Students at both LaSalle Junior High and Jena Junior High were visited for the second time last week by a healthcare professional with the MedStart Program, hosted by the Central Louisiana Area Health Education Center (Central LA AHEC). This year’s MedStart program professional team includes a nurse, mental health professional, medical lab technologist, EMT/Paramedic, physician, nurse practitioner, dietician and a pharmacist, and more than seventy-five eighth grade students in LaSalle Parish are participating this fall.

MedStart involves a team of health care professionals visiting each school once a month within the academic year to showcase their profession, discuss education and training, jobs and complete a hands-on activity with the students.

Last Wednesday, Emilee Reichardt, a LaSalle Parish local and occupational therapist at Hardtner Medical Center, spoke to students at LaSalle Junior High. Reichardt talked to students about the difference between physical therapy and occupational therapy, and demonstrated various ways therapists rehabilitate patients who have acquired a disability, are recovering from a medical event like a stroke, or have recently undergone an operation.

Students were excited to try out various exercises, learn how to put on a dressing gown with one arm and see different ways to carry out daily activities like use a zipper, put on socks and fasten a button.

Reichardt is one of several healthcare professionals partnering with Central LA AHEC to increase awareness and exposure to healthcare occupations for students in middle school. The MedStart program is the second component of the “A-HEC of a Career in HealthC.A.R.E. project” along with the summer program, Camp Fast Forward.

“As the healthcare workforce shortages continue to grow, it is important to expose our students in central Louisiana to career options in healthcare and this program is designed to do just that. We hope that our programs will help students find a career they fall in love with, and in the future, come back to work in their community,” stated Gabrielle Juneau, Central LA AHEC CEO.

This project is funded by a Future of HealthC.A.R.E. Program Grant from The Rapides Foundation. Through its Future of HealthC.A.R.E. (Career, Academic Readiness and Exploration for Students) Program Grant, the Foundation seeks to increase the number of qualified Central Louisiana students enrolling in healthcare training programs or entering into the healthcare workforce.

Central Louisiana Area Health Education Center is a non-profit, community-based agency that serves as a training and information resource for health and educational professionals throughout a 17-parish region. One of AHEC’s primary goals is to identify local needs and develop programs that encourage health professionals to practice in rural and underserved communities where the services are most needed.