The Hospital Corporation of America Florida Healthcare partnered with the School of Allied Health Sciences at Florida A&M University for a career fair in the Grand Ballroom Wednesday.
HCA Florida Healthcare is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services. HCA Florida Healthcare strives to help support students in every stage of their career.
HCA Healthcare donated $1.5 million to FAMU’s School of Allied Health Sciences in July 2021. The funds were used to assist students throughout their undergraduate journey to their management careers in the healthcare field.
This was designed to help increase the undergraduate and graduate enrollment in the School of Allied Health Sciences. The programs that HCA Florida Healthcare has implemented will support and groom future leaders in the healthcare industry.
Students were able to learn about job opportunities, internships and were given guidance on their future career path. Students were given informational brochures and bags that included job opportunities and internships within the healthcare industry.
Students were able to speak with representatives from HCA Florida Healthcare and they were given tips and opportunities on how to excel in the healthcare industry.
Attorney Odell Stroud Jr. organized and coordinated this event. Stroud is the director of healthcare management and an assistant professor in the School of Allied Health Sciences at FAMU.
“This event was established through a gift agreement that we received through HCA. HCA came to us with a proposal of making this a career fair so that we can satisfy that internship and scholarship portion,” Stroud said. “We have 10 scholars here today that will receive a scholarship and they’re currently being matched with a mentor. As long as they’re in school they will be tracked by HCA for their school performance and additional coaching.”
Stroud said she plans to make this an annual event.
Students said that it was informative and helpful toward their future career in the medical profession.
Nia Cook, a third-year health science student at FAMU, said she benefitted from the event.
“I feel that the career fair was very informative and it gave me insight on things that I didn’t know within the healthcare field. This was a great step to help me towards a future career in the medical field,” Cook said.
For instance, HCA Florida Healthcare had several opportunities in nursing. They set up plans for nursing school students l so that they can get a job once they finish school.