Columbia County schools host first-ever health care expo for students
EVANS, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - There’s a looming crisis in the near future — a lack of health care workers.
The American Hospital Association says the U.S. will face a shortage of up to 124,000 doctors by 2033 and at least 200,000 nurses per year need to be hired to meet the demand.
Locally, Columbia County Schools are pairing students interested in health care with professionals.
From careers in nursing to careers in medical screening, the future is bright for these students.
“Orthopedic surgery, my grandfather got a hip replacement, and I thought that was particularly interesting because it really did kind of change his quality of life. So, I just want to be involved in that personally,” said Grovetown High student Lincoln Ashmore.
Leaders with the school district say their hope is to have students pursue careers in health care at the local level.
“It kind of puts that on their radar, and they are able to say, you know, I can go to school, get that degree or that certification and come right back home and have a great career with one of these providers that are here with us today,” said Columbia County School District CATE Director Brooks Smith.
With the help of local professionals, they’re hoping to make a change in the shortage of health care workers.
Denise Kornegay with MCG said: “They can stay here to meet our community’s workforce shortages. So it’s a multi-layer approach if you will. We do have a crisis in health care across every discipline.”
From Augusta University to Piedmont to Augusta Technical College and many more, more than 400 students had the opportunity to soak up knowledge from health care professionals, helping them make decisions about their future before they graduate.
“I wanted to be a nurse midwife because I’m really passionate about little babies and mothers,” said Grovetown High student Zora Brantley.
They’re creating future health care workers one student at a time.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
