June 14, 2011
Good Samaritan Hospital and TriHealth have partnered with one of Cincinnati's newest high schools to give students a chance to experience health care first-hand, while earning funds to cover their tuition.
DePaul Cristo Rey High School opened in Clifton in June, and is part of a network of 24 schools across the country. The school's mission is to provide a Catholic, college-prep education to students who are determined to break through the barriers of poverty, street violence, and limited educational opportunity. Twenty-five Cincinnati businesses, including Good Samaritan, are serving as financial partners with the school.
Good Samaritan’s partnership works like this: In addition to carrying a full load of classes, eight students spend one or two days each week at the hospital in clerical and patient transportation positions. In exchange, Good Samaritan provides funds to cover part of each student’s tuition.
Special attention was paid to providing work that would be interesting to the students and add value to the organization. “We wanted to give each student some patient contact so they really get a sense of what it’s like to work in health care,” said TriHealth Employment Director Darla Olson.
The academically rigorous school is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity. Its unique work-study program not only helps finance each students schooling, it also provides invaluable work experience in a variety of white-collar, corporate settings. “We’re thrilled to help make quality education available to eight students who otherwise would not have the resources,” says Olson.
Lisa Claytor, director of DePaul Cristo Rey’s Corporate Work Study Program, notes that an important aspect of the school’s mission is to expose students to a variety of career paths. “The partnership with TriHealth and Good Samaritan is a great opportunity for our students to experience the many different kinds of career possibilities available in a health care setting,” Claytor says.