Mercy Medical Center, Des Moines Public Schools, Easter Seals Iowa and Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services have partnered together to bring Project SEARCH to the Des Moines area. This collaborative effort was initiated in the fall of 2012, and currently involves twelve students who are interning at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. These students are being provided a range of hands-on job e
xperiences; developing work skills necessary for future employment. Mercy Medical Center Project SEARCH offers students (18-21 years old), that have completed their graduation requirements, a one-year school-to-work program that takes place entirely at Mercy Medical Center. Total workplace immersion facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and relevant job-skills training obtained through three strategically designed internships. The national Project SEARCH program began in 1996 by Erin Reihle, Director of the Emergency Department at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She had a number of entry level positions to fill and worked with the Great Oaks Career Campuses and the Hamilton County Board of Developmental Disability Services to provide an opportunity for students with disabilities to participate in the workplace. The program was so successful that the model was adopted in 40 states and four countries including the National Institute of Health – Clinical Center, Xavier University, the Federal Department of Labor, and the University of Rochester Medical Center.
