Connections: December 2023 - 11

Advancing access and equity
for people with disabilities
Project SEARCH program gets top national honors
All of the young adults involved in
a unique school-to-work internship
program hosted by DHMC have found
meaningful jobs since participating
in the program, earning the 20212022
Project SEARCH program
a 100 percent success rate and
recognition at the Project SEARCH
annual conference in July 2023.
An international endeavor, Project
SEARCH provides innovative skills
training and a job preparation for
people with intellectual disabilities.
Only 78 programs in the U.S. received
the recognition.
Brynne MacMurtry, program instructor,
says the class of 2022-23 reached that
goal as well and will likely be honored at
the next Project SEARCH conference.
The 1-year, school-to-work internships
provide total immersion in the workplace
with hands-on learning opportunities.
Interns receive support from an instructor,
job coach and members of each of
the 15 departments involved, which
include hematology, ophthalmology,
gastroenterology, environmental services,
human resources and the blood bank.
Each workday, interns spend 5 hours at
rotating sites in the hospital. In addition,
they spend 1.5 hours in the classroom.
Project SEARCH is
helping me have the
skills to get a job. "
-ZOEY HOSSLER
2023-2024 Project SEARCH Interns, L-R:
Aaron Williams III, Zoey Hossler, Amanda
Cate, Charles Fisher Jr., Jona Simons
(missing, Kai Ahern)
" It's a rewarding
" In the classroom, we target life
" To watch and be involved
in a young person's
growth is special. "
-JONATHAN ALVES (MENTOR)
SUPPLY CHAIN SERVICE CENTER
skills like financial literacy, health and
wellness, and how to manage stress, " says
MacMurtry. " We also do team-building
and communication and workplace
safety. Without the training, jobs in the
community are limited. Interns are given
the skills and abilities to get a job that they
otherwise wouldn't have been able to get. "
Though it's based at DHMC, Project
SEARCH is a collaborative effort between
DHMC, Hartford School District in
Vermont, Lincoln Street Inc., NH Vocation
Rehabilitation, and Vermont Vocational
Rehabilitation. Since it began in 2011,
more than 50 people have completed
the program.
" We are honored to be recognized for our
experience for everyone
involved. "
-KEITH CULVER, MANAGER
SUPPLY CHAIN HOSPITAL SERVICES,
SERVICE CENTER
program's success, " says Carolyn
Isabelle, director of workforce
development at Dartmouth Health. " It's
always gratifying to see students blossom
as they gain job skills and self-confidence. "
Recruitment for the 2024-25 class is
now underway. For more information,
contact Brynne MacMurtry at
brynne.l.macmurtry@hitchcock.org or
Hollyann Cramer at hollyann.b.cramer@
hitchcock.org.
SUPPLY CHAIN HOSPITAL SERVICES, SERVICE
CENTER
" It's a rewarding experience
for everyone involved. "
-KEITH CULVER, MANAGER
Connections: December 2023

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