ENGLEWOOD—Englewood Health welcomed local high school students on Tuesday, July 23, for its Youth Career Day — designed for students participating in the city of Englewood’s Summer Business Apprenticeship Program — expanding students’ awareness of career possibilities at a hospital system, particularly, this time, roles that don’t require a medical degree.
The event, hosted at Englewood Health’s main campus, brought together professionals from across departments to chat with students. Speakers shared insights about their educational and professional journeys, their roles, occupational outlook, and the variety of ways to build a career in health care.
Organized by Englewood Health’s Population Health Department in partnership with the Englewood Chamber of Commerce’s Summer Business Apprenticeship Program, the event supports students—especially those with perhaps limited exposure to professional environments—in exploring a wide range of career paths.
Participants are part of a grant-funded summer initiative through the Chamber of Commerce and powered by The Zone under Bergen Family Center, which places students with local business mentors for hands-on experience. Entry is competitive.
Guest speakers:
- Jennifer Yanowitz, LSW and Angela Azar, BA, of Population Health, who opened the event with a welcome and overview of Englewood Health
- Larry Miloscia, director of Finance
- Karen Asch, director of Principal and Planned Gifts, Englewood Health Foundation
- Jessica Lyons, RD, CNSC, chief clinical dietitian and clinical nutrition manager
- Danielle Lambert, LCSW, behavioral health manager
- Santino Ardo, BS, director of data, analytics, and reporting
- Maria Toubroukji, MSN, RN, GERO-BC, coordinator of academic partnerships and the nurse residency program
- Kayla Evans, MHS, R.T.(R)(M), interventional mammogram technologist, Leslie Simon Breast Care and Cytodiagnosis Center
“People often associate hospitals mainly with doctors and nurses, but we employ more than 4,500 staff in a huge variety of roles—from finance and IT to behavioral health and philanthropy,” Yanowitz told Northern Valley Press, which sat in on the event. “Career Day is about showing students that they belong here too, and that there are so many ways to make an impact within a healthcare system.”
Over the course of the morning, students engaged with speakers through Q&A sessions, gaining practical advice and real-world context. For many, it was their first time inside a hospital not as a patient, but as a potential professional.
By showcasing diverse career options, Englewood Health says it aims to help students identify fields that match their interests, temperament, and skills—while planting seeds for success, perhaps even within its own walls.
Larry Miloscia described the life-changing exposure, as a young man, to the fundamental accounting equation assets = liabilities + owner’s equity. The logic and elegance of it led him on his nearly 30-year career at Englewood Health — which was not without initial heartbreak in applying to internship and jobs. “You’ve got to believe in yourself, and be persistent,” he said.
Chief clinical dietitian and clinical nutrition manager Jessica Lyons explained that “I have the ability to advocate for improvement. So if I see something that’s not working — it’s a system that’s not working — we identify gaps and I can say, ‘Well, let’s see what we can do, what workflows we can implement in order to have a smoother transition of …patient care and satisfaction,’”
Karen Asch described Englewood Health Foundation team’s work, which connects donors with “meaningful opportunities to support patient care innovation and health equity” and relies on effective communication.
“I think it’s great that you guys are all here, and you should all pat yourselves on the shoulder for taking this step — it’s just giving you an edge, and an edge is really important these days,” she said.
Social worker Rachel Solomon, who directs The Zone at Dwight Morrow High School, told us, “We usually get a really high turnout, like 60, 70 applications. With the money from the city, we can only select 24. But they get paid $2,000 for six weeks worth of work, and they love it. They really gain a lot of experience in the program.”
Her two dozen young go-getters work at a wealth of employers powering the city: Englewood Health, Bergen Performing Arts Center, Bergen Family Center, a print shop, eateries, and elsewhere. “They’re all really scattered. This is vocational training,” Solomon said.
One young participant in the day’s seminar volunteered she wants to be a writer. Another is focused on nursing, and asked about scholarship opportunities.
In past such seminars, for students, Yanowitz’s department —Population Health—arranged a CFO talk and a range of department talks, from physical rehabilitation to human resources and laboratory research.
“We have had many offerings of immense value and interest to the students. This is about our investment in our community, particularly in those who might not have had access otherwise,” she said.
She explained, “We are focused on health outcomes, and opening up career trajectories … ultimately has the potential to change a student’s life.”