Christina Kim worked in the food and beverage industry as a Pastry Chef for ten years before joining Wellstar in 2023. Though she was hired as a Patient Meal Liaison in the Nutrition and Food Services department, Christina’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology. So, when the Wellstar CareerCare program launched a year later, her interest in healthcare was reignited.

“I explored the website and decided that my skills and talents were suited to a career in Phlebotomy and the Laboratory,” Christina stated. “I enrolled in the Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) program at Kennesaw State University.”

Wellstar and Kennesaw State University (KSU) have partnered since the 1990’s to positively impact the healthcare landscape. Through initiatives like CareerCare, a fully funded career training program, the partnership addresses Georgia’s deficit of healthcare workers. Like many states across the country, Georgia is experiencing a significant shortage of healthcare workers, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, greatly hindering access to timely care.

The KSU 80-hour CPT certificate program prepares students for the National Health Career Association Certified Phlebotomy Technician exam. Christina obtained a national certification and now works full-time as a Lab Support Specialist at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center.

“The CareerCare program has impacted my life in so many positive ways. It afforded me the opportunity to pursue a career path that seemed outside my grasp at the time, coming from a completely different professional field. I have so much more confidence in myself and my ability to achieve my professional goals. I also have more financial freedom and feel financially secure.”

Thanks to generous corporate investments like the recent $100K donation from Truist, Wellstar will continue to advance its workforce development initiatives. The Wellstar CareerCare program provides Wellstar team members with ten career pathways in high-demand healthcare roles, including surgical technicians, radiology, and nursing – building the next generation of healthcare professionals. The program focuses on removing barriers by covering all expenses, prepaid tuition, wraparound services, and guaranteed job placement.

Wellstar team members interested in learning more about CareerCare can visit eSource. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to support workforce development initiatives, visit wellstar.org/give.