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Celebrating Our First FACES Program Graduates
Celebrating Our First FACES Program Graduates
CASTRO VALLEY FORUM By : Robert Souza : 8/4/09 When 2009 Castro Valley High School graduate Danielle Harris fi rst entered the “Faces” mentoring program at St. Rose Hospital through the campus Regional Occupational Program her academic level was limping along at a grade point average of 1.84. Within two years she raised her average to above a 3.84 and is now looking forward to a bright future in the healthcare fi eld.
“I was not getting good grades at all and I thought the program was just for the ‘smart kids.’
But I applied and got in,” said Harris during one of her breaks from working with staff at St. Rose Friday afternoon. “It was a culture shock at fi rst, but I got used to it quickly. The program has shown me more things and helped me achieve my goal to be a physician’s assistant.”
The program averages 16 students who are already enrolled in healthcare courses at Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, San Leandro and Hayward schools. It gives the student actual hands-on experience working with the hospital’s dietitians, social workers, nurses, intensive care staff, and physical therapists and pediatric nurses, and “shadowing” doctors at the hospital’s on-campus offices.
Before they set foot at St. Rose, candidates go through three months of rigorous training in patient care, monitoring vital signs, and learning confi dentiality guidelines and other procedures to interact on an entry level with patients.
“This program is creating change by fostering youth and mentoring them. To see Danielle thrive and achieve her goals has been phenomenal,” said Pam Russo, a registered nurse who serves as St. Rose Foundation and Marketing Executive Director.
Faces is supported by social services funding from the City of Hayward, the Hayward Rotary Club and grant money from the California Endowment. The innovative project was replicated from a highly successful program at Children’s Hospital and Research Center in Oakland.
“The goal is not to take 4.0 GPA students, but to bring in students without the same opportunities, such as those with lower incomes, and to broaden their horizons,” said Russo.
Although she recently graduated from the Faces program, Harris still spends as much time as she can volunteering at St.
Rose while taking courses at Laney College and preparing to Danielle Harris of CV assists lab staff at St. Rose Hospital in Hayward as part of its innovative “Faces” program that gives high school students valuable hands-on experience in working with medical patients. transfer to Texas State.
“I still work here because St. Rose is like a second home to me. I would have never had the opportunities I have now without the program.” she said.
For information on the Faces program, call St. Rose Hospital at 264-4000 or contact your campus regional occupational program counselor.
Click on the Link below to read the news article on Castro Valley Times: