A group of students from Hamilton Southeastern High School spent this week at a unique summer camp experience—Health Camp at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Fishers—designed to inspire future careers in health care.
During my visit, students were participating in a demonstration of robotic surgery equipment, a cutting-edge technology that allows for minimally invasive procedures and significantly reduces patient recovery time.
Athziri Santiago-Lemus, who is entering her senior year at HSE, was especially impressed with the robotic tools. Her biggest takeaway from the camp so far? The importance of staying open to new possibilities.
“It’s a really great opportunity that has let me see a lot of what goes into a hospital and a lot of things that I didn’t even know existed,” Santiago-Lemus said.
The program was spearheaded by Kimberly Nealon, a registered nurse who serves as both Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Operations Officer at Ascension St. Vincent in Fishers. Planning for the Health Camp began six months ago, and her efforts were key in bringing the idea to life.
While the hospital has hosted high school interns in the past, this structured, immersive camp experience was a new step forward.
“We knew we could already put on a good show and give them a great experience,” Nealon said.
Organizing a weeklong, hands-on program like this requires significant resources. But the hospital was all-in. Of the 85 to 90 HSE students who applied, 17 were selected to participate in this pilot program.
Nealon sees Health Camp as more than just an educational experience—it’s the starting point of a journey for students considering health care careers.
“I believe that this experience helps them develop a concrete path,” she said.
Special thanks to media relations guru Dan McFeely and Aleks Overby, President of Ascension St. Vincent in Fishers, for providing invaluable background information. I came away with far more insight than I can share in a single story—and I expect both will be continuing to share the hospital’s story with the broader community in the months to come.
