Project Search nurtures young workers at Inova Alexandria Hospital

Growing Talent

Inova Alexandria Hospital is engaged in a community-minded initiative to help students with cognitive and physical disabilities develop on-the-job training. For the last four years, it has offered Project Search, a one-year internship program for students with disabilities in their last year of high school eligibility.

The program is a win-win for everyone involved, says program Director Ameeta Shah. It is a “stepping stone for the students to become productive members of society,” she says. “Project Search students help alleviate the workload for department staff and are able to fill in gaps for certain tasks, providing more time and opportunity for employees to focus on patient care. The students bring in their own unique abilities, characteristics and experiences, further enriching the existing diverse cultural environment at Inova Alexandria Hospital.”

The young adults in this hospital’s program range in age from 18 to 21. During the course of their internship, they work in various departments, switching every 10 weeks. Nine students are participating in the internship at the hospital this year. Since the start of the program, four of its participants are still working at the hospital, in the area of patient transport.

The young adults develop considerably during the year, notes Requina Luttrell, Human Resources Talent Coordinator: “At the beginning of the school year, they are shy. At the end they have grown and have adapted to our culture. It’s nice to see how they transition from where they first began.”

Project Search is a collaboration among Inova Alexandria Hospital, Alexandria City Public Schools and support service agencies in the state.

Valuable Career Experience

Contact Requina Luttrell at requina.luttrell@inova.org or at 703.504.7702 to learn more about Project Search.