Greater Philadelphia Healthcare Partnership Director Susan B. Thomas was delighted to announce today the approval of a new Registered Apprenticeship Program for new Medical Assistants (MAs) at the Pennsylvania Apprenticeship & Training Council meeting this morning.
The new MA Apprenticeship program is sponsored by the Sayre Health Center in West Philadelphia, and was designed in partnership with GPHP through a Non-Traditional Apprenticeships grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. GPHP Director Thomas attended this morning's Apprenticeship Council meeting with Sayre HR Director Kenya Hall to present the new program design. The Apprenticeship Program includes 2,000 hours of on-the-job learning and 424 hours of classroom instruction provided by the Sayre Health Initiatives, Education and Leadership Development (SHIELD) Program. The SHIELD Program is taught by Sayre Health professionals at the Sayre High School in West Philadelphia as part of the School District's Career & Technical Education programming.
The new MA Apprenticeship program is sponsored by the Sayre Health Center in West Philadelphia, and was designed in partnership with GPHP through a Non-Traditional Apprenticeships grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. GPHP Director Thomas attended this morning's Apprenticeship Council meeting with Sayre HR Director Kenya Hall to present the new program design. The Apprenticeship Program includes 2,000 hours of on-the-job learning and 424 hours of classroom instruction provided by the Sayre Health Initiatives, Education and Leadership Development (SHIELD) Program. The SHIELD Program is taught by Sayre Health professionals at the Sayre High School in West Philadelphia as part of the School District's Career & Technical Education programming.
The new program's first apprentice, Saliyah Williams, has completed her classroom instruction and has passed her certification exam. She is now working at Sayre and completing her on-the-job learning under the supervision/mentorship of Rita Seitz, RN, Associate Director of Clinical Support.
The Sayre MA Apprenticeship is the second GPHP-affiliated program to be registered with the federal/state system. The first was a Community Health Worker (CHW) program, started over two years ago with Philadelphia FIGHT. FIGHT has seen a material positive impact on its business metrics with the use of the CHWs: with more of their patients having the CHW to help manage their healthcare, there are fewer no-shows for appointments and more people with health coverage, and FIGHT's clinicians have come to see true value in the CHW position.
GPHP and the Training Fund are firmly convinced that Registered Apprenticeship is a great way to launch a career, and we have several additional projects in development in Early Childhood Education, Behavioral Health and Nurse Aide. Stay tuned for more Apprenticeship stories!
The Sayre MA Apprenticeship is the second GPHP-affiliated program to be registered with the federal/state system. The first was a Community Health Worker (CHW) program, started over two years ago with Philadelphia FIGHT. FIGHT has seen a material positive impact on its business metrics with the use of the CHWs: with more of their patients having the CHW to help manage their healthcare, there are fewer no-shows for appointments and more people with health coverage, and FIGHT's clinicians have come to see true value in the CHW position.
GPHP and the Training Fund are firmly convinced that Registered Apprenticeship is a great way to launch a career, and we have several additional projects in development in Early Childhood Education, Behavioral Health and Nurse Aide. Stay tuned for more Apprenticeship stories!