Driving Our Economy Forward: Healthcare professionals prepare Catoosa Career Academy students

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — We are learning more about how students at the Catoosa Career Academy are preparing for their future in healthcare.  Representatives from the medical field recently met with the students.  It’s a program that has been driving our economy forward since 2017.

Vincent Velarde-Bell said, “The main objective coming out today to this Academy is really looking at tapping into a market with our young individuals that want to be employees with Hamilton Medical Center.”

The students learned about CMA Phlebotomists and the field of nursing.

Velarde-Bell also said, “Well in healthcare we’ve seen that fosters careers you can have a nurse who’s been a nurse for 40 years. That’s impressive so the bottom line is Hamilton Medical Center fosters folks from infancy from a high school and certification all the way to when they can retire.”

Logan Hill, Sr. said, “From the start you know it’s daunting it’s a lot but now we’ve got certifications we’ve got the practice we’ve got uh openings we have it’s right there we are about to get jobs we’re about to really start in our career.”

“I have had the most wonderful opportunity to be involved in this program since in its inception in 2017. They brought it to reality, because in this community our kids are the most important part of this community. I knew it wouldn’t just stay a dream. This program is so important to the future of our health care in the community. These children these kids in this program are the future of health care.  We are building a new hospital within the community at CHI Memorial Hospital of Georgia. And the from the inception of this idea my goal is to staff our new hospital with the students from this program,” said Angie Stiggins.

Brittney Owens said, “This is definitely more than I expected it like it’s incredible the opportunity that we’ve had here.”