August 22, 2022
Health Occupations Pipeline Education (HOPE) Program, Offered Through the Ventura County Health Care Agency, Celebrates Graduating Class of 2022
Ventura, CA – On August 5, the Ventura County Health Care Agency graduated the next class of future health care leaders from the HOPE Program, a partnership between multiple departments and divisions of the Ventura County Health Care Agency (VCHCA).
HOPE, which began in 2014, and is led by Dr. Cheryl Lambing, provides local high school, community college and university students the chance to train in various aspects of health care, regardless of their background or potential barriers to entering this field.
The goal of HOPE is to inspire the next generation of health care leaders through authentic clinical exposure pathways, insight into research and evidence-based exploration into professional goals and expanded leadership opportunities. HOPE highlights many aspects of health care and VCHCA including, Public Health, Behavioral Health, Medical Examiner’s Office, Healthcare for the Homeless, as well as numerous departments including Family Medicine, Surgery, Medicine, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Pathology, Oncology, Phlebotomy, Facilities, BioMed Diagnostics and Technology, Information Technology (IT/Electronic Health) and Health Information Management (HIM), Nursing, Respiratory Therapy and Physical Therapy.
Additionally, through firsthand, on the ground experiences with our staff, HOPE is helping to create a sustainable, diverse, and equal-opportunity pipeline for our county’s future health care workforce.
The program is made possible through the support of instructors and mentors from Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC)/Santa Paula Hospital, the nationally renowned Family Medicine Residency Program, and medical and professional staff from Ventura County Ambulatory Care Clinics.
This summer, after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of 25 trained during the five-week program, which concluded with a culmination ceremony attended by, families, VCHCA staff and leadership.
One student had the following to say about their experience as a part of HOPE, “…the HOPE program was an invaluable step in the advancement of my career in health. Observing the doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants, scrub techs, and other health professionals allowed me to determine how each individual working in a hospital contributed towards a patient’s wellbeing and showed me the importance of teamwork in patient care. Additionally, I gained exposure to multiple surgical specialties, which gave me insight into which one I might want to pursue in the future. Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate in this program!”
If you are (or know of) a high school or college student who has an interest in the health care field and would like to apply for the Summer 2023 program, visit HOPE Summer Explorers – Ventura County Medical Center Family Medicine (venturafamilymed.org) for more information and to see when the application is posted.
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