SJVC Partners with Valley Children’s Healthcare

Over the last 70 years, Valley Children’s Healthcare has become a nationally respected pediatric healthcare network. With more than 670 physicians and 3,500 staff members, Valley Children’s delivers high-quality, comprehensive care to more than 1.3 million children. It has become one of the largest pediatric healthcare networks in the nation – providing Central California with high-quality, comprehensive care for children, from before birth to young adulthood.

At SJVC we believe in helping students succeed while improving our local communities, so as a testament to that, we are honored to announce a partnership with Valley Children’s Healthcare. To get a better understanding of this partnership and share the details, we decided to interview Candace Biberston, Clinical Education Specialist at Valley Children’s Hospital. Here is what she had to say:

Can you please tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Candace Biberston and I am a Clinical Education Specialist at Valley Childrens Hospital. I have been here for 14 years and absolutely love the organization and our commitment to care for the children and families of the Valley. I have the pleasure of working with student programs and academic partnerships in my role and love seeing the impact these programs have within our organization.

Can you please tell us a little about Valley Children’s Healthcare?

Valley Children’s Healthcare began as the vision of five civic-minded women who saw the need for a dedicated pediatric hospital in Central California. For 70 years, Valley Children’s Healthcare has grown from a 42-bed hospital in 1952 to a 358-bed, nationally respected pediatric healthcare network today. With more than 670 physicians and 3,500 staff, Valley Children’s delivers high-quality, comprehensive care to more than 1.3 million children in our service area.

Can you please tell us a little about the new educational partnership with SJVC?

Valley Children’s Hospital has had an educational partnership with SJVC for several years and we are pleased to continue that partnership. With an array of programs offered at SJVC we are excited that staff have the opportunity to take advantage of this partnership as they further their education.

Why did Valley Children’s Healthcare choose to partner with SJVC?

Valley Children’s Hospital encourages employees to pursue additional education for purposes of achieving career development goals, which in turn benefits the patients and families that we serve. Educational partnerships allow the organization to provide added benefits as our employees seek further education. SJVC is a long-time member of the educational community in the Central Valley, and we are delighted to offer benefits to our staff as they pursue education within SJVC.

What are the general terms of the agreement?

As part of our educational agreement, employees of Valley Children’s Hospital are eligible to enroll in the programs outlined in the course catalog. Employees must remain continuously enrolled in a program at SJVC unless they have been approved by the school for a Leave of Absence. A minimum 2.0 grade point average is also required.

Who can apply? Is there a deadline?

All Valley Children’s Hospital employees are eligible to apply and the deadline for application would be based on the SJVC schedule for enrollment.

Which educational programs are included in the partnership?

At this time all programs within the SJVC online course catalog are included in the partnership.

What are the benefits of this partnership?

SJVC has also included in the agreement that they will provide informational sessions to participants which help support their educational goals. SJVC also provides an admissions advisor that works with employees as a resource.

How can the local community also benefit from these types of education/employer partnerships?

When our employees are able to advance their education and bring with them more knowledge and experience to the workplace, our patients and families from the community who receive care at our hospital can be assured that they are receiving evidence-based care from well-informed staff. The opportunities afforded to employees who receive this education from an academic center right in the Central Valley are numerous.

Any advice for someone looking to pursue a career at Valley Children’s Healthcare?

I highly recommend starting with our career webpage: https://jobs.valleychildrens.org. Here you can see what jobs are currently available as well as what roles we have within our system. We are always looking for employees that share our passion for providing excellent care in both clinical and non-clinical job roles.

Anything else you would like to add?

We appreciate this opportunity to share a little about our organization and we are so grateful for the educational opportunities that SJVC provides to people throughout the Central Valley.