Largo Medical Center
(Largo, Florida)
Summary: Overview of the Strategy
School-based Strategies
Largo Medical Center has added a new dimension to partnerships. Through
a Community-Based Instruction (CBI) program operated by the Pinellas County
Schools, the hospital was able to benefit from and establish new connections.
These connections included Pinellas Park High School, the largest high school
in Pinellas County; St. Petersburg Junior College (SPJC); and the SCANS
(Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) Lab which was developed
through the State Systems Change grant to prepare students for the world
of work.
The first two weeks of each semester are dedicated to preparing students
for their CBI experience with Largo Medical Center. In the classroom and
in the SCANS Lab students participate in activities that teach the necessary
skills to be successful in the world of work. Students develop Career Portfolios
that follow them through high school and into post-secondary education and
employment. As students gain work experience, through these opportunities
at Largo Medical Center, career planning continues in the classroom. Students
receive individualized instruction through the use of Interest Inventories
and Program Shadowing to reinforce the SCANS competencies. Role-playing,
videos, field trips, and guest speakers are utilized to determine the students
individual career and post secondary options. Students build self-confidence
through mastery of these employment skills.
The skills learned in the classroom are reinforced at the work site.
For instance, the Largo Medical Center CBI program requires that each student
go through an interview process. Upon completion of this meeting, the Human
Resource Manager, teacher, and student review the interview to determine
the student's strengths and weaknesses. The student develops self-confidence
by building better interview skills.
Work-based Strategies
Medical facilities offer an opportunity for students to experience a
variety of career options, based on individual interests, abilities, and
skills. Students in the Largo Medical CBI program rotate every six weeks
into positions in Human Resources, Telecommunications, Surgery, Nursing,
Medical Records, Outpatient Services, Print Shop Services, Radiology, Pulmonary,
Engineering, Supply and Purchasing, Dietary, Housekeeping, Emergency Room,
and Sterile Linen. As students master simple tasks they are encouraged to
move onto more complex duties within a given position.
In order to be considered for a CBI position at Largo Medical Center,
a student must complete the application and interview process. The orientation
procedure for each student includes Tuberculosis (TB) testing, and training
from Risk Management on the hospital's policies for safety, emergencies,
accidents, unsafe conditions, and proper work conduct. Adaptations by supervising
employees are made to accommodate the special needs of students. For example,
Largo Medical Center employees have learned rudimentary sign language to
communicate with a student who is deaf. Likewise, a student with a traumatic
brain injury who has problems with short-term memory was trained in a self-contained,
highly repetitive work environment.
Through these work-based activities many students gain job experience
for the first time in their lives. These experiences lay the groundwork
for future employment and post secondary education For students with severe
disabilities, the collaboration of Vocational Rehabilitation with Largo
Medical Center has facilitated many successful transition outcomes. One
student from an Exceptional Student Education (ESE) class, after completing
her CBI at Largo Medical Center, went on to SPJC and plans to become a Special
Education Teacher.
Connecting Activities
The connections with school, work, and community have been the results
of collaboration between students, parents, Pinellas Park High School, the
SCANS Lab, Vocational Rehabilitation, Jobs and Training Partnership Act
(JTPA), School-to-Work, and St. Petersburg Junior College.
The SCANS Lab provides the necessary prerequisite for the Largo Medical
CBI program. Students attend Pinellas Park High School and/or the SCANS
Lab to learn the necessary skills to be successful in work. The student
then receives work-based training at Largo Medical Facility, appropriate
to the student's individual needs and abilities.
To gain parent support parents are invited to visit Largo Medical Center
to see where their children will work and learn. Parent involvement has
been a hallmark of this program. They often say that the dinner table discussion
for their students in the CBI program has turned to discussing experiences
at Largo Medical Center.
The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation has been able to perform situational
assessments at the job site allowing the counselor to see the students'
abilities and not focus on the disabilities. JTPA provides the students
with uniforms, notebooks, curriculum, labor market information, resume cards,
career research manuals, and framed graduation certificates.
Largo Medical provides Internship Programs for students in Respiratory
Therapy, Radiology, and Nursing from St. Petersburg Junior College. A volunteer
program for local high school students, with or without special needs, is
advertised to assist students in fulfilling volunteer requirements for scholarships.
In addition, the hospital sends employees to the "Great American Teach-In"
where they teach for a day. Largo Medical also works closely with Largo
High School's Health Options program and sponsors tours of the site for
area schools so that students can develop a greater awareness of careers
and the education necessary for success in those careers. Finally, Largo
Medical encourages employee participation in "Bring Your Child to Work"
days.
Students from Largo Medical Center's CBI, Internship, and Volunteer Programs
were invited to participate in other community based experiences, such as
a county wide disaster drill where the students became victims in a mock
warehouse explosion. Students had "moulage" (makeup) done in order
to look injured. They were transported to the hospital by ambulance. In
the ER they were questioned and "treated" before being "admitted"
to the hospital. This experience gave the students a patient's view of the
workings in their hospital.
These programs are just the beginning of a solid relationship between
Largo Medical and Pinellas County School Board. Through the county's School-to-Work
coordinator, Lyn Harris, programs such as these will continue, and Largo
Medical will build upon and further develop programs that benefit ALL students
in Pinellas County, regardless of age or abilities.
The Need
By offering Internships, Volunteer Positions, and Community-Based Instruction
programs, Largo Medical prepares students for the workplace. The goal of
exposing students with and without disabilities to various careers in the
medical field while still in school, and teaching students about the responsibilities
and educational requirements for a career is the driving force behind these
programs. Immediate staffing needs are met for Largo Medical while the training
and educational goals are addressed for the students.
The CBI program was designed to meet the needs of Exceptional Student
Education (ESE) students with moderate to severe disabilities, however opportunities
are open to all students regardless of whether they have a disability or
not. The students who participate in these work-based programs gain experience
that will lead to positive transition outcomes after leaving high school
and entering adult life. Six of the students working in the CBI program
at Largo Medical Center have multiple impairments ranging from physical
disabilities to deafness and mental limitations. At least three of this
year's 16 students come from homes where English is not spoken. The cultural
background of these students includes Caucasian, African-American, Cambodian,
Hispanic, and Saudi Arabian.
The CBI program with Largo Medical Center has served more than fifty
students in two years and expects to have at least twenty students in the
program next year. Just this year, Largo Medical Center has provided more
than ninety internships, seven career shadowing experiences, eight residencies,
and five clinicals for nursing students. In addition, 250 members from the
community, including Pinellas Park High School students, participated in
CPR training provided by the hospital.
Meeting the Need
Many partners including students, parents, school administrators, and
adult service agencies worked together to make this a successful strategy
for all students. Additionally, letters of support from more than 40 educators,
community partners, parents, and students are attached in Appendix A. The
collaboration of all stakeholders is necessary for the success of a program
such as this one.
The CBI program was developed in 1996 with Pinellas Park High School
when Largo Medical Center was asked to participate in a Community Based
Education Program where students could work in a supervised environment
to gain real work knowledge. The idea was brought to the hospital administration
for approval, and presented to the various hospital departments.
The program did not require much start up money, but did necessitate
the expense of employee time. The employees of Largo Medical Center were
very supportive of the program, not only for the benefits it provides for
students, but also for the benefits to Largo Medical in terms of filling
job openings.
Transportation has often been a barrier to participation in community
based activities. Fortunately for the students who participate in the Largo
Medical Center CBI program, transportation is provided by the school system.
Students are picked up at school and spend a half day at the work site before
returning to Pinellas Park High at the end of the school day.
The Results
Many positive changes have been seen in the students' lives. When students
realize they are respected as employees at Largo Medical Center, and expected
to act like employees, they exhibit better behavior at the job site and
in school. Students set higher expectations for themselves as a result of
participating in the Largo Medical CBI Program. At the conclusion of the
program some students choose careers in the medical field that require additional
training in post secondary education. Others decided the medical profession
is not for them. All of the 55 students who have participated so far have
learned professional skills that will stay with them throughout their adult
lives.
A wide range of students are represented in the CBI Program from students
with moderate mental disabilities to relatively high functioning students
with specific learning disabilities, to a variety of other types of learners.
Largo includes additional opportunities for all learners such as the Largo
Medical Volunteer Program for students in Pinellas County. Most of the volunteers
come from Pinellas Park High School. The internships and clinicals are provided
for Nursing and Respiratory Therapy students from SPJC.
Successful student experiences abound. Benefits of the program include:
increased student self-confidence leading to better behavior and attendance
in school; better preparation of students for employment and the world of
work; more successful transitions to adult life after graduation; and improved
connections with adult service providers and the schools.
Largo Medical has included ALL learners in their job site through a variety
of options which are open to all learners. As stated in the School to Work
Opportunities Act of 1994, School-to-Work is for "both male and female
learners from a broad range of backgrounds and circumstances, including
disadvantaged learners, learners with diverse racial, ethnic, or cultural
backgrounds, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, learners
with disabilities, learners with limited English proficiency, migrant children,
school dropouts, and academically talented learners." Largo Medical
has provided work-based opportunities and school-based activities for ten
of the twelve categories.
Reflections on Our Strategy
As with any program there are always activities, that in hind sight,
could have been done differently to create better results. For instance:
- Collaborating with Vocational Rehabilitation from the start of the
student's CBI experience, instead of just before the student leaves the
program. Vocational Rehabilitation now performs situational assessments
on students in the CBI program at Largo Medical Center. The students benefit
from these assessments when transitioning to adult life after graduation.
- Gaining the support of parents in the beginning for their children
to participate in the Largo Medical Program has positively affected the
success of these students. Initially, parents gave permission for their
children to participate, but did not see the work site.
- The Largo Medical Center CBI Program now accesses many different departments
within the hospital even though in the beginning, only a few were used.
Offering more choices and a larger variety of career experiences to students
is definitely beneficial.
Student discipline and attendance problems at school did not disappear
as readily as had been hoped. Students still hated coming to school, but
did like the experiences at the hospital. As a result, good conduct is now
a prerequisite to entering the Largo Medical Center Programs. Many times
behavior issues at school positively change once the student gets to the
work site.
All of the partners need to be aware and open to including ALL learners
in CBI activities and recognize the benefits for all students. Set aside
programs for any group of students usually creates more barriers to be overcome.
Examples of Learners
Example 1
Every day was like a new day for a young high school student with Traumatic
Brain Injury who also experienced seizures. Due to a limited short-term
memory, he was placed in a repetitive position in the Sterile Linen Department
at Largo Medical Center. The repetitiveness of the job allowed him to gain
work experiences that relate to the real world.
Example 2
Another student with many disabilities including deafness, speech impairment,
seizures, and autistic behavior was placed in the Dietary Department. He
started off by washing dishes, but soon exceeded the expectations of his
teacher and employer by learning and operating the entire dishwashing system.
This young man was so successful that he became completely independent in
this area which he enjoys.
Example 3
Another student with limited English proficiency began working in the
Supply and Purchasing Departments. Each item for the hospital had to be
tagged with an identification number. After perfecting his skills in this
area, he was taught to use the box crusher to crush boxes after the supplies
has been disposed of and bind the crushed boxes together. He was moved into
the Dietary Department where he worked under the head chef for the hospital
making food for the patients and staff. Preparing batter and trays for muffins
as well as making garlic bread and other foods for a salad bar were among
the tasks this young man accomplished successfully. After completing six
weeks in the Dietary Department, he moved into Sterile Linen, his favorite.
Here towels had to be rolled and folded perfectly for use in the hospital
while maintaining a sterile atmosphere. He learned to place and remove surgical
tools from the Autoclave where they are sterilized and then packaged for
use. This student also collected used carts and delivered new ones to the
different units in the hospital. Hospital staff learned to be very patient
since no one could communicate in traditional ways with this student.
Recruiting
Through the design of various programs, Largo Medical Center addresses
the needs of all students. The volunteer program for high schools students
is advertised to all students regardless of ability. The Community Based
Instruction Program for students with disabilities is being expanded to
all learners. Each year the number of employees participating in "Bring
Your Child To Work" day and the "Great American Teach-In"
has grown along with the Internship Programs and job shadowing options for
all students in Pinellas County Schools. Largo Medical Center is working
closely with School-to-Work efforts to ensure better opportunities for all
youth to participate in the work-based activities offered.
For more information on Largo Medical Center, contact:
Karlton Ballard
Pinellas County Schools
PO Box 2942
Largo, FL 33779
(Phone) 813/588-6540
(Fax) 813/588-6202
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