Kaiser Permanente Redwood City mentors future health workers

The group of San Mateo County high schoolers were fascinated by the ultrasound images showing blood flowing through the forearm of Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Emergency Medicine Physician Sunil Bhopale, MD.

Bhopale was leading a tour of the Kaiser Permanente Redwood City emergency department and demonstrating how an ultrasound works. The students watching were participating in the KP LAUNCH program – a mentoring program for high school and college students wanting to pursue a future career in health care. This year, KP LAUNCH marked its 56th year. Most of the students come from backgrounds underrepresented in health care.

“This program is important because it allows us to develop a relationship with students who may pursue a career in health care,” Bhopale said. “This gives us an opportunity to make a difference in our community and promote the various careers available in health care.”

This summer, there are nearly 300 high school and college interns working at Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals. They earn $25 to $29 an hour during the eight-week summer program, and they work in non-clinical settings including safety operations, administration, and finance and accounting.

The interns also shadow doctors and nurses in health care settings.

Many of the students who went through the program in previous years have returned – some have even landed full-time jobs.

Karla Garcia Cancio, the KP LAUNCH program coordinator at Kaiser Permanente Redwood City, accompanied the recent tour of the emergency department. Karla was a high school intern six years ago, shadowing nurses and falling in love with health care. She returned to Kaiser Permanente Redwood City as a KP LAUNCH coordinator and expects to graduate from nursing school this year.

“KP LAUNCH has paved the way for everything that I’ve been and will be,” she said.