A collaboration between area high schools, Central Community College and Columbus Community Hospital (CCH), the program consists of a series of classes on various facets of health care. Examples include phlebotomy, pharmacy, nursing, radiology, respiratory therapy and housekeeping.

“They’ll get kind of a taste of everything,” Lakeview Counselor Paige Rambour said. “They’ll get to see what they like, what they don’t like, where they may be, where their strengths fit in. It’ll be great.”

Rambour said that Columbus Public Schools (CPS) originally started the talks with the hospital about the potential program and had wanted it to be a community-wide project.

Lakeview officials started meeting monthly last fall about starting the pathway. Columbus High School implemented Health Science I curriculum in January, and the CPS Board of Education approved the Health Science II courses at an April meeting.

Rambour said Lakeview’s classes will start in August. Scotus Central Catholic officials indicated they are considering the program in the future and more classes are being added to the school’s curriculum for the 2022-2023 school year.

There are now about 29 students interested in the Health Science Pathway at Lakeview, Rambour noted.

“There is going to be some career exploration and some speakers. We’re also going to get students, they’ll be CPR certified, they’ll have training in Stop the Bleed (techniques) and then we’ll also offer the CNA (certified nursing assistant) program. …There is a certain time requirement with the CNA, so they’ll be able to do that all during the school day, which will be a huge benefit for them.”

According to a CCH press release, the hospital recently lowered the minimum age for CNAs to 16. Students who receive their CNA certification through the Health Science Pathway would be able to immediately start gaining experience in the field.

Wendy Kallhoff, a registered nurse, will teach the first class in the program at Lakeview. There will be an option for students to receive their CAN certification or complete the second Health Science course in the spring.

“This is a beneficial program for us because we have students interested in health care,” Lakeview Principal Steve Borer said in a provided statement. “Honestly, it’s a win-win for the community.”

Rambour noted the benefits of the Health Science Pathway, especially in regards to the CNA part of the program. It will help get more young people working in the hospital and long-term care facilities, she added.

“Just getting kids interested in ‘what do we have here to offer in Columbus?’,” Rambour said. “As they’re in that program, they’re going to do maybe some job shadowing and have some speakers. Hopefully that will bring them back to our area after they graduate and kind of go on get their certification, their degree, whatever they need, and hopefully pull them back to Columbus.”