Ms. Samantha Neitz, a new hire at Milton Area High School, is the head of the new Milton Health Careers CTE program.
Milton needs a Health Careers program because there is a high demand for medical profession jobs locally, Ms. Neitz said.
There are currently 35 students enrolled in Level One of the program. At that level, students are introduced to core medical concepts, medical technology, essential concepts and medical terminology. Each student goes through one level a year and there are three levels, Ms. Neitz added.
Level Two builds off of Level One, she added. “This course includes an in-depth study of the anatomy and physiology of the human body, application of medical mathematics, and expanded instruction in first aid and infection control practices,” said Ms. Neitz. Students also learn and develop employable skills, she added.
According to Ms. Neitz, Level Three reviews all of previous information and concentrates on specific jobs based on individual interest. Students also participate in co-op placements for real life experience.
Before taking the job at Milton, Ms. Neitz got her bachelor’s degree at West Chester University in nutrition and dietetics and completed the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program at Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU). She said she still does training online and in person for various skills within the medical field. She also worked in the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) digestive office for one year, she added.
Ms. Neitz said when she had her son, she wanted to work closer to home, so she worked at the Buffalo Valley Nursing Home in Lewisburg for eight years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she moved to the Evangelical Hospital’s Endoscopy Department until she took the job at Milton, Ms. Neitz added.
She has always worked very well in social situations. She is a very hands-on person and was naturally gifted in science, so she said she always knew the medical field was for her, she said.
She wanted to set up a Health Careers program in Milton because she wished she would have had something like it when she was a student here.
Outside of her work life, Ms. Neitz said she likes running, reading, hiking, camping and listening to music. She is also a mother of three and said she loves being a mother and wife.
According to Ms. Neitz, her first marking period as a high school teacher was a learning experience. She said she had to overcome the difficulty of navigating teenagers. “You just have to talk to them and get to know them. They’re just the same as me,” she added.
Ms. Neitz said her goals for the new Milton Health Careers is to allow the students to have more hands-on experience with equipment in the classroom along with workforce shadowing. She added that wants her students to find out how they fit into healthcare and have the same passion she has for the field.
Ms. Neitz said she recommends that anyone with any interest in helping people should look into Health Careers. “There’s lots of different areas of healthcare you can work in, and I don’t think that students know the variety of jobs that you can get,” she said. Ms. Neitz’s advice to students looking into healthcare is to get a plan ahead of time.
According to Mr. Andrew Rantz, Director of Secondary Education and Career and Technical Education Coordinator, the Health Careers CTE in was added because many seniors in the Diversified Occupation program were going to work in Geisinger Hospital, and many Milton graduates go into medical careers.
This program is beneficial to Milton’s students because medical careers are high paying, according to Mr. Rantz. He added that to approve a new CTE, he determines if it’s a high priority in the area and is fiscally responsible and feasible. The Health Careers CTE is going to last a long time at Milton Area High School because Milton is located in an area with a lot of medical centers, and Ms. Neitz is a strong pilot for a brand new program, Mr. Rantz added.
Mr. Rantz added that he chose Ms. Neitz because she is at a point in her career where she has plenty of experience and still has motivation to get this program moving. She is hardworking, very promotional and is exceptionally good with kids, according to Mr. Rantz.
Health Careers Student Senior Sophia White said she feels Ms. Neitz is a good fit for the program because she is sweet, dedicated, passionate and fun. Sophia said she appreciates how Ms. Neitz has different lessons based on age group and level and teaches little but necessary skills, such as how to take vital signs.
Sophia added that she plans on using her Health Careers skills to be a nurse practitioner. She feels she has been well prepared and learned a lot in one semester. She added that her favorite part of the new Health Careers CTE is that she gets to learn and prepare for her desired career so she can treat people in the best way possible.
