NATCHITOCHES – Over 70 students from Winnfield, Dodson, Calvin and LaSalle high schools participated in a Healthcare Academic and Career Exploration (ACE) event in Winnfield Feb. 7. Healthcare ACE introduces Cenla students to high demand healthcare careers through hands-on learning workshops in nursing, allied health, radiologic technology, addiction studies, psychology, social work and paramedic/advanced EMT.
Healthcare ACE is funded by The Rapides Foundation and enables high school students to explore career opportunities in healthcare. Programs are hosted in partnership with faculty from Northwestern State University and Central Louisiana Technical Community College for juniors and seniors to raise their awareness and preparation for high demand healthcare careers in central Louisiana.
“Students who participate in Healthcare ACE learn about dual enrollment classes that offer a head start towards healthcare workforce readiness, certification programs, associate and bachelor’s degree programs, summer camps and year-round programs that raise awareness of academic and career opportunities in healthcare,” said Steve Gruesbeck, ACE executive director.
Two more Healthcare ACE events are planned this month. Those will take place Friday, Feb. 21 in Catahoula Parish and Friday, Feb. 28 at NSU’s main campus in Natchitoches.
Information on Healthcare ACE is available at https://www.nsula.edu/healthcareace/. Gruesbeck can be reached at sgruesbeck@nsula.edu.
Pictured above: Winnfield High School seniors Samoria Bell, left, and Alonna Brown, right, talked with NSU Social Work faculty instructor Jessica Fultz to learn about the applied field of social work, one of several high demand healthcare careers covered in the Healthcare ACE workshop. Bell is interested in in sonography or nursing and Brown is interested nursing.
Calvin High School juniors Gianna Conzonere, center, and Kylie Dupree, right, worked with NSU psychology faculty Beverly Broadway to learn how the brain communicates with the body through electrochemical processes. Conzonere is interested in becoming a radiologic technologist or nurse. Dupree is interested in nursing.
Macie Arthurs of LaSalle High School learned CPR during a workshop focused on high demand healthcare career opportunities such as advanced emergency medical technicians and paramedics. Arthurs is interested in becoming a nurse anesthetist.
