Partners HealthCare program helps Andre Chandler launch his health care career at Massachusetts General Hospital

Two years ago, Andre Chandler had just been laid off from his job at a local bank where he had worked nine years as a check sorter. Today, he is a Surgical Pathology Technician at Massachusetts General Hospital, and making plans to return to school for additional education in his chosen health care career.

Chandler took advantage of the Partners in Career and Workforce Development Program (PCWD), a three-year-old initiative that has helped nearly 600 Boston residents get entry-level jobs or advance up the career ladder in three Partners HealthCare hospitals — Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

After several months of unemployment following his layoff from the bank, Chandler learned about the PCWD program. He applied, was accepted and graduated from the five-week training program in November 2005. He completed his internship at the MGH Operating Room (OR) as a Sterile Processing Tech, where he was responsible for sterilizing and setting up the instrument kits used in the OR.

At the time, Chandler’s internship manager did not have any openings in her department; however, she was so impressed with his skills and quality of work that she contacted another manager in the MGH Pathology Department and arranged for an interview. The week after graduation, Chandler was hired as a Surgical Pathology Trainee in the MGH Pathology Lab.

In collaboration with the three hospitals, Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) and Project Hope, Partners runs the PCWD pre-employment program four times a year, accepting 10-12 participants in each cycle. Applicants should be Boston residents, have graduated high school, have at least one year of consecutive work experience and be interested in a career in health care.

The first two and a half weeks of training take place in a classroom setting and include training on customer service skills, medical terminology, resume writing and interviewing skills. The students then intern within the Partners hospitals as office assistants, operating room instrument technicians, laboratory aides and other entry-level positions.

After graduation, PCWD graduates receive job placement assistance. Once they are placed, PCWD continues to support their career development and helps them with work-life balance issues, such as housing and childcare advocacy.

The PCWD program has enabled Chandler to pursue additional education and gain new skills. His first manager, Doris Dewing, suggested he take the Medical Terminology class offered free of charge by MGH. Chandler found the evening class challenging, but was determined to learn as much as possible. His hard work paid off and resulted in a raise and a promotion to a position as a Surgical Pathology Specialist.

“This is a very fast-paced environment and physicians are waiting for these pathology results so they can tell patients about serious health problems. Andre learned the systems and nature of the work very quickly,” said Dewing.

Chandler has increased his responsibilities from creating bar code labels for specimens to logging specimens into the lab system, dictating a basic description of the specimens (gall bladder, appendix, spleen) for medical transcription. He is hoping to further his education and go back to school to become a certified Pathologist’s Assistant.

Dewing continues to mentor Chandler and has encouraged him to pursue his education.

How did he develop an interest in health care? Four years ago, he was in a serious car accident and had to have his spleen removed. His experience as a patient triggered his interest in the health care field.

“I really wanted to know more about my organs — I couldn’t believe I could live without my spleen,” he said.

Chandler is the father of a baby daughter and between his girlfriend’s work schedule as a Radiology Tech at Mt. Auburn Hospital and his mother providing day care, he and his family are managing both work and family life well.

Chandler credits the PCWD program with helping him get his life back on track. “It was the best thing that happened to me — I didn’t know where to turn after I was laid off,” he said.

James Happel, Chandler’s manager, has nothing but praise for him.

“His drive, ambition and attention to detail have made him one of our very best Surgical Pathology Technicians,” said Happel.