Olympic College, the Marvin Williams Recreation Center, and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health hosted a Healthcare Career Camp on Saturday, April 13 at the Marvin Williams Center in Bremerton. As one of the projects funded under Olympic Community of Health’s Stronger Together initiative, the event exemplified collaborative partnership and underscored collective commitment of partners to advance equity, positively impact youth, and create career pathways that support both youth and the health-serving workforce.
Developed in response to the critical need for healthcare professionals and to educate more students in Kitsap County, this project aimed to build a pipeline of future healthcare professionals while addressing the pressing shortages in various healthcare fields, including primary, secondary, and dental care. The project was designed to foster diversity and inclusivity within the healthcare sector, and creative strategies were deployed to engage students from diverse backgrounds.
Attendance far exceeded original expectations with over 70 high school-aged students participating. Each student was given the opportunity to visit dozens of professionals representing an array of healthcare occupations including nurses, physicians, ultrasound techs, dental hygienists, medical assistants, pharmacists, and more.
Due to the highly successful event and collaboration, partners hope to repeat the Healthcare Career Camp again next year.
OCH is inspired by innovative projects and partnerships like this that aim to shape the future of healthcare in our community. Thank you for all your efforts to positively influence youth and the health of our community.
For more information about this event, contact Susan Lomow at slomow@olympic.edu.