Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization brings new healthcare career development to Watertown Central School District students
WATERTOWN, NY – A new club is launching across the North Country to introduce students to health and healthcare careers through fun, hands-on, and interactive learning experiences.
Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization (FDRHPO) is partnering with regional schools to introduce a Scrubs Club program to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Designed to immerse students in the dynamic world of healthcare, Scrubs Club provides firsthand insights into the roles, responsibilities, and rewards of serving in this vital field. Through engaging, hands-on activities and interactive exercises, students have the opportunity to experience various healthcare occupations.
“Attending a healthcare careers club after school offers young children with numerous benefits,” said Tara Elmer, Technology Integration and STEM K-12 teacher at Watertown Central School District.
In 2024, FDRHPO launched the first-ever Scrubs Club at Knickerbocker Elementary School with the support and instruction by Mrs. Elmer. By developing a dynamic curriculum and creating engaging content, students gained hands-on experience in taking temperatures, listening to heart rates, and much more.
“It provides early exposure to a wide range of career options, from doctors and nurses to lab technicians and therapists, sparking curiosity and interest in the field. Through fun, hands-on activities, children can develop essential STEM skills while enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving abilities,” she said.
Mrs. Elmer continued that she believes these clubs also “promote empathy and social awareness by highlighting the importance of helping others, alongside teaching healthy habits and self-care practices. By exploring meaningful careers, children gain confidence, motivation, and a sense of purpose, setting the stage for long-term goals. Additionally, these programs provide a safe and enriching environment where children can build friendships and stay engaged in productive, supervised activities after school.”
The program draws its inspiration from the Catskill Hudson Area Health Education Center’s initiative aimed at healthcare career exploration. It's designed to captivate students and spark their interest in the healthcare field. FDRHPO has been excited to bring this program to the North Country and continue to see it grow.
“We are deeply committed to the continued growth and success of the Scrubs Club program as an integral part of our healthcare workforce development program. By fostering interest in healthcare careers at an early age, we aim to lay the groundwork for a robust and sustainable workforce that will meet the healthcare needs of our region,” said Pat Fontana, Deputy Director with FDRHPO.
Mr. Fontana added that FDRHPO is seeking additional school districts in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence Counties interested in starting Scrubs Club programs for their students. Currently, the Watertown Central School District proudly hosts three clubs.
“We have full support from teachers, administrators and parents. Attendance has been amazing. Last year we reached ten students; this year we are up to 39 and hope to reach another 39 students in the fall,” said Mrs. Elmer.
FDRHPO has been focused on filling gaps within the healthcare workforce in the North Country since 2008. Beth Solar, Workforce Outreach Program Manager, leads this program and has worked for over 20 years as a Licensed Practical Nurse II (LPN II) lending to her understanding of the importance of reaching school-aged children with this experiential learning.
“It is incredible to see the elementary students light up when learning about health and healthcare,” she said. “From learning wound care to touring area hospitals, these students are becoming more and more acclimated to medical knowledge and language.”
She continued that the opportunities in healthcare careers are not limited to just doctor's offices or hospitals, which sometimes can come as a surprise to the elementary students in Scrubs Club.
“They don’t realize until we are at the hospital doing a tour, that there is a plethora of healthcare-related positions that don’t include direct patient care,” she continued.
Mrs. Solar highlights that the growth of this program, in partnership with the Watertown Central School District, showcases the strength of FDRHPO’s Health Workforce Pipeline Program in sparking interest in healthcare careers.
Also showing support of the Scrubs Clubs at Watertown Central School District has been Samaritan Medical Center who have opened their doors to each club and provided tours to the students, including one-on-one time to ask questions to hospital Presdient and CEO Thomas Carman.
"Career exploration and intrigue can never begin too early," said Samaritan's Manager of Education, Emily Soderquist. "Samaritan has been host to many young children and teens over the decades as they begin to look at industries that interest them, and we are thrilled to participate with our local Scrubs Clubs. There are so many job opportunities in healthcare, and we firmly believe providing impressionable moments like these, allowing young students to explore all that healthcare has to offer, may influence them to pursue a healthcare career. And of course, we hope they return to the North Country to grow as professionals!”
“Through our Health Workforce initiatives, we have students that have attended Medical Academy of Science and Health (MASH) Camps and then have been able to gain a better understanding of what type of healthcare career they would like to pursue,” said Mrs. Solar.
"These students can pursue professional job shadow opportunities in high school and continue them during college."
“We are pleased to add Scrubs Club as another piece of the Pipeline Program and are grateful for our partnership with the Watertown Central School District in making it possible,” said Mrs. Solar.
Scrubs Clubs are available to any school district in the region that is interested in bringing in this curriculum for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
For more information, visit www.fdrhpo.org/health-workforce.
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