Project SEARCH enters sixth year at Halifax Health to help Volusia students

Ormond Beach Observer
Business

by: John Guthrie

VP Communications, Halifax Health

Halifax Health Medical Center Daytona Beach by the numbers

2016- 9 students; 6 gained employment
2017 – 8 students; 8 gained employment
2018- 9 students; 8 gained employment
2019- 9 students; 6 gained employment
2020- 6 students; 5 gained employment
2021- currently 5 students; 1 recently employed

Charisse Davis- 1st internship in Café, 2nd internship in Brooks Rehabilitation
Jonathan Kiser- 1st internship in SPD, 2nd internship in Laundry
Jaylen Wiley- 1st internship in SPD, 2nd internship in Café.
Andrew Steppello- 1st internship in Café, 2nd internship in SPD
Robert Furlong- 1st internship in SPD, 2nd internship in Receiving. Recently hired in SPD

Deltona Halifax

2017- 12 students, 5 gained employment
2018- 7 students, 4 gained employment
2019- 8 students, 2 gained employment
2020- 6 students, 6 gained employment
2021- 5 students

Port Orange Halifax

Pending

Students hired by Halifax Health and currently employed

Stephanie Campbell was the first hire from the Project SEARCH program in 2016. She is currently employed full-time in Health Information Management.
Alex Cobean obtained employment as an Operating Room Technician in 2017 and is currently working in Patient Transport.
Ruby Dwyer obtained employment in Human Resources in 2019.
Serigo Toriola obtained employment as a Dish room attendant at the Daytona Hospital.
John Capozzi obtained full-time employment in Health Information Management in 2020.
Denise Benn-Gittens obtained full-time employment in Health Information Management in 2021.
Matthew Roach obtained part-time employment as an Emergency Room Supply Technician in 2021.
Cheyanne Waggoner obtained employment in 2021 in Dietary at the Port Orange Halifax Hospital.
Deanna Moliaro obtained part time employment in 2021 in Dietary at the Daytona Hospital.
Chanzes Tillman obtained full-time employment in 2021 in Dietary at the Daytona Hospital.
Jadis Satkunas obtained a part-time position in 2021 as a Unit Clerk at the Daytona Hospital.
William Walters obtained employment in Dietary at the Deltona Hospital.

From this year’s class (2021-22), Robert Furlong recently obtained full-time employment in Supply Processing Distribution at Halifax Health.

Employment obtained in the community throughout the years:

Volusia County Schools, Publix, Sodexo at Embry Riddle, Pet Supermarket, Ross Dress for Less, Chipotle, YMCA, Metra Electronics, Taco Bell, Cobb Theatres, Good Samaritan, John Knox Village, Sterling Court Holiday Retirement, Developing Futures Inc., Stetson University.

Halifax Health, Volusia County Schools and Project SEARCH have partnered for the sixth year in a row to provide education and real world experience for six students at the medical center. Halifax Health Medical Center was the first site for Project SEARCH in Volusia County, which started in 2016. In 2018, the Project SEARCH site began in the Halifax Health Medical Center of Port Orange and in 2020, the site opened at Halifax Health | UF Health - Medical Center of Deltona.

Project SEARCH has grown from a single program site at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to a large and continuously expanding international network of sites. Now, worldwide with over 600 sites, there are 41 Project SEARCH sites throughout 25 counties in Florida. Even though the program originated in Ohio, Florida leads the nation as having the most sites.

The Project SEARCH High School Transition Program is a unique, business-led, one-year school-to-work program that takes place entirely at the workplace. Total workplace immersion facilitates a seamless balance of classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training through worksite rotations. The program provides real-life work experience to help youth with disabilities make successful transitions from school to adult life.

For a sixth consecutive year, Halifax Health has been a host site for this nationally recognized program and successful local joint venture between Volusia County Schools, Progressive Abilities Support Services and the Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.