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Sentara works to increase diversity in health care workforce with youth camps

Sentara medical staff are exposing young minds to the wide-ranging possibilities of working in the health care industry through camps aimed at increasing diversity in the field.

This week, as part of the Sentara Health Careers Camp, campers got to explore the inside of an ambulance helicopter, learn about respiratory therapy and practice with instruments used in laparoscopic surgeries at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center.

Tiffany Smith-Stokes, who facilitated the camp and manages the education department at the hospital, said having a diverse health care workforce is important to represent different backgrounds.

“Sometimes you definitely want to go to a place where you see some of the same people that look like you to help you, because then that way you seem to have a better understanding of ‘how can I help you?’” she said.

Smith-Stokes said the number of young Black and brown people seeking futures in medicine is lacking.

“They’re not aware (of) the possibility of a health career,” she said. “So, this camp gives them that opportunity to come in and see the behind-the-scenes of what really happens in the hospital and all of the various health care career options that are available to them.”

The camp also is intended to help ignite interest in the wide variety of technical and support careers available beyond medical school and nursing.

On Thursday, campers practiced with instruments used for laparoscopic surgery and to suture wounds from incisions — things that would typically be done in sterile environments. Thus, campers had to put on “bunny suits” made up of footies, coveralls and hairnets.

Dacota Cauthorne, a nurse at Sentara Williamsburg, showed campers the steps to closing wounds with a “simple interrupted suture.”

“It’s the kind of suture that you would have after a surgery,” she said. “It’s the kind that doesn’t absorb itself, so they have to be cut out by the doctor a couple weeks later when everything’s healed up.”

She said the campers she was working with did great.

Lynn Savoie, a registered nurse at Sentara Williamsburg, showed campers how to use remote controlled instruments and robots to perform laparoscopic surgery. She had the campers working at a box on an operating table that represented what a surgery set-up would look like.

Campers used a tubular camera and grasping tools to try and grab wrapped peppermints from a box through small holes in the top. They couldn’t see in the box, so they had to rely on what the camera was seeing by looking up at a screen and manipulating the instruments based on what they saw — kind of like a video game with real-life implications.

Savoie said laparoscopic surgery is less invasive than traditional surgery, resulting in a faster recovery time for patients.

“Usually the surgical assistant will be standing across from (the doctor), the surgical tech will be standing next to them — they’re the ones who are passing different instruments to the doctor,” she said. “Usually you’ll have the person who’s holding the camera on one side — whatever side they need to look at — and then the doctor will usually be the one with the instruments.”

“It was pretty cool how they use a robot instead of actually doing it physical, because it might be a little hard — how they control the robot through like a little screen,” said 12-year-old Jeremiah Shepherd, one of the campers.

Jeremiah said he wants to go into the medical field, and this was his first camp that showed him the kinds of possibilities open to him.

Young people such as Jeremiah are the future of health care, Smith-Stokes said, which is a reason it’s so important to promote a diverse health care workforce.

“To be able to be a part of helping to grow our future is very important,” she said, “because I definitely want someone to be able to really come and take great care of me when (I need) that help.”

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com