M.A.S.H. Camp brings health care experiences statewide

Students across the Inland Northwest and Yakima communities will soon get to experience firsthand what working inside a hospital looks like as the MultiCare Academy for Students in Healthcare (M.A.S.H. Camp) expands statewide.

M.A.S.H. Camp allows high school students to explore what a future in health care could look like before making any post-graduation decisions.

Through hands-on experiences and job shadows, students explore everything from patient care roles to critical support services like environmental services, pathology and IS&T, explains Nancy Thompkins, RN, MultiCare community outreach program manager.

“We’re trying to inspire students to hopefully get into health care, show them the various pathways to do so and just how much opportunity there is in the field,” adds Kate Van Deusen, MultiCare recruiter. “Health care is so broad that you can really do almost anything.”

MultiCare aims to reach students who know they want to pursue health care but may not know the vast array of opportunities available, as well as those who may not have ever thought about a career in health care, adds Jolita Perez, LPN, MBA, MHML, MultiCare workforce and student development manager.

“Our statewide expansion to integrate journeys of health care professionals and students who are committed to learning will boost access to the art of caregiving across all walks of life,” Perez says.

Applications for the July 2025 session in each region will open Jan. 31, 2025. Camp runs three to five days depending on region.

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While there are a few similar programs across our state, including MultiCare Valley Hospital’s career day for Spokane Valley students, M.A.S.H. Camp is a one-of-a-kind experience, Van Deusen says.

Given the rural environment of Spokane and Yakima counties, the opportunity to experience some of these career options may not be as easily available as in other communities, Thompkins adds. With organized transportation and pop-up opportunities offered at M.A.S.H. Camp, students from all over are encouraged to apply.

One of the biggest misconceptions that M.A.S.H. Camp volunteers are working to break down is the belief that the only career options in health care are on the clinical side and require extensive schooling.

“Part of M.A.S.H. Camp is to also showcase that at MultiCare, we have workforce development programs like our nursing assistant, medical assistant and pharmacy tech programs,” Van Deusen explains. “We show them that they can enter at any of those points and grow from there.”

M.A.S.H. Camp students are given the opportunity to explore everything from patient care to support service roles in their region.

With the student programs MultiCare has in place, an 18-year-old high school graduate could get hired into one of MultiCare’s training programs and begin the steps to building their health care career immediately, Thompkins explains.

“People think there’s a hierarchy in health care and don’t understand that every single person contributes to the health and progression of our community,” she adds. “We need every level and person. We’re here to help them see that every person is needed to get the best outcomes for our patients.”

The outcomes are speaking for themselves when it comes to M.A.S.H. Camp graduates, with 89 percent reporting it was influential in their decision to pursue health care after graduation.

This is just one way MultiCare is investing in our communities, and we are thrilled to continue helping students shape their futures.