Volume 25
Number 17
August 22, 2014
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
`` Members of Penn Medicine’s Pipeline program with Francis Graham (far left) and Telandria Boyd-Johnson (fourth from left), Workforce Development coordinator.
“Without this program, and the driving forces behind it, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Meeting
— Shanice Jackson
High Expectations Another successful year for Penn Medicine’s Pipeline Program
Penn Medicine’s Pipeline Program is not easy. Its rigorous agenda requires participants to successfully complete their junior- and senior-year high school courses while taking college courses and learning about health-care careers through on-site experiences. But they’re up to the challenge. Francis Graham, associate director of HR Workforce Development, told this year’s graduates, “We expect a lot and you meet our expectations … and then 10-fold.” The program, which initially started as a summer internship, was later extended into a two-year, year-round program. It exposes students to the health-care field while providing job readiness training and professional development. The students all work with mentors in departments and areas throughout the Health System who are positive role models and provide on-site job training. So far, more than 100 students from three West Philadelphia high schools have participated in the program.
Inside Taking Time Out Giving Babies a to Talk...........2 Healthy Start..............................2 Roundtable.................................3 “Break” From Cancer Free Skin Point..........................3 A Turning Cancer Screening......................3 Heartfelt Thanks........................3 Partners in Rehab......................4 Penn’s 5K for the IOA................4 Shortakes...................................4 Discount at the University’s Computer Store.........................4
At this year’s graduation, members of the program spoke of their experiences. For Jordan Smith, who is in his second year of the Pipeline program, the preview of college was a ”rude awakening. It’s nothing like high school.” He said they learned how to better handle their time … and their finances. “It’s expensive to buy lunch. Bring food!” he said, smiling. But on a more serious note, he said the work experience showed all of them the importance of “always being respectful and polite, to coworkers and patients.” Shakir Alexander-Noah’s work with the Good Shepherd Penn Partners team cemented his interest in physical therapy. “Working alongside of physical therapists was one of the best experiences,” he said, but it was his second assignment, working with elderly patients at Scheie Eye Institute, that opened his eyes. “A physical therapist told me to specialize in something I’m impassioned about,” he said, and working at PPMC, he discovered his passion. “I want to be a physical therapist specializing in geriatric care.” (Continued on page 2)
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