GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio — Trinity High School in Garfield Heights is helping students gain more clarity when it comes to potential careers in the healthcare field.
New this year is the introduction of high-tech tools that are bringing concepts into focus and providing the chance to earn a career certification before they graduate.
Senior Courtney McCray is part of the healthcare pathways program led by Sarah Stankiewicz, who’s also a registered nurse.
There’s a lot to take in, from lectures to textbook reading and assignments.
McCray wants to be a pediatric oncology nurse. She said one thing stands out in her class.
"It's really hands-on,” McCray said. “And I like how we're learning the stuff in the classroom, and then we actually get to go, like, see it in real life.”
Stankiewicz said the addition of the Anatomage Table is piquing students’ interest and offers hands-on learning that they would receive in a real laboratory or hospital setting.
The table uses high-resolution 3D scans from real bodies — people who’ve donated themselves to science — to create virtual cadavers.
With touchscreen technology, students can dissect, rotate, examine, and explore models and perform procedures on anatomical structures.
"As a nurse, what we do is see one, do one, teach one. Not everybody learns the same way,” Stankiewicz said. “Some people are hands-on. Some people need to hear it. Some people need to see it. That's what we're able to do in this classroom. Now we can lecture. I can pull up the Anatomage Table where they're seeing these 3D images of the body. I'm showing them planes and anatomical position.”
I watched as students used the technology to locate specific organs and discuss concepts related to the nervous system and brain.
Senior Damaya Phillips wants to be a radiology technician. She never imagined having access to this in high school.
"It’s so, so surreal, because it feels like you're in the actual hospital,” Phillips said.
The Anatomage Table gives students the ability to see exactly how the body reacts. Scenarios range from childbirth to gunshot victims.
A $750,000 grant from The Howley Foundation helped the school secure the technology.
It also funded parts of a hospital room setup in the classroom, where students work with a mannequin to train on taking blood pressure, ostomy care, blood draws and more.
The grant is also helping prepare students to take the patient care technician certification test. If students pass, they’ll graduate from high school ready to work in healthcare or get a head start on college, like McCray and Phillips plan to do.
"What has being a part of this program taught you about yourself?” I asked Phillips.
“I'm determined,” Phillips said.
Stankiewicz said the more exposure students get, the better.
"The idea is that not every kid wants to go directly to college, or they don't know necessarily what they want to do right away. And by offering these certifications, they can go right into the workforce, or they can work and get tuition reimbursement while they're going to college,” Stankiewicz said.
Internships are a critical part of the program, too. McCray interns once a week at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland. Phillips interns once a week at South Pointe Hospital in Warrensville Heights.
Trinity High School also offers pathway programs in entry-level office and business careers, information management, and graphic design.
Students are able to take advantage of pre-professional internships and workplace experiences in various areas, including education, financial services, legal services, marketing, sciences, and construction/engineering.
