Chelsea HS program prepares students for medical careers and more

The Health Sciences program room at Chelsea High School was recently transformed into a state-of-the-art simulated surgical learning lab, where the 140 students enrolled in the program can practice their newly developed skills in the first surgical learning lab on this level in the state of Alabama.

The space was formerly a home economics room. When the teacher, Mrs. Walker, retired, the decision was made to add this Health Science program.

Julie Godfrey, supervisor of career tech education for Shelby County Schools, analyzed workforce data in the area and received feedback from hospitals. To fill in the gaps for surgical technology, she met with industry partners and decided to add this program to the other career and tech offerings in Shelby County, one tailored to teaching surgical skills. The program began last school year to address health care staffing shortages in the region.

“After consulting various hospitals within our area and analyzing the data of student career interests as well as regional workforce job demands, this program made sense and is a great addition to our school system’s career and technical education course offerings,” Godfrey said.

Chelsea’s program is led by Andrea Maddox, RN, BSN. As the career and technical education instructor for health science, she is in her second year. A perfect fit for the role, Maddox previously worked as an operating room nurse at UAB on the trauma vascular and burns team. She was also an abdominal organ transplant team leader.

After having her now 8-year-old twins, Maddox went to a lighter schedule, working flexible shifts and weekends before stepping away to be a stay-at-home mom.

“They posted the job seeking an RN with 5 years of operating room experience,” Maddox said. “It was a perfect fit both professionally and personally, plus I’m getting to use my industry experience from UAB.”

Maddox is teaching the next generation of health care workers. She said statistics show that over the next five to 10 years, about 20% of the workforce will be retiring. This program will help get ahead of that curve.

“It fills immediate needs, but projected needs as well,” she said. “In teaching surgical skills, hopefully students find a love and passion for this area and seek employment opportunities.”

Her first year at Chelsea, she taught health science in a room filled with stoves and microwaves. She was getting the program established while meeting with architecture firms about the design of the space. Renovations began in May 2020, and when students returned to school after Christmas break, they were able to begin using all of the equipment and take the applications they have learned and apply them in a real surgical setting.

Maddox teaches students in the room multiple periods each day. She currently teaches three Foundations of Health Science classes and three Operating Health Foundations classes. The students learn about every age and stage from pediatric to adult and geriatric. Sixty students inthe program are already certified in Basic Life Support (BLS).

Starting next school year, the program will be offered for students in grades 10-12. Tenth graders will take Foundations of Health Science then move to a specialized course of Operating Room Foundations in 11th grade. As seniors, they will participate in a health science internship at a local medical facility and go into an operating room and apply skills learned in the lab.

Maddox wrote the foundation curriculum for the course and is the first to teach it. She was a HOSA Advisor who participated in the pilot of the Red Cross' new severe bleeding control program that will be used in high schools across the nation by being trained as an instructor.

The participation and feedback in the pilot helped inform the writing and development of the curriculum.

“It was neat to be able to participate in that,” she said. “I love being able to use my trauma experience from OR and bring it to the classroom. It’s exciting.”

Students will be able to be in a simulated workplace environment in the classroom. The surgical suite is set up to walk students through the entire surgery experience. It includes a day of surgery admissions station, sterile processing department, pre-op holding area, operating room and a recovery room bay complete with patient care simulators, surgical scrub sink, operating room lights, surgical table, electric hospital bed and an authentic “red line” denoting restricted and semi-restricted perioperative patient care areas.

“We want to work on those skills and teach them how many careers are available to them in the surgery department and also teach what it’s like to be the patient,” Maddox said. “Even though this program has a surgical focus, we’re not hemmed in to that alone. We can explore lots of careers using the basic skills learned in the program will serve the students well in any medical field they pursue.”

Some of the careers students learn about include child life specialist, optometry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, vet tech and more. Maddox said the skills they learn will serve them well no matter what field they choose.

Once the students complete the program, they will be credentialed as a Certified Patient Care Technician. That will let them gain employment after high school in a high demand high wage role. If they choose, they can then work through post-secondary education.

They have also already garnered accolades. Last school year was class members' first year to attend the HOSA state leadership conference in Montgomery, but this school year was our first time to compete (virtually due to COVID-19). Out of 142 students in the state, two from Chelsea placed in the top 12, which qualified their 2-person team to compete this month against 5 other teams in the CPR/First Aid division to vie for a spot in the HOSA international leadership conference competition in June. 

“Programs like this help them connect their passion to their purpose later in life,” Maddox said. “It fosters their interest and can motivate them in their core classes to study hard in math and history and other core subjects put effort into those to achieve the goal of a medical career.”

Godfrey said she has already received letters from students and parents noting what a positive impact Maddox and her classes have had on them, but one story, in particular, stands above the rest.

“Before school went on break in March 2020 due to COVID-19, Mrs. Maddox already had the CPR manikin out in preparation for future certification training and felt compelled to squeeze in a preview lesson. A few weeks later, a student emailed Ms. Maddox and explained how that lesson helped her save the life of a child who was choking while she was babysitting.”

Money and donations from several entities helped get the program rolling. The Shelby County Board of Education paid $177,496 to Williford Orman Construction LLC for the construction. The Hollie Foundation donated an $18,000 grant for a manikin — a JUNO patient care simulator. The Chelsea High School PTO is purchasing a pediatric patient care simulator for $3,000 that will be arriving this month. The program has also requested a $15,000 grant from the city of Chelsea to purchase a geriatric patient care simulator. Some of the Cawaco operating room items were purchased with an operating grant. Other items came from donations, including operating lights from Shelby Baptist Medical Center.

Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, Maddox said the interest in the program has not decreased. In fact, it’s been the opposite.

“These kids are so socially minded they want to make a difference in the world,” she said. “If anything, it has bolstered students’ love and passion for the medical field and I’m excited about the program and how it can prepare them for that.”

Maddox was recently honored by the Shelby County Chamber with the Heart of Healthcare Award and also for faculty member of the week, she was given the “Ray of Sunshine” award.

Most of all, Maddox loves projecting her experience to the classroom. She tells her students that even if they decide the medical field is not for them, having taken this program is worth it.

“They’re not wasting their time, money and energy in college, and they are also more prepared to advocate for themselves and family members,” she said. “If this is the end of the road in their medical training, it’s a win.”