Connect

Providing opportunities that foster confidence, purpose, and a clear pathway forward ….

Our Connect article series “Hope at Work” showcases inspiring stories about how our team members contribute to UVA Health’s 10-year strategic plan: “One Future Together Health and Hope for All.”  No matter where you work, you have an opportunity to inspire hope in others. This is the latest installment:

When 17-year-old Joel Baca walks into UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center, he’s not simply starting an after-school shift — he’s stepping deeper into a world in which one day, he hopes to serve as a physician. Joel began volunteering during his junior year of high school. Now, the senior is a paid intern for UVA Health, thanks to a partnership between Virginia Career Works – Piedmont (VCWP) and Rappahannock Goodwill that helps high school students explore careers while building real-world skills. But Joel’s path to this experience began long before his first day in the hospital.  

Opening Doors Through Partnership

Joel’s mother received training support from VCWP to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA). Joel, in turn, contacted Quinn Lynn Bates, Goodwill’s Career Specialist at the VCWP Center in Culpeper, seeking help with his own CNA certification. Through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), VCWP provides funding to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market. Bates offered to help Joel apply for a grant to intern at UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center.    

“Goodwill exists to help people build skills and find sustainable work,” says Marty Bywaters-Baldwin, Chief Mission Officer, Rappahannock Goodwill. “It is all about the partnerships we build with employers like UVA Health and their Workforce Pipeline Development [WPD] program. We are giving students a real-world view of what’s possible and helping them gain confidence along the way. These types of internships are invaluable and can create true dedication and direction in future studies.”  

Next, Joel met with Pam Bertone, Program Manager, UVA Health WPD. She felt Joel would be a great fit to join Jeff Say, Program Manager, Community Engagement, Culpeper Medical Center. “We work closely with Goodwill staff on qualified applicants interested in healthcare," explains Say. "When we met Joel, we knew he would be a great addition for us while gaining real-world experience in and about the medical center."

Best Routes

WPD at UVA Health was established with a grant from the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, dedicated to supporting public school-based healthcare workforce development programs in Virginia. Claude Moore believed in providing a “leg up, not a handout." Bertone works to create the leg up — whether through an online school, a more affordable route, or just knowing what classes will get you to the goal quicker — she helps build the path. WPD is focused on creating clear pathways for anyone interested in pursuing a career in healthcare and needing guidance on the best route to achieve that goal.:

• Middle or high school students interested in healthcare.
• College students mapping classes to reach the job of their focus.
• Adults with a high school diploma or GED wishing to enter or transition to a healthcare position.
• Current UVA Health team members looking to grow into new positions.

 Learning on the Job  

Joel’s internship spans multiple departments and responsibilities. He began by organizing inventory and community engagement events under Say’s direction. He then helped analyze hospital data to support UVA Health’s affiliation with a college imaging program under Bertone who also is helping him with his next big step: shadowing a physician, an opportunity perfectly aligned with his career goals. Bertone collaborated with Nael Hasan, MD, Chief Clinical Officer, UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center, to arrange shadowing opportunities. Plans also are underway for Joel to attend post-stroke rounds with Nina Solenski, MD, in Charlottesville.  

“What surprised me most was how much everyone works as a team,” Joel says. “I used to think hospitals were just doctors and nurses. But it’s everything: volunteers, administrative staff, techs, and more. Everyone communicates constantly to keep things going.”  

Say sees firsthand how that understanding deepens.  “Joel’s conscientiousness stands out. He’s willing to engage in anything asked of him if he can fit it into his schedule. And this is while he was completing CNA training — he passed with the highest score in his class! Since starting here, I’ve seen him become more confident.”  

“Our goal is to give Joel opportunities to expose him to concepts related to medicine,” Bertone explains. “These experiences can shape his education and his future. Healthcare has so many opportunities that are not medical-related, and many start with a high school degree. The WPD role is to assist in creating a path into other areas of interest.”  

What’s Possible  

For Joel, the internship has helped confirm his longstanding desire to pursue a career in medicine. “My favorite part is simply helping people. Seeing someone smile or knowing I made their day better — that makes me the happiest person!”  

Outside of school and the internship, Joel serves his community in numerous ways. He volunteers three hours each week at UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center. And every Saturday and Sunday, he mentors Afghan girls through EmpowerHer, a nonprofit supporting girls who are not allowed to receive an education under their government. He also plays the clarinet and serves as an altar server at his church.  

Feeling Included

Programs like this WPD, Say notes, don’t just benefit individual students, they strengthen the community.  

“These programs serve multiple invaluable purposes,” Say says. “Students earn money while gaining exposure to various aspects of healthcare, interact with professionals who can guide their career choices, and build experiences that help with college or medical school admissions. For UVA Health, it’s also about preparing future workers and showing community members the many roles that help a hospital function.” 

“We would like to see interns regularly placed in all facets of the hospital,” according to Bertone and Say. “When people feel included, when they feel connected to the community and part of something meaningful, they want to stay. And retaining workers is vital — especially with the shortages in healthcare today.”  

Path Forward  

As Joel approaches graduation, he is even more confident of a future in medicine, and grateful for the community partners who helped him get here. “If a fellow student asked me about this experience, I’d encourage them to apply,” he says. “It helps you grow and it helps the people you get to serve, while you're learning.”  

And for Goodwill, VCWP, and UVA Health, that’s the heart of the mission: giving young people opportunities that foster confidence, purpose, and a clear pathway forward.  

For Joel, that pathway is already coming into focus — one shift, one patient, one opportunity at a time.