GLOUCESTER — Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken and Wellspring House, Inc. President and Executive Director Melissa Dimond are pleased to share that the MediClerk Training Program is being expanded to increase accessibility of the program for Gloucester area residents.
The MediClerk Training Program, operated by Wellspring, is a state licensed occupational education program established in 2002. Wellspring’s MediClerk Training Program offers a 15-week program including a two-week internship placement which prepares adults who are seeking to enter the health care field for entry-level administrative support roles. Ultimately the program prepares people who may be stuck in low-wage jobs so that they can enter the health care field and move up into higher level positions over time and with gained experience to earn living wages.
To date, Wellspring’s MediClerk Training Program has trained more than 500 people, with an 85% job placement rate among graduates of the program.
There are currently two Gloucester residents taking part in Wellspring’s expanded MediClerk Training Program, who will be prepared for an internship placement this month. Between six and eight Gloucester residents will be able to enroll in the program in May and take part in internships this July.
“Working as a certified advocate within the health industry over the years, I know that we have amazing care services across the North Shore but more was needed to help connect our partnerships to serve all populations in need,” said Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken. “Supporting our health care leaders and services is critical, especially while combating a global pandemic. That’s why programs like Wellspring and MediClerk Training coming together to offer our Gloucester citizens more resources and training is not only remarkable, it’s the result of hard work between many dedicated leaders to work as one team.”
The expansion of the MediClerk Training Program has been made possible as a result of a new hybrid learning model adopted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which will allow students moving forward to take classes online while traveling in-person to Beverly Hospital or Addison Gilbert Hospital for two-week, in-person internships. The inherent flexibility of hybrid learning, coupled with an $82,000 grant from the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, allows Wellspring to expand its program to potential Gloucester students who are no longer as limited by transportation as they once were. Prior to the pandemic, the program has been offered in-person at North Shore Medical Center in Salem, a long-time employer partner. As in-person classroom time resumes, Wellspring will now operate in two, simultaneous classroom spaces, one in Salem (at NSMC) and one in Gloucester. Many online components of the program will remain, making the program more accessible to parents, who otherwise could be limited by childcare needs and ultimately unable to attend in-person, day-long classes.
“Gloucester is currently experiencing an economic downturn and increased unemployment rates, and we’re eager to help local adults move into steady, administrative jobs in health care with access to living wages, a full slate of health insurance and other benefits, and opportunities for promotion,” Wellspring President and Executive Director, Dimond said. “Our MediClerk Training Program can truly change lives, and we’re so thankful to be able to expand the reach of this initiative and for all of the support we have received from the City of Gloucester, Secretary Mike Kennealy and the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, and our colleagues in the Beth Israel Lahey Health System’s Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals.”
The Gloucester Housing Authority’s A Better Life Program, which seeks to support Riverdale residents to become self-sufficient and to achieve their maximum potential in their employment, education, financial literacy/stability, and personal development, will be providing referrals to the MediClerk Training Program.
Those that take part in the program will be prepared for various health care roles such as patient access representative, unit receptionist, administrative associate, medical screener, or clerical associate.
Students in the program develop professional and academic skills in medical terminology, medical office procedures, computers and keyboarding, business communications, customer service and professional success. They participate in job shadows, and take part in two-week internships that help focus their career interests and offer a firsthand look at job expectations.
Students who successfully complete the program with a grade C or higher in all of the classes are eligible to receive up to 19 college credits at North Shore Community College, nearly half of an Associate’s degree.
To learn more about the MediClerk Training Program, click here to visit Wellspring’s website.
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