By Evan Solochek
Writer, Children’s Wisconsin
Before coming to work at Children’s Wisconsin eight years ago, Lisette Ruiz was very familiar with the organization.
When she was a child, she was a patient. Then her daughter underwent surgery when she was just 3 weeks old. Her nephew was also treated for cancer at Children’s Wisconsin.
While she had come to know the organization well, she wasn’t aware of the Medical Assistant (MA) Grow Our Own program.
The MA Grow Our Own is a training program that allows Children’s Wisconsin employees to earn a medical assistant diploma — tuition free — through Herzing University. While continuing to work at Children’s Wisconsin, staff enrolled in the MA Grow Our Own program take classes part time, allowing for flexibility and a healthy work-life balance.
Employees are eligible for the program after being employed at Children’s Wisconsin for 6 months and are in good standing. On average, the program takes 10-12 months to complete.
“I was afraid to go back to school before I did the program. I thought I’d be in the same position the rest of my life,” said Lisette. “But it gave me the courage to know I can keep moving forward.”
Medical assistants are a vital member of the health care team. They provide a variety of support in hospitals and clinics, everything from taking vital signs and drawing blood to administering medications and maintaining medical records. The number of medical assistants at Children’s Wisconsin continues to grow and we have a number of full-time and part-time openings available throughout Wisconsin.
“In 2019, when we were looking at our open positions, we saw medical assistants as being one of our biggest needs and we couldn’t just rely on traditional recruitment channels,” said DJ Huzjak, MBA, CWDP, Workforce Development Consultant at Children’s Wisconsin. “So when we were creating the Workforce Development team, we knew the medical assistant training program was going to be one of the first training programs we launched.”
And it’s been very successful.
“I have developed a greater sense of self-confidence.”
“I am grateful to Children’s Wisconsin for offering this opportunity.”
“I love my new family of coworkers who have welcomed me wholeheartedly.”
“The support from Children’s Wisconsin and Herzing University helped push me. They saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of myself.”
For KaLeah Yang Flores Herrera, who completed the program in 2021, it allowed her to further fulfill her passion for serving children.
“I wanted to do more for myself and the children in Wisconsin,” said KaLeah. “This program has provided me with the tools and skills to provide the best and safest care for my patients and myself.”
To date, more than 100 staff members have graduated from the MA Grow Our Own program. Of the current MA workforce, 40 percent were trained by Grow Our Own.
For Lisette, joining the program was a no-brainer.
“Children’s Wisconsin paid for my schooling and gave me a job,” she said. “It was a win-win.”
“Win-win” is the perfect way to describe it.
For the employee, they get an education and the opportunity to develop their skills to grow in their career. For Children’s Wisconsin, these graduates fill a staff need, which positively impacts patient care. By investing in its own staff, Children’s Wisconsin creates a strong culture of learning, one where staff feel supported in their career development.
“I truly believe that this program is extremely important for the growth of both the individual and the organization,” said KaLeah. “Don’t miss your opportunity to grow!”
If Lisette’s or KaLeah’s journey has inspired you, imagine where the MA Grow Our Own Program or a career in healthcare can take you. Ready to make a change? Visit childrenswi.org/careers to view our current job openings and apply today!
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