When most people picture a caregiver, they might imagine a clinician in scrubs or a white coat. But inside every hospital, including East Tennessee Children’s Hospital (ETCH), compassionate care is delivered by many more roles than who immediately comes to mind.

That broader understanding of care is what drives ETCH’s long-standing commitment to Project SEARCH, a workforce program that prepares students with intellectual and developmental disabilities for successful, competitive healthcare employment.

ETCH has participated in Project SEARCH for more than a decade, offering hands-on training to 66 interns. For nine full-time months, participants are part of the hospital’s daily work, learning by doing alongside the people who keep the hospital running. Through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on rotations across multiple departments, they learn workplace expectations, communication, and independence while contributing to roles that help care happen every day.

“We try to sit down and partner with each student to figure out what they’re most interested in, where their skills lie,” Adam Cook, chief development and public affairs officer at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, told news station WATE. “They do things here on campus as well as at home, not only for life skills but also for here at Children’s Hospital and employment opportunities once they graduate.”

The results are tangible: the program has already achieved a 90% job placement rate, and of the five most recent graduates, four have already secured jobs, with the fifth currently preparing for dozens of scheduled interviews.

These roles may not always be visible, but they are foundational. They help create a hospital environment that is welcoming, functional, and compassionate — especially for families navigating some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.

By investing in programs like Project SEARCH, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is widening the path into care and building teams that reflect the community it serves. It’s a commitment to dignity, inclusion, and the belief that every role helps healing happen—and recognizing every person who belongs in that work. 

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