HR Pulse - Fall 2007 - (Page 20)

While the tool is intended for hospital leaders to use within their organizations, it can also serve as a helpful instrument for ASHHRA chapter leaders who plan to organize community outreach initiatives. 20 HR Pulse Fall 2007 according to Pease. After that, MSHHRA members and other area HR professionals came in to be interviewed on camera by the students. “It really was ideal to have students produce this video since their peers are the target audience,” says Pease. “We wanted to make sure the students really owned this project. They did all the writing, interviewing, shooting, music and graphics, plus they’re obviously in the video. I’m just so very proud of what they accomplished.” The “How to Succeed” video represented the first time the MCI students produced a program that reached beyond their school and the local cable access area. “It was extremely rewarding to see my students succeed on such a large project, something that was going out to all high schools and hospitals in the state,” says Flewelling. “Their eyes really lit up when they realized how broad the distribution would be.” In addition to working with the students on the video, Pease also took the lead in developing the lesson plans and other online tools that turned the program into a full-fledged career development module. While this MSHHRA initiative required an enormous amount of his time, Pease has no regrets. “Even though I’m incredibly busy here at work, everything about this project was fun, and the time I spent with the students was invaluable,” he says. Flewelling has equally complimentary things to say about MCI’s experience with MSHHRA. “It was a pleasure working with everyone there. They were so friendly and supportive all the way through the project, especially when we got down to crunch time at the end to finish before the end of the semester,” he says. MCI provided all of its services for the project on a pro bono basis. When the video was complete in June 2006, MSHRRA donated $500 to the school’s broadcasting program. “I was very touched when Nicole called and said MSHHRA wanted to make a donation. We did not expect anything in return,” says Flewelling. Product Testing The collaborative nature of the project didn’t end there. Once the video was finished and the accompanying curriculum developed, MSHRRA wanted to ensure that the program would meet the requirements set forth by Maine Learning Results (MLR)—a set of learning objectives required by the state—so that teachers would be willing to use it in their classrooms. The project coordinators contacted the Main School Counselors Association (MSCA) to see if someone there would be willing to review the material and provide suggested improvements. Sue Bradshaw, middle school vice president for the MSCA and a school counselor at Messalonskee Middle School in Oakland, Maine, worked with Pease to make sure the learning module was as classroom-friendly as possible and arranged for a pilot test with a group of students. Since then, Bradshaw says the curriculum has even been used at a middle school to help eighth graders prepare to interview for summer jobs. “This was my first interaction with MSHHRA, and it was a truly positive experience. I’ve been happy to help them with the module and distribute the DVD,” she says. “They’re a great example of how private organizations can connect with schools. We hear people say all the time that kids today aren’t prepared for the workforce. Here’s a golden example of how the private sector can make a difference.” Getting the Product Out “Seeing the four cases of DVDs arrive in my office was very gratifying, as was getting the video online at our Web site,” says Jerry Marstaller, current MSHHRA president. “I’m so proud of the professionalism reflected in this product.” MSHHRA announced the availability of the “How to Succeed” DVD in late fall last year and began distributing it statewide. Chapter members signed up to hand deliver DVDs to area schools, where possible, to take advantage of the opportunity for direct contact with school personnel. Out of 400 DVDs, about half of them were delivered in person, according to Marstaller. The organization also did a mass mailing to other schools in the state in the spring of this year, as well as to Job Corps centers, libraries and Chambers of Commerce with education libraries. The DVD is free to any school or organization that requests it, and all accompanying materials are available on the MSHHRA Web site. The only “payment” MSHHRA asks is for people to complete and return the feedback form. “The feedback we’ve been getting from school counselors is very positive,” says Morin-Scribner. “They really appreciate the ‘plug-and-play’ flexibility of the DVD—it can be used in classroom settings or by individual students.” She also reports that Eastern Maine Medical Center—the state’s second largest hospital—is in the process of developing educational “tool kits” for area schools and plans to include the MSHHRA DVD and materials. More Outreach to Come MSHRRA is already working on its next outreach program—collecting books and books on tape to distribute to patients and residents of healthcare facilities. Marstaller reports having already collected more than 500 donations from chapter members. n Anne Coulter is a freelance writer who lives in Evanston, Ill. Learn more about her at www.bigleap.com. http://www.bigleap.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Pulse - Fall 2007

Contents Executive Director’s Letter President’s Message HR Leader Profile: Lisa McDaniel Spotlight on Community Citizenship Culture of Engagement How Transparent Should Healthcare Compensation Be? The Value of Assessment Testing in the Recruitment Process Technology Dramatically Changes FMLA Compliance Creating a Magnetic Culture™ Taking It to the Hill: An Advocacy Update 401(k) / 403(b) Fee Lawsuits – Are You the Next Target? Compensation Offers – A Better Process Find It Again Pulse Points Who, Why and Where Conference Highlights Schedule at a Glance Keynote Speakers Social Events Conference Sponsors Exhibitors Index to Advertisers

HR Pulse - Fall 2007

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