(Jan. 31, 2025) – What an exciting and fulfilling week we had hosting our third annual Kansas Virtual Health Care Career Day. More than 4,200 students from more than 200 schools joined us during the Kansas Virtual Health Care Career Day. KHA organized the event with the Kansas Department of Education and the Kansas Board of Regents. The primary goal of the Kansas Virtual Health Care Career Day is to give students a glimpse inside Kansas hospitals to learn more about the many career opportunities, both clinical and non-clinical, available in health care and engage them in real-world learning. This event also kicks off Career and Technical Education Month, celebrated in February.
As you might anticipate, the success of the Kansas Virtual Health Care Career Day requires the coordinated involvement and participation of several individuals and organizations. I thank each hospital for collaborating with KHA to highlight several health care professions and provide attendees with a "behind the scenes" look. The health care careers showcased during the virtual career day included respiratory therapy, family practice medicine, facilities management, behavioral health, pharmacy, health IT/cybersecurity, occupational therapy and critical care nursing/ICU. Throughout the event, Kansas middle, high school and collegiate students – alongside hundreds of adult learners and interested second careerists – heard first-hand from Kansas health care professionals across the state who explained what training is required to perform their function, but also why they believe their career choice is rewarding.
Thank you to the teams at AdventHealth, Overland Park, Ottawa and Shawnee Mission; Clay County Medical Center, Clay Center; Community HealthCare System, Onaga; HaysMed, Hays; NMC Health, Newton; Rice Community Health, Lyons; Rooks County Health Center, Plainville; and The University of Kansas Health System, Kansas City.
This event also showcases our www.HappyInHealthCare.org website. The site features a career quiz, scholarships, schools, jobs and many other avenues for exploring resources about health care careers. Each career includes information on the education needed, minimum salaries, job opportunities and much more. We have recently added maps and links to hospitals, colleges and universities. Please check out all of the great resources on the www.HappyInHealthCare.org website!
KHA will continue to explore new approaches to promote and support the hospital community. If you couldn’t attend the Kansas Virtual Health Care Career Day, videos and resources will soon be available on the KHA website and at www.HappyInHealthCare.org. Thank you again to all the hospitals that participated in the virtual career day to help us promote the fantastic opportunities in the health care field!
--Chad Austin