VALHALLA, N.Y. (May 2, 2017) – Westchester Medical Center, the flagship of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network, recently launched a new program aimed at developing current entry-level employees with the skills needed to advance in the healthcare field, thanks to a generous contribution from the KeyBank Foundation. A $100,000 contribution from the KeyBank Foundation over a three-year period will allow Westchester Medical Center's Organizational Development and Learning department to launch the School At Work (SAW) program to boost employee engagement by preparing entry-level staff at Westchester Medical Center and network affiliates Maria Fareri Children's Hospital and the Behavioral Health Center in Valhalla to advance in their careers and continue to grow their roles, providing the highest quality care to patients in the Hudson Valley.
"Westchester Medical Center is very grateful for KeyBank's investment in our workforce, and with KeyBank's support, we look forward to offering this opportunity for entry-level members of our workforce to grow professionally in the healthcare field," said Kathleen Lynch Cartine, Director of Organizational Development and Learning at Westchester Medical Center. "For many, going back to school can seem to be an insurmountable challenge. This supportive and encouraging program helps to overcome the challenges and change a person's life as well as benefit our organization and the community we serve."
KeyBank's market president, Joe Markey, and other bank representatives recently attended a check presentation event with Westchester Medical Center. "Key encourages people, organizations and communities to achieve economic self-sufficiency through strategic philanthropic investment in education and workforce development programs," said Markey. "This donation will not only strengthen the skills of the Westchester Medical Center staff, but it will also strengthen the quality of services and programs available to the individuals and families in our communities."
The workforce development program will offer cohorts of approximately 15 employees a 12-module program that will help them to build a ladder in their healthcare careers over a 9-month period. Course topics include mastering communication, patient safety and satisfaction, medical terminology and future planning, among others.
About Westchester Medical Center, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network
Westchester Medical Center is the premier provider of advanced medical care in New York's Hudson Valley region. The flagship of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network, this 895-bed academic hospital located in Valhalla, New York, provides local residents with acute care services - Level I trauma and burn care, organ transplants and advanced neurovascular procedures and more - found nowhere else in the region. Westchester Medical Center is the primary referral facility for other hospitals in the Hudson Valley and serves as a lifeline for more than 3.5 million people. To learn more about Westchester Medical Center and the vital services it provides to residents of the Hudson Valley and beyond, visit WMCHealth.org or follow Westchester Medical Center at Facebook.com/WestchesterMed or Twitter.com/WestchesterMed.
About Westchester Medical Center Health Network
The Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) is a 1,700-bed healthcare system headquartered in Valhalla, New York, with 10 hospitals on eight campuses spanning 6,200 square miles of the Hudson Valley. WMCHealth employs more than 12,000 people and has nearly 3,000 attending physicians. From Level 1, Level 2 and Pediatric Trauma Centers, the region's only acute care children's hospital, an academic medical center, several community hospitals, dozens of specialized institutes and centers, skilled nursing, assisted living facilities, homecare services and one of the largest mental health systems in New York State, today WMCHealth is the pre-eminent provider of integrated healthcare in the Hudson Valley. For more information about WMCHealth, visit WMCHealth.org.
About KeyBank Foundation:
KeyBank Foundation serves to fulfill KeyBank's purpose "to help clients and communities thrive," and its mission is "to support organizations and programs that prepare people for thriving futures." The Foundation's mission is advanced through three funding priorities – neighbors, education, and workforce – and through community service. To provide meaningful philanthropy that transforms lives, KeyBank Foundation listens carefully to understand the unique characteristics and needs of its communities and then backs solutions with targeted philanthropic investments. KeyBank Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation, funded by KeyCorp.