ROBERTO RAMIREZ
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CNA – ALL SAINTS SUB ACUTE AND REHAB CENTER
I have been a CNA at All Saints Sub Acute and Rehab Center for 10 years. I learned about the Education Fund benefit when we were renegotiating our bargaining agreement and they wanted to take it out. We didn’t want this benefit removed, so we began to take classes.
Since 2012 I have taken as many classes as I could, including computers, CPR, Medical Terminology, and Spanish. Spanish really helped me with my job because we have patients who aren’t comfortable communicating in English. A fellow employee was studying Hemodialysis and I grew interested in that program. I wanted to use the Education Fund for additional training, and that’s when I found out about the Advance Your Career Program. I was worried that I might not be qualified, but my counselor, Monica, encouraged me and helped me apply. I was approved and they paid for my schooling, books, and the exam. I recently passed my certification exam and am applying for employment. I’m hoping to find some parttime work that can supplement my income, so I can stay at All Saints.
Now I’m encouraging my co-workers to do what I did, to go to school and take advantage of their benefit. Participating in Education Fund programs means you can explore, you can advance, and you can expand your opportunities.
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.
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.
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.