AUSTIN, TX - (October 14, 2009) - Hiring individuals with disabilities is more important than ever. Proof lies at the 2009 Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities Employment Awards Ceremony that on October 9 handed out the Large Employer Award to the Seton Family of Hospitals.
According to the Governor's Committee, since 1979 they have worked to highlight the efforts of employers to hire and retain employees with disabilities and to recognize best practices that positively affect employees with disabilities within the workplace.
Seton Medical Center Austin teamed with The Marbridge Foundation in 2007 to collaboratively implement Project SEARCH, a yearlong internship designed to provide education and employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. The first program of its kind in Texas, Project SEARCH allows participants to intern in three to four different areas of a hospital to gain solid professional references, skills applicable to many work environments, experience in a specialized field and the opportunity for competitive employment. In 2008, a second Project SEARCH location was established at Dell Children's Medical Center through a partnership with the Austin Independent School District. Seton also shares best practices with other healthcare and business organizations on a local and regional level.
"Project SEARCH is an extension of our mission statement and helps us reflect the community we serve," said Seton's President and CEO Charles J. Barnett, FACHE. "From our first pilot year, four out of the six Project SEARCH interns found matches for employment. Three were hired at Seton. This past year, I am proud to say that 100 percent of the interns at Seton Medical Center Austin found matches for employment. Four were hired at Seton and two in the community."
Nominations for the award were submitted by individuals and organizations from communities throughout the state. Winners were selected by a panel of judges - at least one who worked in the field of disabilities, at least one with a disability and at least one in the field of employment. One judge commented that the Seton Family of Hospitals "shows true commitment to advancing the opportunities of individuals with disabilities by continuing to expand the services and outreach."
Trennis Jones, Seton's Senior Vice President for Administrative Services, says that "this is a great acknowledgement of the collaborative work being done by many individuals at Seton and within the Central Texas community to ensure equal opportunity for all."
The 2009 Employment Awards Ceremony took place at Lamar University's John & Mary Gray Library in Beaumont. The event was hosted by the Beaumont Mayor's Committee on People with Disabilities.
Seton is proud to have four hospitals – the only hospitals in Central Texas - that have earned the