9 receive national certifications; 14 enroll
Special to The Island News
The Beaufort Memorial PATH program (People Achieving Their Highest) celebrated eight graduates in its 10th cohort on Aug. 20, as well as the pinning of newly certified graduates in their field and the welcoming of 14 Beaufort Memorial employees entering the program on a new internal career pathway.
The eight graduates in Cohort 10 completed programs as Clinical Medical Assistants (2), Patient Care Technicians (1) and Coders (5).
Students in the coding class surprised their instructor, Kimberly Richbourg, AAPC, with flowers and a plaque to commemorate the experience, with the entire class passing the certification exam on the first try.
“Without you, there wouldn’t be an ‘us,’ said Krystal Brown, one of the graduates. “Everything you taught us was laid out, there were no questions. You did an amazing job for us, and we want to say thank you.”
graduate who participated in the PATH dual enrollment program with the Beaufort County School District and joined the Beaufort Memorial team this summer. Photo courtesy of Beaufort Memorial Hospital
Cohort 10 graduates include Clinical Medical Assistants (Tonya Coaxum and Edwina Register), a Patient Care Technician (Ashley Sgro-Chiang) and Coders (Krystal Brown, Sarah Europe, Cassandra LaFontaine, Arianna Morris, and Diane Singleton).
While the cohort saw eight graduates, the celebration held on Aug. 20 included the ceremonial pinning of newly certified graduates in the CMA, PCT, Certified Professional Coder (CPC) and Central Sterile Technician (CST) tracks.
These newly certified graduates include a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (Alyssa Morgan, CCMA), two Certified Patient Care Technicians (Alani Crawford, CPCT and Tamara Thompson-Graham, CPCT), a Certified Central Sterile Technician (Dashaunna Montford, CRCST) and five Certified Professional Coders (Krystal Brown, CPC, Sarah Europe, CPC, Cassandra LaFontaine, CPC, Arianna Morris, CPC, and Diane Singleton, CPC).
Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley emphasized that the PATH program is an “investment,” – healthcare is a difficult industry, he said, and while a hospital is made up of bricks and mortar, it’s the people within the walls that make it special.
“This investment that you all have made doesn’t stop here,” Baxley said. “This program is unlike any other. It has been modeled by several hospitals throughout the state, and you guys are now a part of that.”
During the Aug. 20 ceremony, 14 Beaufort Memorial team members signed on for Cohort 11 of the program, joining internal pathways that include the Surgical Technician and Endoscopy Technician tracks. Since the workforce development program began in 2022, PATH has seen 104 graduates.
The PATH program includes scholarships, clinical training, traditional education and non-traditional financial assistance to encourage Beaufort Memorial staff members to advance their careers, building and supporting a stronger healthcare network in the Lowcountry.
“This program is a testament to Beaufort Memorial’s investment in not only their employees, but the community that we serve,” said Joy Solomon, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, Beaufort Memorial Director of Education and Workforce Development. “We’re very proud of the success we have experienced, and of the participants, who have the courage to step forward on a new path and enhance their career at Beaufort Memorial.”
Anyone interested in learning how they can join the team at Beaufort Memorial and grow their career through the PATH program should visit BeaufortMemorial.org/PATH.
