PEORIA, Ill. — Students at Woodruff Career and Technical Center were able to have first-hand experience in the healthcare field Wednesday at OSF’s Jump Trading Simulation and Education Center.
Students who have expressed interest in the healthcare industry learned from area experts in four different fields: respiratory therapy, phlebotomy, emergency medical technicians (EMT), and surgical technologist.
The Asian Indian Community Collaboration of Peoria (AICCP) made the day possible with a partnership with Woodruff and OSF.
The partnership bloomed when AICCP had a plan to mentor Peoria Public Schools students, particular in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
According to a member of AICCP, Dr. Kiran Velpula, the goal of the day was to allow students to see what a day-to-day job looks like in the field.
“This is specifically designed to get the students involved in education, continued mentorship, and majorly help them in health care careers,” said Velpula. “We are also giving them a simulation opportunity to see what a day looks like.”
Velpula said the program isn’t just a one-day event, but a long-term program that will assist students as they enter their careers.
He continued on to say the partnership has been in the works between AICCP and Woodruff for a couple years, but COVID-19 derailed plans to start the program last year.
Even though the program was paused, AICCP continued to work on “career pipelines” from middle school all the way through college.
“We will help them write their resumes and write applications for scholarships so they can make informed decisions about their career goals,” said Velpula.
Students will also have the opportunity to have mentors in the field to help them through the process of becoming a professional.
The founder of AICCP, Dr. Kamlesh Macwan, said it’s another way in which they can give back to the community.
“We want to give back to Peoria — that’s the main thing we want to accomplish,” said Macwan. “By growing Peoria, ultimately it helps larger populations.”
The hope, according to Macwan, is that students who enter the healthcare field will stay in the Peoria area and contribute to the community.
Macwan said Peoria has given so much to the Asian Indian community, so the program is the latest initiative by AICCP to give back through education.
Sherella Davis, nursing instructor at Woodruff, said the program benefits the students in many ways.
“They get to talk to the professionals already in the field,” said Davis. “They give them a lot of insight on how to approach these different fields of study.”
Students were able to observe all four fields Wednesday.
While talking with a trained respiratory therapist, students were able to practice breathing exercises and CPR.
While learning from trained phlebotomists, students stuck needles into mannequin arms to draw blood.
Students were also able to learn from EMTs by following all the steps to load a patient on a stretcher and into an ambulance.
Students then went through a simulation of a Cesarean delivery (C-section) in the shoes of a surgical technician.
According to nurse practitioner Denise Cornell, the organizers wanted to expose students to different careers.
“We’re trying to enhance what they see in the medical field and give them an opportunity to explore more careers they may not even know about,” said Cornell.
This is the first year of the program, but all parties involved are hopeful it can expand in future years to industries beyond healthcare into areas like engineering and construction trades.
Full interview with Dr. Kiran Velpula:
Full interview with Dr. Kamlesh Macwan:
Full interview with Denise Cornell:
Full interview with Sherella Davis:
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