Nationwide Childrens Hospital Selected Employer of the Year by Wilberforce University

Nationwide Childrens Hospital has been awarded the 2009 Employer of the Year Award by Wilberforce University, Xenia, Ohio for the second year in a row. The staff of the Wilberforce University Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services annually honors organizations which have significantly supported the University in achieving its goal of providing meaningful cooperative education experiences for its students.  Wilberforce is the first Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the U.S.  

In 2007, Wilberforce University was selected to participate in Nationwide Childrens Summer Externship and Research in Childrens Heart Center (S.E.A.R.C.H) Program, designed to offer a minority student the opportunity to work closely with Nationwide Childrens Chief of Cardiology and Co-Director of the Heart Center Timothy Feltes, MD, founder of the program, and other physicians in the department.  Due to the programs growth and success, the name was changed to the CHASE Summer Scholars at Summer Education and Research in Clinical Healthcare (S.E.A.R.C.H.) Internship. The students that were selected for this six week opportunity now have the option to intern in the Heart Center, Research and Ambulatory Medicine. Wilberforce participants included Adenike Mosley-Brown, Estefany Castro, Dominque Pope, Brittney Adams and Henry Ibitokun.    Students also had the opportunity to shadow in other careers in allied healthcare in order to get a broader view of the endless possibilities that await them in graduate education upon college graduation.

Nationwide Childrens Hospital has participated in Wilberforce Universitys career fairs to recruit students for internships and employment. The business relationship has grown over the years with the staff from Nationwide Childrens Hospital Workforce Development conducting presentations to students on the proper way to interview for jobs and ways to position themselves to an employer for future employment opportunities.  Additionally, Nationwide Childrens has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with Wilberforce University through the Cooperative Education and Career Services Department.  Students from Wilberforces STEP- UP (Science Technology and Engineering Program) summer program for incoming freshman have spent time touring the hospital campus to learn about health care careers as they spend time with medical  professionals and staff.

It is an honor and privilege to have Wilberforce students spend time with us at Nationwide Children's Hospital, said Dr. Feltes.  Nothing is more rewarding than to witness the very moment that a young man or woman realizes their career in medicine has just begun.  We are humbled by the Employer of the Year award and look forward to a prosperous future."

Members of the Nationwide Childrens Hospital CHASE Summer Scholars at S.E.A.R.C.H. Internship Program Committee are:  Tim Feltes, MD, Cardiology; Olivia Thomas, MD, Ambulatory Medicine; Long- Sheng Chang, PhD, Research;  Kerry Rosen, MD, Cardiology;  Tim Hoffman, MD, Cardiology; Denise Jenkins, MS.Ed,  Human Resources, and  Marcie Rehmar, MS, Education.