Feb 26, 2018 | Success Stories
RN, GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (HCA)
I would like to start off by saying that I would not be an RN right now if it weren’t for the Education Fund. I am a wife and mother of two young children, so I needed a full-time income in order to survive. The Ed Fund gave me that little bit of flexibility with my schedule that allowed me enough time to study. I must also commend the counselors, who were very supportive and always available when I needed them or had questions.
I heard about the Education Fund from a co-worker when I was working as an OB Tech at Good Samaritan. I was so excited to find out there was this kind of help available. I went through several struggles during my two years in school – my husband lost his job, we filed for bankruptcy, tried to keep our home and eventually had to short sale our house – all the while trying to maintain a happy home for our children. I’ll tell you one thing, if you truly want something badly enough you can get through anything!
I feel very fortunate to have gotten a job as a new grad in the NICU at Good Samaritan Hospital in this economy. I worked extremely hard to get there. I kept my full-time status, always went to work on time and was a pleasant person to be around no matter how stressed I was. My co-workers and management team were very supportive. I have so much to be thankful for, including the Education Fund program and its staff. I am excited to start my new career and see a bright future for myself and my family.
Feb 26, 2018 | Success Stories
MEDICAL ASSISTANT, KP EUCLID MEDICAL OFFICES, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
I worked as File clerk at KP Bellflower for 11 years. When I heard last year that my job was being eliminated, I wasn’t happy, but I thought this might be the opportunity I’d been waiting for to go back to school. I enrolled in a Medical Assistant program in the spring and finished school in December 2010. I took the national certification exam and passed, and started working in February 2011 at KP’s Euclid Medical Offices in Orange County.”
This program really helped me to grow both professionally and as a person. I have three kids and am taking care of an older parent, and have been through the healthcare system with ill family members. Now that I’m a Medical Assistant, I have a better understanding of how it all works. I have mostly elderly patients, so at first I was nervous about causing them pain, but now that I’ve gotten to know them we have a great working relationship. I know many of their names and we have become friends.
I want to thank KP and the union for this benefit, because without this program a lot of people wouldn’t be able to go back to school and better themselves. Getting a higher wage has helped me to catch up on my bills and provide better for myself and my children. The counselors that I had through the Education Fund helped me to get through this – they’re like a second family for me. They showed me that they care about me, encouraged me & provided me with great motivation. Next, I want to go back for my LVN or RN degree. I love helping people and being a KP employee.
Feb 26, 2018 | Success Stories
KAISER PERMANENTE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
From the time I migrated to the USA from Indonesia, I planned to go back to school. I enrolled in a Certified Nursing Assistant Program, which opened my eyes to bigger horizons in the healthcare profession. I went on to get certified as an EKG technician and was hired at Kaiser Permanente, South an Francisco. When I learned about the Respiratory Therapy Program at Skyline College, I was eager to further my education but worried about finding the time to go to school. Luckily, my manager introduced me to the Stipend Program. If not for her, I would not have been able to complete my training. The program was not easy. For the entire two years, I took no vacations and did no socializing. I had to wake up at 3:00am every day to keep up with my classes. I was blessed to have Daisy Kinyauo as my Education Fund counselor. She was always on my side when I had questions. Everything paid off, and I graduated with high honors and was awarded “Outstanding Student.” In October 2010, I found a new benefited job as a Respiratory Care Practitioner at my home facility, getting paid 48% more than I did before. I am now registered as a student at Oregon Institute of Technology to get my Bachelor’s degree in Respiratory Care so I can continue my professional growth.
Feb 26, 2018 | Success Stories
HCA – RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
When I found out that our hospital was planning to require all surgical techs in my department become certified, I was concerned. Sixteen of us were not certified; that was 95% of our department. I immediately began to organize by talking to staff, management, and the Education Fund. Everyone was incredibly responsive and supportive. The Education Fund stepped in and provided us with a quality instructor to prepare us for the exam, as well as covering expenses for our books, the exam, and certification. The hospital provided us with the space to study and even paid for our time while we were taking the review class.
All of us had to work very hard. I finished surgical tech school in 1984 – 30 years ago! – and now I needed to take this exam and get certified. What helped me get through it was thinking about the future and thinking about all the support I was getting. They were doing their part so I would have to do my part as well. After about three months, I was the very first one to become certified, and everyone in our department followed one by one. Now we are the first hospital to have 100% certification of Surgical Technicians in the O.R. amongst all HCA hospitals in the US – this makes me very proud.
