Fayetteville hospital volunteers: Students assist in emergency and operating rooms
Piedmont Fayette Hospital hosts student volunteers
Ninety-five student volunteers are gaining direct exposure to operating rooms and emergency departments this summer
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. - Ninety-five teenagers are trading their summer break for a front-row seat to the medical field, dedicating four hours a day to support staff and explore potential careers at Piedmont Fayette Hospital.
Fayetteville Hospital volunteer program
What we know:
There are 95 student volunteers dedicating their summer to Piedmont Fayette Hospital. The young volunteers spend four hours a day assisting healthcare professionals and learning valuable lessons.
Medical department exposure
The backstory:
The students are placed in the middle of the action, working just outside the operating rooms and across the facility.
Hospital CEO explains goal
Why you should care:
Piedmont Fayette Hospital CEO Steve Porter believes the program provides mutual benefits for the students and the facility.
"They get exposure to all aspects of the hospital, the OR, the emergency department, the nursing floors," Porter said. "So, we really try to create this program where they get value out of the program for the exposure and the relationships they create, but it also allows us to provide support to our entire volunteer program and employees throughout the hospital."
Student volunteers share experiences
What they're saying:
Student volunteer James Haberman, a senior at East Coweta High School, shared a highlight of his time walking the halls of the hospital, delivering medical supplies to nurses' stations.
"I did get to go into the cath lab and see a few case," Haberman said.
Parisa Mehdipour, from McIntosh High School and another student volunteer, explained her long-term motivation for joining the summer program.
"When I was younger I really wanted to be a doctor because when I was younger I had a doctor who really changed my perspective of the hospital, and he never made me scared to come back, and I knew that ‘s the doctor I wanted to be some day," Mehdipour said.
Future healthcare career paths
What we don't know:
It is unclear if all of the volunteers will ultimately pursue a career in the medical field. Marcus Torrechilla, whose father is a nurse at the hospital, remains undecided about his future.
"I don’t know if I have an interest in healthcare," he said. "I just thought this would be a fun thing to do."
Whether they choose healthcare or not, the program provides the teens with important people and job skills. If they do select a medical career, hospital officials hope they will eventually return to work at Piedmont Fayette Hospital.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a broadcast script by FOX 5's Doug Evans, who visited Piedmont Fayette Hospital in Fayetteville to observe the summer volunteer program and interview participants.