Hill's Educational Leadership in Medicine (HELM) Institute
St. Joseph Hill Academy High School, in partnership with Staten Island University Hospital/Northwell Health, proudly announced HELM, Hill's Educational Leadership in Medicine Institute, which began in Fall 2021. Seeking to be at the helm of healthcare education, preparation and partnership, this Career Institute for Women in Healthcare provides an opportunity for SJHA students 16 years and older to explore the world of healthcare in real time by becoming immersed in the day-to-day activities of healthcare professionals.
HELM consists of juniors and seniors who are interested in exploring careers in healthcare, including Physician, Physician's Assistant (PA), Nurse, Occupational Therapist (OT), Physical Therapist (PT), Speech Therapist, or Hospital Administrator. The Institute will consist of a didactic and a clinical component. Among the learning experiences planned are career panels and an executive lecture series that will take place both at St. Joseph Hill Academy and SIUH. In addition, HELM will include opportunities to tour SIUH and its facilities.
HELM students will have an opportunity to earn certificates in certain areas such as CPR. Students can earn participation credits for volunteering at SIUH and attending career panels, lecture series, and other learning opportunities. The credits will earn students the opportunity to become more involved in different aspects within the hospital, such as shadowing medical and administrative professionals.
HELM also includes opportunities for volunteering in areas of interest as well as observing and shadowing staff members. SJHA and SIUH/Northwell, collaborated on a comprehensive syllabus for the program.
Ms. Jennifer Pla, SJHA Chairperson of the Science Department, serves as the HELM Coordinator. Ms. Pla notes, "Just as laboratories for science classes allow students to put theory into practice, the HELM Institute will give Hilltoppers the opportunity to explore the rapidly changing health care system. It will allow them to develop an understanding of current healthcare issues and make a well-informed career choice among the many health occupations."
This is a unique and exciting opportunity for Hilltoppers to have up close exposure to an array of career paths in the medical field and access successful healthcare professionals who can serve as mentors and educators to our students.
Dr. Joanna Pierro, a Hill alumna, spoke about the medical school pathways to pediatrics and the specialties of hematology and oncology. She demonstrated how lumbar punctures are performed on children and showed histology slides of several blood disorders.
Dr. Anya Cornish spoke about the different types of pediatricians and explained leadership positions within the hospital. Students were taught about common choking hazards and learned how to clear an obstructed airway in a child.
PA Dyane Cavagnaro-Irvine, another Hill alumna, describe the role of Physician Assistants in medicine and the occupation has evolved in recent decades. Students learned how to use an ambu-bag to oxygenate a pediatric patient, how to listen to heart sounds on a premature baby, and how the umbilical cord can be used as a central line for newborns.
NP Deena Maimone explained her experience as a pediatric nurse practitioner. She demonstrated how she inserts a port into a pediatric patient to deliver medications and to draw blood. These 4 women were such an inspiration to the HELM students. They truly exemplified what leadership means in medicine!