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Aspira Health awarded for career and technical education

Lewes-based group honored by Delaware advisory council
June 28, 2022

Aspira Health recently received the Council Award from the Delaware Advisory Council on Career and Technical Education.

“Aspira Health came into existence in order to serve the community and to champion public health initiatives. Our goal was always to answer the question of where you can go when there is no access anywhere else,” said William Albanese III, Aspira Health CEO. “We always wanted to be able to say, ‘Come in now and get seen.’ To that end, service is a huge part of our care.

“Public health is the other component. Even before the COVID pandemic, we decided to require the CDC vaccination schedule, and we wanted to offer low-cost, accessible options for everyone in Sussex County. We were the first in the county to require COVID vaccinations for our employees, to keep them and the patients they serve safe. And we always knew that educating the next generation of healthcare workers would be crucial in order to expand care in our state and provide access in our county.”

When COVID began, institutions started closing their doors to students. Local hospital systems that normally took in high school and community college students by the dozens went dark. “We decided to take in these students so they would be able to complete their education and enter the workforce that badly needed their help,” said Albanese.

Aspira took students from several institutions and in almost every position: Delaware Tech - nine administrative medical assistant rotations, 40 hours each, and five clinical medical assistant rotations, 120 hours each; Sussex Tech High School - two student interns, 500 hours each; and Cape Henlopen High School - seven student interns, 200 hours each. Students from various universities included 12 nurse practitioner students, two physician assistant students, and a physician student rotating in emergency medicine.

During their time at Aspira, these students have completed numerous different tests, procedures and assessments. Several students brought specialized knowledge to Aspira, including being bilingual, lactation consultant, burn certification, wound care certification, emergency medicine and critical care knowledge. Out of the 12 nurse practitioner students Aspira has hosted, six have graduated and successfully passed their national certification exams. They are now working in the community as nurse practitioners, bringing much-needed preventive and acute care to Sussex County.

Of the medical assistant students that have rotated through Aspira, more than 80% were offered jobs and more than half took employment at its facility.

Albanese said he is also proud of Aspira’s COVID vaccination efforts. Through the hard work of students and staff, more than 18,000 people have been vaccinated. Of those, 1,500 were pediatric doses (age 5-11), and Aspira was also able to host 24 clinics at schools across the state including Cape High, Seaford Middle, MOT Charter, Alfred G. Waters Middle, Sussex Tech and Sussex Academy.

“It is our honor to be nominated for this award,” said Albanese.

 

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