Most of us don't give much thought to all of the equipment it takes to operate a hospital.
But Rodney Bowie does. He thinks about it every time he walks into Sinai Hospital.
Bowie is a PCU equipment tech at the hospital. Its his job to make sure every piece of equipment is working properly and the nurses have what they need to do their job.
"I'm basically the middle man between the nurses and the clinical engineers," he said.
Bowie's supervisor, Teresa Taylorson, says when Bowie has a day off, the staff notices.
"He really makes our jobs easier," she said. "Even during an emergency, Rodney stands outside the doors and gets equipment, anything we need during the emergency."
Bowie came to Sinai through the hospital's VSP department. Its a vocational rehabilitation and workforce development program that works with people who are disabled or live in underserved neighborhoods.
VSP trains people for various positions in healthcare, such as nutrition, clerical work, janitorial services, etc.
"Its really about looking at the person, what their interest is, where their abilities are and matching them to a position that will allow them the best opportunity for employment," said Lisa Mules, director of VSP.
Bowie trained as a patient transporter. He says the program taught him more than just the requirements of the job. It taught him valuable skills, like teamwork, that can apply to any job.
"When you go into healthcare you're not by yourself. You have to work with a team and everybody relies on somebody to help them with their job," he said.
Mules says in the last five years, VSP has helped 1,500 people. Each year, an average of 30-50 people are hired through LifeBridge health, which operates several hospitals including Sinai.
The other graduates are usually able to find jobs at other hospitals and companies.
