Deaconess Memorial invites Dubois County students to health careers camp

Deaconess Memorial Medical Center is using its Health Careers Camp to show Dubois County high school students what work inside a hospital actually looks like, and why the county’s health-care staffing needs will not solve themselves. The Jasper hospital is pitching the camp as an early entry point into nursing, emergency care, therapy, laboratory work, imaging, administration and other medical jobs that keep a local health system running.

The timing matters. Dubois County had an estimated population of 43,629 on July 1, 2024, and 43,637 in the 2020 Census, with 23.8% of residents under age 18 and 19.8% age 65 or older. That mix puts pressure on local hospitals, clinics and care facilities to keep a steady supply of workers in place, especially in a county that also carries a mental health shortage designation in shortage-area data tied to federal classifications.

Deaconess says high school students can already explore health careers through several structured pathways, including the Health Science Institute, Modern Youth Apprenticeship, student observer opportunities and Earn & Learn experiences. The Health Science Institute is a two-week program that gives students firsthand exposure to medical careers so they can make more informed decisions about the future. The Modern Youth Apprenticeship, a partnership involving Ivy Tech, EVSC and Deaconess Healthcare Systems, offers training and post-secondary credit for work-based learning. Earn & Learn programs are designed to build skills for entry-level health care jobs.

The broader system footprint helps explain the pitch. Deaconess Memorial Medical Center in Jasper offers more than 30 specialties across 33 health care facilities, meaning local students who start with a camp visit can see a range of careers without leaving the region. Dubois Strong lists health care as one of Dubois County’s major industries and identifies Deaconess Memorial Medical Center as a top employer in health care, behavioral health, senior care and wellness.

The retention strategy does not stop with exposure. The Memorial Medical Center Foundation, which says it has operated since 1974, says it helps provide more than $75,000 in scholarships every year for future area health care workers. Those scholarships are available to current high school seniors and post-secondary students pursuing health care degrees, with the stated hope that some will return to work at Deaconess Memorial after graduation.

That approach aligns with statewide workforce efforts as well. Indiana’s primary care office says the Indiana State Loan Repayment Program is meant to encourage health professionals to work in federally designated shortage areas, underscoring that Dubois County’s pipeline problem is part of a larger Indiana challenge.