INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM AT WATERBURY HOSPITAL OFF TO A GREAT START WITH SIX INTERNS

Waterbury Hospital started a successful 10-month internship program, modeled after the Internationally Recognized Project Search Program, which helps differently abled adults train for careers in healthcare.

The program, first of its kind in the Waterbury area began on September 3 with six interns from Ability Beyond. The program, which follows the internationally recognized Project SEARCH model, combines immersive workplace training with wraparound employment support, designed to place graduates in competitive jobs at living wages.

Students rotate in different areas of the hospital every ten weeks. This allows them to learn unique lessons and transferable skills. Students are interning in the Family Birthing Unit, Radiology, Cardiology, and other medial units. During soft-skill classes, students will also learn about such topics as self-advocacy, financial literacy, health and wellness, and technology.

The Waterbury Hospital program will run the course of a school year, through June 2025 with interns participating five days a week to complete a total of three job rotations. 

The first Project SEARCH program at Ability Beyond began in 2017 in New York and has since expanded into Connecticut with offerings at Danbury and Norwalk Hospitals as well as other companies.

“Project Search is an internationally recognized program and we are proud to host the first cohort in Waterbury,” said April McGrath, RN, director of Education, Director of Workforce Development at Waterbury Hospital.

About Ability Beyond:

Ability Beyond is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to provide health and human services to adults with disabilities throughout Connecticut and lower Hudson Valley, NY. Founded more than 70 years ago, Ability Beyond is headquartered in Bethel, CT, and Chappaqua, NY. Ability Beyond provides a wide range of services for more than 3,000 people, including numerous residential alternatives, employment training, career counseling, job placement services, cognitive and life skills instruction, clinical and therapeutic support, and volunteer and recreational activities. At Ability, we believe in discovering, building, and celebrating the ability of all people.

About Waterbury HEALTH

Waterbury HEALTH, which includes Waterbury Hospital, Alliance Medical Group, Cardiology Associates of Greater Waterbury, VNA Health at Home and Access Rehab Centers, Greater Waterbury Imaging Center, offers comprehensive healthcare services including primary care, emergency and acute care, and home healthcare. Serving Waterbury and eleven surrounding communities in Western Connecticut, Waterbury HEALTH is a member of Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc., a national family of hospitals and healthcare networks. For more information about Waterbury HEALTH visit: https://www.wtbyhealth.org/.