Peter Cordeau, president of Norwalk Hospital, consults with individual Carver students
Yesterday, Peter Cordeau, president of Norwalk Hospital, greeted Carver’s 24 student interns as they arrived to begin their individual career journeys in healthcare.
Mr. Cordeau, joined in the hospital’s theater by hospital department chiefs, oriented our juniors and seniors to the “city within a city” that is Norwalk Hospital, replete with its own power plant.
The two-hour introductory session, including a sumptuous meal, was no less choreographed and welcoming than if we were a visiting congressional delegation.
In the weeks ahead, our students, now formed into small groups to more easily rotate throughout the hospital, will explore healthcare careers. Our students will gain insight into the requirements of the many positions and make crucial connections with healthcare professionals.
This extraordinarily generous opportunity provided by Norwalk Hospital will give our students the ability to learn about the responsibilities of each position, the growth opportunities in each field, and the education and licensures required for each position.
This paid internship experience will help our high school students decide if they have an interest in pursuing an education and a future career in fields such as surgery, emergency services, food and dietary services, HR, rehabilitation, imaging, inpatient nursing, and so much more.
The goal of this partnership with Norwalk Hospital is to strengthen the workforce development and college readiness of Carver high school students. In workshops provided by Norwalk Community College and other coaching provided by our new Future Readiness Coordinators, these 24 juniors and seniors arrived at Norwalk Hospital yesterday dressed and mentally prepared for the experience and the work ahead.
Norwalk Hospital is a not-for-profit, acute-care community teaching hospital. The 366-bed hospital has more than 500 physicians on its active medical staff, and 2,000 health professionals and support personnel. Norwalk Hospital is a member of the award-winning Nuvance Health system of hospitals serving western Connecticut and New York’s Hudson Valley.
Norwalk Hospital alone consistently receives many national awards for excellence, such as recently being recognized with America’s 100 Best Hospitals Award, placing Norwalk Hospital in the top two percent of all hospitals in the country for clinical quality. Norwalk Hospital is the only hospital in Fairfield County, Connecticut to earn this recognition.
Some of Norwalk Hospital's medical education programs are affiliated with the Yale School of Medicine. Norwalk Hospital provides a variety of clinical programs and health education classes to local groups and organizations.
That said, yesterday, Carver students felt as if the only education program Norwalk Hospital provides is devoted exclusively to them. We are forever thankful for this priceless opportunity for our young people preparing for their futures.
