Thursday, September 17, 2009

ALABASTER, AL --- Shelby Baptist Medical Center has partnered with the Boy Scouts of America to serve as a learning center for students interested in health care careers. The Explorer program kicked off at the hospital on September 10 with more than 60 students in attendance and more are expected on the program's second kickoff night later this month. 

"There's been such a great response to this program," said Blake Allison, Baptist Health System's executive director of outpatient services and coordinator for the Explorer program. "Originally, we planned to host one Explorer meeting each month, but we are including an additional night in order to accommodate all of the students," Allison added.

September's program focus was on diagnostic services. Students were taken on a tour of the hospital to learn about imaging technology at Shelby Baptist Medical Center, and the different types of jobs that support the imaging program.

Future programs will focus on surgery, cardiology, labor and delivery, emergency medicine, nursing, health care administration, support services and physician services.

The program is open to Shelby County residents ages 14 - 21. The annual cost is $10 per student and offers one program per month for the duration of the school year.  For more information on the Explorer program, contact Blake Allison at blake.allison@bhsala.com.

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About Shelby Baptist Medical Center - Shelby Baptist Medical Center is a 192-bed acute care facility in Alabaster with more than 1,000 employees.  The hospital offers a comprehensive range of clinical services including cardiology, obstetrics/gynecology, emergency services, orthopedics, neurology, urology and gastroenterology, along with specialized medical and surgical care. A five-story South Bed Tower is scheduled to open in fall of 2009 and will offer 167,712 new square feet featuring private rooms, clinical laboratory, central sterile supply, admitting, registration area, chapel, public space and mechanical space. Other technological advances at the facility include a 3 Tesla MRI, a robotic surgery program and a state-of-the-art invasive cardiology suite.

About Baptist Health System - Founded in 1922, Baptist Health System, Inc. is one of the largest health care systems in Alabama and one of the state's largest employers. The System is a not-for-profit, 501(c) corporation that owns and manages four hospitals in the state of Alabama. Baptist Health System is a ministry of the churches of the Birmingham Baptist Association, whose representatives elect the Board of Trustees. It was founded in 1922 by a group of local Baptist congregations.