“The Great Face and System of Help”

Crothall and Vocational Service Programs Benefit Each Other at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore

Special Relationship

VSP, Sinai Hospital's vocational services program, assists individuals with disabilities in preparing to enter the workforce and in finding meaningful employment in healthcare. Out of that tradition, Lifebridge Health joined the Healthcare Alliance Youth Program (HC Alliance) in partnership with Johns Hopkins University Hospital and University of Maryland Medical System in 2005.

Both VSP and HC Alliance turned to Crothall for internships at Sinai Hospital. Crothall has benefited from hiring the most qualified trainees into vacant positions. "The Environmental Services staff has provided extensive support to VSP clients," states Mira Appleby, Manager of Program Development. HC Alliance Career Coach Charles Milburn has also had great success working with Patient Transportation. "In 2005, HC Alliance was just getting started and Patient Transportation had just come under contract. Diane McCullough [Crothall's National Director of Patient Transportation] was receptive to training our interns," he explains. "Our agreement was that if, after an initial period of training, these young people met all employment requirements, Crothall would hire them and make them part of the team."

Opportunities and Solutions

Regional Manager Charlie Lamb and acting Director Greg Osganian set up a comprehensive training program for the Healthcare Alliance youths. By the end of 2007, the program had an 84% rate of hire for its graduates. According to McCullough, "The Healthcare Alliance provided both opportunities and solutions. We are providing opportunities for those who were challenged in obtaining meaningful employment and acquiring untapped talent after a built-in, no-cost evaluation period." Appleby says that VSP clients enjoyed working as transporters "because of the opportunity to interact with hospital patients and their families."

Current Director of Patient Transportation Shane O'Keefe has continued the tradition of hiring from both VSP and HC Alliance. He sees the pre-vocational and technical skills training as a big advantage. "Healthcare Alliance clients go through our 'Foundations' training program during their internship. While they are learning the program, we get to know them and their work ethic. Being able to hire someone you have trained and already know means the process of hiring-from recruiting through orientation-will be much quicker."

Success Stories

Kim Miles started as a part-time transporter and was hired full time within 4 months. Her transport times were great, but it was Kim's compassion for the patients that earned her a promotion to Radiology Specialist at Sinai Hospital. Brandon Riley and Bridget Staton also started as transporters and are both now dispatchers for Crothall. Jabril Alexander was hired 3 weeks into his internship, and just received a job offer to become an EVS supervisor.

The partnership has been a win for the participating trainees, Crothall, and Sinai Hospital. In VSP's 40th Anniversary documentary, program graduate Phyllis Nelson, now working in Sinai's Medical Records, called VSP and its partners, "The great face and system of help."

Click here to see a documentary on the 40th Anniversary of the VSP program at Lifebridge Health.