, Providence employs more than 1,900 caring individuals.
Providence Hospital, located in downtown Columbia, was founded by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Augustine in 1938. The facility is best known for the expertise in cardiac care it provides through Providence Heart Institute, which is recognized statewide as a referral center for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Providence Hospital Northeast was established in 1999 and offers a range of medical services in surgery, emergency care, women’s and children’s services and rehabilitation. Providence Northeast is home to Providence Orthopaedic & Neuro Spine Institute, which provides medical and surgical treatment of diseases and injuries of the bones, joints and spine.
