Ware of DHS addresses Elkins Rotary
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ELKINS -- Physician and Community Liaison Chad Ware, an employee of Davis Health System for 21 years and director of the Davis Academy, addressed the Elkins Rotary Club.
The Davis Academy has two tracks - a full-time track with room for six students, is for recently graduated seniors up to 20 years old. This track, which is a more flexible program, is a paid and fully benefited six-month program that rotates through various areas of the hospital where the students have the greatest interest.
"We've got 14 areas that we currently have from lab, radiology, nursing, physician practices, surgical services, we've just opened a sports medicine track with our new orthopedic center. We ask the students which area they would be most interested in, they give us their top choices and we try to rotate them through those areas. At the end of that time, we've had great success finding either job placement or scholarship opportunities," Ware said. "A lot of things like our LPN scholarships cover their entire program."
There is also a part time track in partnership with the Randolph County Technical Center and the Barbour County Technical Center. Those students participate in a one-semester program, four days a week, on a similar basis as the full-time program.
There are criteria that must be met to join the Davis Academy program. All interns go through an orientation similar to regular employees. There are also certain activities that the interns may not do but, generally, they are very hands-on in their day-to-day activities. Interns work with mentors in each department to learn various skills such as drawing blood and transporting patients.
"We have one former student who is attending D&E pursuing her RN and working part-time registration shift in the emergency department," said Ross.
"We try to give students the opportunity to get into health care, see what they like, rotate through the various departments.
"We've had students who come through the full-time program, they'll get into it, see blood, they decide health care isn't for them. They've saved themselves a wasted semester in school when they could have been doing something else," Ware said.
The program has been very successful and is steadily growing. Paying the interns is enticing for those who are interested in health care and WVU has copied the program in their hospitals.
"Imitation is the greatest form of flattery," said Ware.
Ware often speaks with students' parents, making sure they know the expectations of the program. The Academy provides the interns with scrubs that are purchased with the assistance of the Davis Health Foundation and the Randolph County Housing Authority.
One overarching goal of the program is to keep the interns in the area. Some students come from difficult situations and the program helps those students achieve success in their own lives.
"We've had interns who have done so well, they went through one or two rotations, and all the sudden employees wanted to hire them. We reached out of Vance [Jackson, president and CEO of Davis Health System], and he said 'That's what the programs for,' so we hired them," Ware said. "If they do great, we'll hire them right away."
More information about the Davis Academy can be found at the Academy's website, www.dhsacademy.com or by contacting Ware at 304-636-3300.
Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change - across the globe, in their communities, and in themselves.
Visit www.Rotary.org to learn more about Rotary International, visit the club's Facebook page -- Rotary Club of Elkins -- or contact club president Kenny George at kenneth.george@blueridgeriskpartners.com for more information about the Rotary Club of Elkins.