Mastic Beach, NY - February 3rd, 2015 - William Floyd High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) students enrolled in the Medical Assisting and Business Academies were one of 31 teams of students from high schools across Long Island to participate in North Shore–LIJ Health System’s SPARK! Challenge, a program created by the North Shore-LIJ workforce readiness division where students have the opportunity to shadow employees involved in difference facets of the healthcare field for one day.

Medical Assisting students visited South Oaks Hospital and participated in group activities involving team building, physical therapy and group therapy. When Brittany Uzzi, a junior enrolled in the Medical Assisting Academy, described her day, she said, “We learned that it is not just one person’s role that matters in the path of healing, but it is truly everyone’s cooperation with each other, as well as with the patient, that really matters the most.”

Next, Business Academy students visited the CareConnect Insurance Company and learned about the business side of healthcare by touring the accounting, actuary, analytics and underwriting departments. “After these experiences, some of the accounting students decided that analytics or actuarial science may be the career path for them,” said Karen Poidomani, a business teacher and chair of the William Floyd High School CTE program.

As part of this experience, students are entering a video competition based on their shadowing experiences, showing what they have learned from their mentors at NS-LIJ. A judging panel will select the winners which will be announced on April 15, 2015 at a Spark! Challenge celebration.

Pictured Right: William Floyd High School Business Academy students at CareConnect learning about the business aspect of the healthcare industry.