Northshore Magazine

Northshore March 2020

Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.

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NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 50 MARCH 2020 L I V E + P L AY CONTACT wellspringhouse.org could have a lot of stability," Dimond says. The program, a full-time, 15-week com- mitment, is based at the North Shore Medi- cal Center in Salem, allowing students daily exposure to the kind of environment they are training to work in. Classroom work teaches computer skills, medical terminology, busi- ness communication, professional etiquette, and job search strategies. Each student also completes six job shad- owing experiences that show them some of the roles they could be qualified to pursue. They might spend a few hours checking in patients in an emergency room, for example, or observing frontline customer service staff at a hospital pharmacy. The program ends with a two-week intern- ship, which often leads to an immediate job offer at the end of that period—91 percent of graduates have found work in the medical field within six months of completing their training. And the program is a win-win for the North Shore Medical Center as well: Students get to learn in a real medical environment, and the center gets a regular stream of well-trained, eager employees. "We have found outstanding applicants for positions at the hospital and in our physician offices," says Robin Olson, senior vice president of human resources for North Shore Medical Center. "The participants are so dedicated to their success, and we benefit by providing opportunities for them." Before each session starts, Wellspring does its best to ensure students are set up to succeed. During enrollment, there are open houses where prospective students can meet instructors and ask questions. Students must submit a written application, have a typing speed of at least 25 words per minute, pass a criminal background check, and demonstrate that they have received all necessary vaccinations. But the process is more than just the paperwork. Staff speak with applicants to help them think through the logistics of the commitment they are about to make, asking questions such as: What's your transportation? What's your child care plan? Have you budgeted for your expenses? The result has been a graduation rate of between 80 and 85 percent each session, significantly higher than the average for an occupational education program of this sort, Dimond says. Last December, the 500th graduate completed the course. For Collins, the MediClerk program was transformative. She earned nearly all A's in her coursework and learned she is capable of much more than she had previously believed. She now works in the emergency depart- ment at Salem Hospital. She helps patients check in, coordinates patient transfers to dif- ferent departments or hospitals, and handles communications between emergency staff, specialists, and other medical personnel. She loves her new professional life. Most tangibly, she went from not working to earn- ing significantly more than minimum wage in just a few months' time. But the most important impacts have been the emotional ones, she says. When she finishes a shift, she goes home and feels a deep satisfaction in what she did that day. She is gratified to know that her husband and mother are proud of her achievements. And she is eager to pass on her newfound confidence and skills to her two teenagers. "I hope they succeed," Collins says. "And my knowledge will help them succeed. They've seen me do it." Melissa Dimond is the executive director of Wellspring House.

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