Healthcare Partnerships Promote Student Success
Clark College’s Allied Health programs have been recognized as the 2025 Partner of the Year by ESD 112’s Career Connect Southwest! The Allied Health team – represented by Dean Dr. Scot Headley, Olga Lyubar, and Lisa Barsotti – was honored at the STEM Rising Star and Regional Partner Awards Ceremony at ESD 112 on June 9. The event served as a celebration of meaningful and strategic collaboration across southwest Washington.
“This partnership has helped bring greater alignment between education and workforce systems, opening doors for students to explore and pursue careers in high-demand healthcare fields,” said Chad Mullen, Network Manager for Career Connect Southwest. “Their commitment to innovation and student-centered programming makes them a standout example of what’s possible when education and industry work together.”
Clark’s Allied Health team has partnered with ESD 112 on multiple projects this year, including the Healthcare Pathways Education and Industry Summit on March 7 and a CTE Dual Credit workshop for local high school teachers on February 27.
Education Meets Workforce
This summer, Clark is hosting AH 104, a rural healthcare camp that serves as an introduction to the healthcare field and the many professions available as career choices.
Five high school students from Kalama and one from White Salmon will visit campus for two weeks to learn from Allied Health instructor Miranda Devault, in collaboration with multiple healthcare professionals from The Vancouver Clinic. Through this partnership, students will have the opportunity to shadow different healthcare professionals, an invaluable experience as each student is planning to go into the healthcare field when they graduate. This event is graciously being funded by the Clark College Foundation and Entry Services. Upon completion, the six students will also receive three college credits.
Our partnership with ESD 112 also benefits teachers! A STEM teacher’s experience – which kicked off June 16 at the ESD 112 Conference Center – allows four high school teachers from Vancouver Public Schools to earn 30 clock hours – 15 of them STEM clock hours – and a $1500 stipend for participating in the Learning from and in the Healthcare Field workshop. They will gain firsthand exposure to healthcare careers and the skills needed in the field by working alongside local healthcare professionals and technical staff at The Vancouver Clinic. Dr. Headley’s former colleague, Dr. Maranda Turner from George Fox University, will provide specialized facilitation on how to integrate healthcare themes into their curriculum, and participants will have the opportunity to share their insights with fellow educators at a professional symposium happening this fall.
Learn More
Learn more about the impactful work from this partnership: