High school students start their futures at Healthcare Careers Academy

Teacher Noel Montgomery is no stranger to the medical field. She earned her CNA at just 16 years old and progressed through many roles in health care before becoming an educator. She enjoys having an impact on students’ lives and sees the importance of preparing the next generation of health care workers.

“I love teaching and seeing that lightbulb come on,” Montgomery says. “If we can start students early on that kind of information in medicine, they’ll really be prepared to care for the community.”

Montgomery teaches at Healthcare Careers Academy at Mount Tahoma High School, a four-year pathway program to introduce and prepare students for careers in health care.

In the program, which MultiCare helped create, students gain practical, hands-on knowledge that leads to college preparation and a livable family wage. By graduation, students earn their CPR certification, complete internships or job shadows, and learn skills such as blood draws and injections. Many go on to earn degrees in various medical fields or enter straight into the workforce.

Watch the video to see how Healthcare Careers Academy is changing the future of health care education.

Healthcare Careers Academy, offered at Mount Tahoma and Stadium high schools, is just one of the ways MultiCare is investing in future health care workers. Partnerships with Pacific Northwest University and Kent School District help prepare students for clinical and nonclinical roles. MultiCare also hosts M.A.S.H. Camp and career days for high school students.