Kristi Clark, SAH Human Resources Coordinator, opened the program by welcoming everyone and introducing the instructors from the schools who have helped make this partnership possible: Pat Miller, Director of Calaveras County Career and Adult Education; Bob Silva, Director of Calaveras High School ROP; Jan Smith, Calaveras High School ROP Health Instructor; Dr. Mike Carey, Superintendent, ACUSD; Linda Critchfield, ACUSD ROP Health Instructor; Jan Hicks, ACUSD Volcational Education; Mel Jagoda, Amador High School Career Center; and Mary Reed, RN, Health Care Academy Instruction from ACUSD. 

During the reception, students received words of encouragement from Reiner Kiehl, Rehabilitation Tech and CMT for SAH, who shared with students how he ended up choosing a career in health care. School representatives presented certificates to each of the students who participated from their schools. Department directors and staff directly responsible for instructing the student thanked them for the contributions they made to their departments and shared personal information about how each student was impacted and grew throughout the year by the experiences they were able to gain.

Listed below are the students who participated in the program, including the departments where they worked: Amador Unified Schools Students Todd Bennion, Emergency Department, Jess Campoy, Radiology, Heather Castro, Laboratory, Davis Dotson, Purchasing Department, Jessica Ketel, Surgery Department, Amber Melville, Medical/Surgical Department Catherine Rowe, Pediatric Center, Matthew Sammons, Respiratory Therapy, Shannon Stennett, Family Birth Center From Calaveras High School Students Stacey Crippen, Family Birth Center, Megan Doyle, Surgery Department Heidi Estes, Family Birth Center. The ROP program is offered to all high school seniors and allows those who participate to gain valuable hands-on experience in a variety of health care fields. “Students who are interested in pursuing a career in health care reap many benefits from this program,” says Barbara Wells, Director of Human Resources. “Enrolled students dedicate, on average, about 8 – 10 hours per week throughout the school year working in select departments at the hospital or at one of our off site health centers. It is our hope that the training and experience the students receive at Sutter Amador Hospital will give them the encouragement and foundation for their future endeavors in health care.