Baystate Mary Lane, Pathfinder Continue Workforce-building Partnership

WARE — Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware and Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School in Palmer are continuing a more than 10-year relationship of working together to shape the future workforce in the region.

“We pride ourselves in having the technical and academic resources to prepare our students for college or to jump directly into the workforce after graduation,” said Dr. Gerald Paist, superintendent-director at Pathfinder. “And we are thrilled to continue our partnership with Baystate Mary Lane and their committed health care team who have taken a personal interest in our students’ career aspirations.”

This semester, 12 students from Pathfinder are working in a number of departments at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, said Morgan Gilmore, nurse educator at BMLH.

“The students are in their junior year, and for them, being here provides a better understanding of just what is involved in working in the health care field,” Gilmore explained.

The students are working in a number of departments, including Rehabilitation Services, Radiology, Food and Nutrition Services, and the Adult Day Health Program.

The students are also spending a great deal of time on the hospital’s nursing units, including Med/Surg, Women and Infants, and Respiratory Services.

“All of the students are gaining a fresh perspective on working in a community hospital setting,” said Marna Mucha, director of Nursing at BMLH. “They are learning the many facets of nursing, gaining exposure to the pace of health care and all its intricacies. And they get to immerse themselves in the community hospital and the practice of nurse generalists.”

The program offers the students on-the-job experience that will help them shape their career plans, said Gilmore. “This is great exposure to how health care is delivered in a community-hospital setting.”

Baystate Mary Lane Hospital is a 31-bed, community-based hospital serving the residents of Hampshire, Hampden, and Worcester counties.

BMLH offers a wide spectrum of services from women’s health, maternity, and pediatrics to inpatient and outpatient surgical care, intensive care, and 24-hour emergency services. Ancillary services include radiology, cardio-pulmonary, laboratory, and the Baystate Rehabilitation Program. Outpatient services include physician specialty clinics, occupational health, and an adult day health program.

Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School has provided technical education to the communities of Belchertown, Granby, Hardwick, Monson, New Braintree, Palmer, and Ware for more than 25 years.

The school is comprised of more than 650 students, and offers students vocational and educational training in 13 career fields.