HIGH POINT, N.C., March 15, 2012 – Nearly 20 students at High Point University looking for experience in the fast-paced environment of the medical field have found the perfect remedy through a partnership with Cornerstone Health Care at Westchester in High Point.
The HPU Student Ambassador program began in December 2011 and introduces students to the expanding health care field as they volunteer time to help patients in numerous ways and work alongside medical staff. The program allows them to emerge with both professional and volunteer experience.
“Our students are gaining experience in a professional work setting that just happens to be the industry with the largest number of total openings – health/medical care,” says Eric Melniczek, director of Career and Internship Services at HPU. “Students are experiencing medical concepts in action by spending time with industry professionals, shadowing key medical personnel and more. These students will go on to achieve success in professional schools such as medical, dental and chiropractic, as well as in our nation’s leading medical and health care centers.”
Spearheaded by Jackie Barnes, Central Service manager of Cornerstone Health Care at Westchester, the partnership is providing countless benefits to all involved.
“It’s such a pleasure to watch the students as they engage with our patients,” says Barnes. “We see nothing but smiles all around, and the positive comments from the patients about HPU students have been phenomenal.”
Barnes credits HPU students Kandle Chatman and Andrew Fisher with organizing the schedules of the volunteers and playing a leading role in developing and enhancing the program onsite. She adds that the educational benefits are numerous, noting that the students are learning skills that could only be attained in an active and ever-changing medical environment. From observing medical office flow, providing the highest standards of patient service, engaging in effective teamwork and coordination of care with a range of health care professionals, to preserving patient privacy and even pitching in for emergency situations, each day brings new lessons and new rewards to this hardworking group of HPU students.
Chatman says the program is all about giving back to the patients.
“It’s rewarding and inspiring,” she says. “This program is about the little things…about showing kindness and lending a hand to others and giving a warm welcome to every patient we see.”
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.℠ HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with over 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report at No. 3 among Regional Colleges in the South. Parade Magazine lists HPU in the top 25 private schools in the nation. HPU was selected in the 2010-2011 list of “Colleges of Distinction,” as well as one of the top green schools in the country by the Sierra Club. The university offers 44 undergraduate majors, 40 undergraduate minors and 10 graduate degree programs. It is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at highpoint.edu.
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Pam Haynes
Communication Specialist
336-841-9055
[email protected]