Atlanta Teens Get Up Close Views of Healthcare Careers at Grady

“We’re going everywhere, seeing everything,” said Blair Wagner of his experience in Grady’s Teen Experience and Leadership Program (TELP).

Blair was one of hundreds of students who had the opportunity to participate in this summer’s program at Grady Hospital. And for many, it opened their eyes to a healthcare world they never knew existed.

"Prior to coming to Grady I had never met an African American physician or a female physician, so seeing both of those things in the same person was really inspiring," said Princess Barge, a health equity access coordinator at Grady.

This wonderful program, now in its third year, allows teenagers to shadow Grady employees throughout the summer, exposing them to all facets of providing world-class medical care to the Atlanta community.

Students navigate through different departments, from the fast-paced emergency room to the intricate world of supply chain management and care coordination, expanding their perception of what it means to work in the healthcare industry.

“We are connecting young minds to healthcare careers,” says Grady COO Anthony Saul.

For many teens, the program can be life-changing, sparking new interests and dreams of becoming doctors or running the core functions of a hospital. And for Grady, it plants the seed for a pipeline of future associates who might one day call Grady home.

TELP’s robust program wouldn’t be possible without support from generous donors, including James Dallas from the Centene Charitable Foundation and Deborah Cathcart.

Now in its third year, more than 900 students have participated in TELP with this summer’s diverse cohort of students coming from 118 schools across metro Atlanta and representing a wide range of races, ethnicities, geographies and socioeconomic status.

See first-hand how the TELP program is benefitting Grady and the community in this short video.