Career Development: The PATH Program
At Beaufort Memorial, we believe investing in our employees is an important part of not only our growth as an organization, but your personal and professional growth as well. That’s why we are dedicated to helping our employees thrive in their careers with a program called People Achieving Their Highest (PATH).
If you’re looking to grow and advance your career, PATH is an unparalleled opportunity to pursue a certification or degree.
What Is the PATH Program?
The Beaufort Memorial PATH Program encompasses personal development pathways within five career clusters:
- Business: Learn how to help ensure all parts of the organization have the necessary resources to function efficiently while delivering exceptional patient care.
- Diagnostics/Therapeutics: Learn the technologies and tools used to diagnose conditions as well as treatment preparation and preventive intervention. This area supports direct patient care.
- Direct Patient Care: In this area, you’ll provide key areas of patient care, including physical examinations and treatments, rehabilitative therapies, administration of medication, counseling, comfort care, patient education and assistance with personal care.
- Hospitality: Learn how to help patients and families feel comfortable in a welcoming environment that promotes healing.
- Support Services: Learn how to prep equipment for procedures and assist clinicians. This area supports direct patient care.
If your professional goals change over time, simply choose another cluster — Beaufort Memorial will support you every step of the way.
Ongoing Support
The PATH program is designed to provide support throughout your journey. PATH participants receive:
- Career counseling
- In-house training and education opportunities
- Stipends for books, school expenses, testing fees and uniforms
- Flexible scheduling to accommodate classes
- Intern, preceptor and mentorship opportunities
- Scholarships
- Tuition reimbursement
Beaufort Memorial hosts 12-week class sessions with coursework developed by the National Healthcareer Association to prepare staff to become phlebotomists, clinical medical assistants, nursing assistants, patient care technicians, electrocardiogram technicians and more. Courses, skills labs and on-the-job training are led by Beaufort Memorial education department staff.
Participants interested in following a nursing or other allied health professional path are encouraged to enroll at an accredited university or college such as the University of South Carolina Beaufort or Technical College of the Lowcountry. Tuition scholarships are available through the PATH Program in addition to organizational discounts on tuition. Other continuing education is available at no cost to Beaufort Memorial staff through the Lowcountry Area Health Education Centers (AHEC).
Scholarship Opportunities
We offer several different scholarships to assist employees as they work toward their goals:
- Childcare scholarship: This scholarship provides funding for childcare either through Beaufort Memorial or through outside childcare organizations.
- Cost of living (gap) scholarship: This funding enables employees to work a part-time schedule while in school, as income can be significantly affected while taking classes.
- Education scholarship: We partner with accredited institutions such as USCB and TCL for employees who are interested in continuing their education. These scholarships help cover the cost of tuition for health care-related courses at any accredited college or university.
Investing in Your Future
If you are interested in growing your career at Beaufort Memorial, you can register and apply for scholarships through the Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation. The scholarship application process also includes submitting two letters of recommendation and writing a personal essay about why you are interested in growing your health care career at Beaufort Memorial.
The Beaufort Memorial PATH Program has been funded through an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant from Beaufort County and the BMH Foundation, as well as partnerships with Beaufort County School District, UCSB and TCL.
Ready to fulfill your true potential and get on the path to the career you want? To learn more, email PATHprogram@bmhsc.org today to speak with a PATH Program coordinator. We look forward to helping you succeed!