Youth Access program breaks down barriers for local high school students

Greenwich Hospital recently welcomed high school students from Westchester and Fairfield counties for the second annual Youth Access Healthcare Explorers program.

Expanding upon last year’s pilot program, this summer’s focused on students who may face disproportionate barriers to working with healthcare leaders. The five-day program provided an immersive, innovative introduction to health care that featured teaching sessions and hands-on activities, including hands-only CPR, sprain care, ultrasounds, EpiPen use and more.

“We designed the curriculum to be equally challenging and rewarding,” said Karen Santucci, MD, Greenwich Hospital chief medical officer, who collaborated with Stacey Green, director of Volunteer Services, and the program’s founding donor Felice Zwas, MD. “After spending a week with these bright, inquisitive young adults, I am confident the future of health care is in good hands.”

The program also provided an opportunity for the students to participate in two medical simulation sessions and round-robin discussions with doctors from various disciplines. Melanie Maurad, a recent Port Chester High School graduate, saw the program as a chance to learn from and connect with those in a field she plans to pursue. She’s studying at the College of the Holy Cross in the fall and aspires to become an anesthesiologist.

Along with the scheduled curriculum, students were kept on their toes with simulated situations they did not expect – an occurrence all too common in health care. One included a simulated emergency with three patients experiencing anaphylaxis.

“We thought it was very real,” said student Emma Belluscio, a Darien High School graduate who will attend Quinnipiac University in the fall. She is interested in multiple healthcare areas, so the week allowed her to explore different options as she considers pursuing a nursing or medical degree.