As October marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Jefferson Health is celebrating a decade of working with Project SEARCH, an international, work-transition initiative for young adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. Jefferson introduced Project SEARCH at Cherry Hill in 2016 and expanded to Stratford and Washington Township in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Project SEARCH interns at Jefferson gain hands-on experience and develop job-readiness skills across several hospital departments, including Patient Transport, Food and Nutrition, Storeroom, Environmental Services, and Pharmacy, with some participants landing jobs at Jefferson Health at the completion of their internships.
Recently, Jefferson Health welcomed 12 interns who are preparing for careers across Jefferson’s South Jersey hospitals:
Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital: Leanexie Gonzalez of Cherry Hill, George Sanchez of Camden, and Joshua Jackson of Willingboro.
Jefferson Stratford Hospital: Donald Moxham of Medford, Michael Boughman of Deptford, Gabby Ordille of Waterford Works, Emille Taylor of Burlington, and Grace Gagliardi of Haddonfield.
Jefferson Washington Township Hospital: Cody Rogers of Swedesboro, Henry Stammerjohann of Mickleton, Dante Stockton of West Deptford, and Nicholas Thompson of Pennsauken.
For Jenny Breunig, Vice President of Operations at Jefferson Washington Township Hospital, the impact of Project SEARCH becomes clear at graduation every year. “Every graduation, parents thank us for the opportunity and share how their young adult has grown,” she says.
“Our mission at Jefferson is to improve lives. Participating in Project SEARCH gives hardworking interns opportunities to discover career paths while helping us build stronger teams and better serve our community.”
Project SEARCH internships are made possible through a collaboration between Jefferson Health, Project SEARCH, and other key community partners, including Y.A.L.E. School, Y.A.L.E. Clinic, Gloucester County Special Services School District, Bankbridge Regional High School, New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities, and Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Southern New Jersey.
Jefferson Stratford Hospital’s newest interns include (left to right)Â Donald Moxham of Medford, Michael Boughman of Deptford, Gabby Ordille of Waterford Works, Emille Taylor of Burlington, and Grace Gagliardi of Haddonfield.
