Mission Possible students being instructed in the medical aspects of CPR.

Mission Possible Program Exposes Students to Healthcare Careers

By Johnnie Grant

“Mission Possible” began as a shared vision of Joseph Damore, CEO of Mission Health Systems, Asheville City Schools Superintendent Allen Johnson, Maria Roloff, Sheila Meadows, and others determined to make a dream come to life. The program is a collaboration between Mission Health Systems, the Asheville City and Buncombe County school systems, and Buncombe County; the name was the idea of Superintendent Johnson, who thought the program would heighten young people’s awareness of healthcare career options.

A pilot program was offered during the summer of 2007 for 20 Asheville High School students in the AVID program (Advancement via Individual Determination). The program consists of a four-week paid internship through which students meet with, observe, and learn from healthcare professionals in various departments, and sometimes have the opportunity to shadow their mentors. The internships take place on the Mission campuses from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ideally, exposure to different healthcare settings will pique students’ interest in choosing a career in the healthcare field.

To qualify, applicants must be rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors with at least a 2.0 grade-point average and involvement in extracurricular activities. All students apply online and are then interviewed at their respective schools. A project coordinator, jointly selected by the school systems and the hospital, works with designated hospital personnel to implement the internship and supervise the students.

Tarik Glenn, Workforce Development Specialist - Mission Healthcare Systems.

The objectives of Mission Possible are:

• To develop an awareness of the diverse career opportunities available in the health care industry

• To educate students on the skills necessary to obtain and sustain employment in the health care field

• To educate students on the educational requirements, certification, and training necessary to be eligible for future health care positions

• To engage students in first-hand health care experiences through shadowing, observation, and rotations

• To provide students with career consultation

• To promote healthy lifestyle choices by creating individual responsibility for maintaining one’s own health and wellness

• To provide health care related employment for students as a pipeline into health care careers at Mission

• To develop an awareness of education assistance and scholarship funding available for pursuit of health care careers

• To increase students’ awareness of the multicultural needs of a diverse patient and employee population

Asheville City Schools Mission Possible Health Interns. Row 1 (L-R): Keyona Presha, Robyn Williams, Lisa Waters, Jalen Craig, Jessica Meadows. Row 2: Janeka Moore, Bryanna Williams, Silvia Villatoro, Cathy Charles, Cayla Jiles, Betty Cobbs, Sidney Schou, Ashly Surratt, Ashley Hall, Cynthia Molina, Marcus Whitson.

Buncombe County Mission Possible Health Interns. Front Row (L-R): Ashley Fromm, Stacie Smith, Brittany Gibson, Tequila Petty, Kristin Goff, Elizabeth Wandel, Kaila West. Row 2: Gloria Bui, Natalie Broadway, Kristen Childers, Jaime Kent, Devon Anderson, Cyesha Baird. Row 3: Taylor Feimster, Rachel Biddix, Kara Russell, Hannah Sayles, Kiera Wilkins. Back Row: Corey Fisher, Kyle Gilliam, Joe Hutchinson, Micah Gardner, Aleksey Davidchuk.