For the fourth consecutive year, Physicians Regional Healthcare System has generously provided funding and hands-on experiential learning opportunities to support students participating in The Immokalee Foundation’s Healthcare Pathway.
The effort is part of The Immokalee Foundation’s award-winning Career Pathways Program, a comprehensive educational approach that breaks new ground in preparing students for professional careers.
In addition to its Healthcare Pathway, The Immokalee Foundation provides out-of-school career readiness and workforce development programs for middle and high school students interested in Business Management & Entrepreneurship, Education & Human Services, and Engineering & Construction Management.
“Our role in caring for the community is not limited to what happens inside our facilities,” said Scott Lowe, Market CEO for Physicians Regional Healthcare System. “By supporting the healthcare education of this exceptional group of focused young people, we are helping build a pipeline of new talent to address Southwest Florida’s growing demand for skilled healthcare professionals.”
Immokalee is a major agricultural hub, producing a significant amount of fresh produce for the eastern United States; however, the majority of its children hover just north and/or south of the poverty line.
Physicians Regional once again covered the costs of the Foundation’s Healthcare Summer Camp at Florida Gulf Coast University. The beneficiaries included 36 Immokalee Foundation students, aged 13-17, interested in healthcare careers.
Participating students learned about potential careers and engaged in career readiness activities, hands-on projects, career-oriented field trips, and other relevant experiences.
The healthcare system also hosted 13 student interns at its Pine Ridge and Collier Boulevard hospitals. Participating Immokalee Foundation students shadowed healthcare professionals in various specialties while engaging in medical office support activities.
In the four years since Physicians Regional began hosting Foundation interns, 54 high school and postsecondary students have received a remarkable educational boost on their pathway to meaningful careers in healthcare.
“The Immokalee Foundation’s reason for being is to prepare Southwest Florida’s next generation of workforce leaders,” said Noemi Y. Perez, President and CEO of The Immokalee Foundation. “By providing our students with such extraordinary educational access, Physicians Regional Healthcare System is demonstrating what it means to be a true ‘care provider’ and benevolent community leader.”
