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Dr. Tijuana Milton: This is Beach High School community health clinic. In our phlebotomy program students get real, hands-on experience for patient care. So these students can actually walk out of this high school as certified phlebotomists. We have students we expose to the healthcare profession. They can make an informed decision of whether they want to go within the healthcare profession. It's a win for everyone involved, for the student, for the family, for the public.

 

Dr. Tijuana Milton: In our phlebotomy program, our students get real hands on experience of patient care.

Dr. Martha White: They do the front desk and they also do the different jobs in the back. And we're trying to teach them the professionalism.

Miniah Mikell: Going to school. You learn in on the books and stuff, but you don't really get to do a lot of hand work. So at the clinic, I knew I'll be able to be in the field and actually see with my own eyes.

Angel Chisholm: I wanted to do it as soon as I heard about it.

Ken Slats: Like Angel Chisholm, many students are drawn to Beach High's medical program.

Milton: So the best part about this is they truly get to determine the idea of being in the health care profession. And it's just awesome to determine that at the high school level.

Miniah Mikell: It's a clinic, so we do the same jobs that everyone else does. We have our receptionist or our front desk people, and so we take turns doing the job. So like today I was doing height, weight and blood, but tomorrow I'll be sticking people. 

Miyah Mitchell: I learned how to draw blood. Better communication skills. So we have to talk to them.

Angel Chisholm: Talking to your patients to, like, ease their nerves. And yours, for us being first timers. And also, it's a trick that I learned with taking blood for where, like, the vein is like a roll and your needle is the car. So if it's a straight roll, you're not going to make your car turn. You're going to keep the needle forward and go straight.

Slats: So this straight path is provided through an SCC partnership with Saint Joseph's Candler. Not only a clinic open to students, but anyone.

White: So we're screening the public to try to check for the major things that cause health care problems, which we're checking for cholesterol, we're screening for diabetes, and we're screening for high blood pressure.

Milton: After they complete the 30 blood draws and the ten finger sticks. They actually sit for certification testing. So the students can actually walk out of this high school as certified phlebotomist.

Angel Chisholm: It just feels like we're one big family. They want to see us succeed.

White: And I actually am working with somebody in the hospital now who was one of my students a few years ago. And so that's really encouraging.

Slats: It's an encouraging program all around. Just another example of one of Savannah Chatham specialties preparing students for their future for SCC. I'm Ken Slats.
 

 

 

Ruiz: If somebody is taking the time to dial 911to ask for help, even if it's not a life threat, it's because they need that person they knew. They need you in that instance.

Slats: And Wilmer Ruiz has answered the call.The Beach High School senior is now alsoan EMT or emergency medical technician.

Ruiz: It's honestly very rewarding to workso hard for 11 weeks and then being able to somebody startdescribing symptoms. And then, you know,I have an idea of what that is. I know how to treat that.I know if this happens. I know what to do after that.

NatSound: Do you pledgeas an emergency medical technician?Do you plan to just take this?

Ruiz: It's honestly very rewardingto have that step into healthcare.

Chatham EMS CEO Chuck Kearns: About a year and a half ago, our agencysigned a contract with the survivor Chatham County School Board to teachemergency Medical responder class.

Slats: Which takes place in the classroom. Now, Wilmer Ruiz sort of breezethrough that part of the program of EMS training,which was here at Beach High School.He advanced to the EMT level, which takes place at ChathamEmergency Headquarters and out in the field.

Chatham EMS Lt. Chris Carlon: Wilmer came to this program ready to work.And you can tell that he wasn't afraid to work.Ruiz: One thing is going to stay with us,and I know it's going to stay with us as we, wherever we go, is like,be comfortable being uncomfortable.

Lt. Carlon: He's incredibly eager. He's a sponge.He possesses the ability to adapt. And probably the best word is resilient.The resiliency that he expresses and shows just it's phenomenal.His ability to just take an assignment and take ownership of that and then completethat is almost unmatched.

Tijuana Milton, Beach High School: So Wilmer has been a wonderful exemplar,a wonderful student. And the reason I say that is because he has completed all threecertification levels. He's certified at Allied Health.We also have the phlebotomy program. He's a certified phlebotomist.He was certainly able to take advantage ofthe emergency medical responder program.And from that program, he was selected to participate hereas a become an emergency medical technician.

Slats: With your student Spotlight. I'm Ken.