Thompson School District First Ever Project SEARCH cohort at Banner McKee!
Six young adults from the Thompson School District are participating in the first-ever cohort of Project SEARCH at Banner McKee Medical Center in Loveland, a program designed to prepare individuals with significant disabilities for success in competitive, integrated employment.
The initiative provides real-life work experience combined with training in employability, ensuring participants can transition to a productive adult life.
Project SEARCH at McKee is a 10-month program in which interns undergo extensive skills training, career exploration, innovative adaptations, long-term job coaching and receive continuous feedback from teachers, skills trainers and employers.
The goal is to place participants in non-traditional, meaningful and rewarding roles after completion. Some of the tasks participants are currently working on include cleaning, stocking supplies, preparing rooms, fulfilling and delivering orders throughout the hospital, supporting in the cafeteria and delivering treats to patients.
“We brought Project SEARCH to McKee for a couple of reasons. The number one reason is the need for young adults with developmental disabilities in our community,” Erin Lamouria, student experience advisor at Banner Health, said. “There are no other hospitals in the immediate area running a Project SEARCH program, so we felt it would benefit the community and Banner. We have hired a Project SEARCH teacher who is absolutely wonderful, and we are so excited to see the results of our first year at McKee. We hope all six participants will be prepared for competitive employment after completion and feel confidence in their abilities.”The program aligns with Banner’s commitment to fostering equity, diversity and inclusion by promoting and cultivating a culturally rich workforce.
Project SEARCH is an internationally recognized organization with cohorts operating in hundreds of hospitals and other employers around the U.S. and the world including Banner Fort Collins Medical Center. Thousands of young adults participate across the U.S. each year, with an average employment rate of 71% after finishing the program.
Graduation for the current cohort at McKee is scheduled for May 15, 2025, at 10 a.m., and enrollment for the next group of participants, beginning in fall 2025, is now open.
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For more information or to express interest in the program, email Erin Lamouria at Erin.Lamouria@BannerHealth.com.
Banner Health Contact: Stuart Buchanan O – 970.810.6133 Media on-call – 602.747.3080 Stuart.Buchanan@bannerhealth.com
About Banner McKee Medical Center
Banner McKee Medical Center, opened in 1976, is a fully accredited, private nonprofit facility in Loveland, Colorado. McKee is owned by Banner Health, a nonprofit health care system with 33 hospitals in six states. It offers emergency care, cancer care, heart care, orthopedics, surgery, rehabilitation, intensive care, lab and medical imaging. For more information, please visit bannerhealth.com/mckee.
