August 22, 2003

MGH recognizes ProTech graduates

August is not a typical month for graduations, but on Aug. 13 the MGH ProTech program held its first graduation ceremony for East Boston High School (EBHS) ProTech graduates. ProTech, now in its 12th year at the MGH, is a Boston Public Schools' School-to-Career program. The 2001-2002 academic year marked the inaugural year of an MGH partnership with EBHS.

ProTech, a school partnership initiative of the MGH Community Benefit Office, is a structured two-year program for juniors and seniors enrolled in the Academy of Health and Human Services at EBHS. Juniors can apply to join the ProTech program for a 20-month paid internship, which includes classroom instruction, worksite rotations and employment readiness workshops to introduce ProTech interns to a range of career opportunities in health care.

In a ceremony hosted by Galia K. Wise, manager of the MGH/EBHS Partnership, and Candace Burns, director of the MGH/BPS Partnership, all 10 graduates were recognized for being accepted to college and for completing two years of service at the MGH. Guest speakers included Peter L. Slavin, MD, president of the MGH, and Ed Powell, director of the School-to-Career program for the Boston Private Industry Council. The keynote speaker was Deborah Washington, RN, director of Diversity for MGH Patient Care Services. Marie LeBlanc, RN, nurse manager of White 7 and a ProTech supervisor, and Nancy Ventura, a ProTech graduate, also applauded the success of the graduates.