Awardee: Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group
Southern Section
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The Education to Career Network (ETCN) consortium began partnering with Sharp Healthcare in February 2025 through an introductory meeting with Elisa Romero, RN Director, to explore shared workforce needs and externship pathways. A follow-up meeting in March brought together ETCN stakeholders and Kris Sannes, Nurse Manager, to review program requirements and externship onboarding processes for multiple healthcare programs.
In less than one year, Sharp Healthcare has become one of ETCN’s most engaged employer partners. Major contributions include supporting externships across multiple healthcare programs—beginning with phlebotomy placements in September 2025 and expanding tomedical assistant externships in December 2025, with six students confirmed. Since then, Sharp has demonstrated strong commitment to community and education through active collaboration with ETCN member schools. Sharp leaders participate in program planning conversations, share hiring insights, and help bridge classroom preparation with real-world expectations. Sharp Healthcare’s partnership has greatly enhanced student learning by providing meaningful externship opportunities and workplace-aligned guidance. For many healthcare students, externships are essential to meeting program requirements and gaining hands-on experience needed for job readiness. Through coordinated placements supported by Elisa Romero and Kris Sannes, students gain access to high-quality learning environments where they practice clinical skills, apply classroom knowledge, and build professional confidence. This direct patient-care experience deepens learning beyond the classroom and reinforces skill mastery through real-world exposure. Externship coordination led by Elisa Romero and Kris Sannes ensured efficient onboarding, responsive communication, and successful site placement experiences. This support directly contributes to ETCN adult learners completing their programs and entering the workforce. Sharp also contributes to improved instructional quality by sharing hiring expectations, workplace standards, and emerging healthcare trends with ETCN faculty and staff. This guidance supports curriculum alignment and ensures students are learning the competencies valued by employers. As a result, learners experience a smoother transition into employment, increased confidence in their skills, and greater understanding of professional expectations in healthcare settings. Sharp Healthcare demonstrates exemplary employer partnership practices rooted in responsiveness, shared values, and commitment to student success. From the initial meeting, Sharp openly expressed willingness to support ETCN learners—even while maintaining partnerships with multiple education providers. Their philosophy is to empower as many students as possible, which drives meaningful collaboration. |
