PATH program celebrates four new graduates

Program welcomes 10 new enrollees, recognizes national certification recipients

Four more graduates joined the ranks of Beaufort Memorial’s PATH program (People Achieving Their Highest) alumni as the organization celebrated its ninth cohort graduation last week.

The April 23 graduation was also a pinning ceremony for newly certified graduates in their field, and a “signing day” commemoration for Beaufort Memorial employees entering a new career pathway.

The four graduates in Cohort 9 completed programs as Clinical Medical Assistants (1), Patient Care Technicians (2) and Endoscopy Technicians (1).

Cohort 9’s graduates include:  

Clinical Medical Assistant
Alyssa Morgan

Patient Care Technicians
Pavel Astileanu
Tamara Thompson-Graham

Endoscopy Technician
Waverly Patterson

Along with the recognition of Cohort 9’s graduates, 10 employees committed to entering the program, marking the milestone decision for each of them. A pinning ceremony commemorated the next step for Sequina Register, CCMA, as well as five certified Patient Care Technicians, who were unable to attend.

Newly certified graduates include:

Certified Clinical Medical Assistant
Sequina Register, CCMA

Certified Patient Care Technicians
Tyreeka Baniel, CPCT
Sabrina Cooler, CPCT
Tonuja DeoPaul, CPCT
Sydney Gonzalez, CPCT
Casie Watts, CPCT

Beaufort Memorial President & CEO Russell Baxley, MHA, used the well-known metaphor “Bloom where you’re planted” to describe the milestones reached by PATH graduates.

“PATH was created to allow our people, Beaufort Memorial staff, to thrive and grow where they are planted,” Baxley said. “We’ve had so many great people, so many great employees, come through the PATH program. Wherever you are on your journey, don’t stop growing where your feet are planted.”

The April 23 graduation was, a family affair, with family and friends present of graduates and those being pinned. In fact, Sequina’s sister Edwina Register was one of the 10 that signed on for the program’s 10th cohort.

Edwina and Patient Care Technician Tonya Coaxum are both reentering the PATH program, starting out on the pathway to become Clinical Medical Assistants. The two graduated as PCTs in the program’s very first cohort in September 2022.

Since then, the workforce development program has seen almost 100 graduates in nine cohorts so far.

The PATH program includes scholarships, clinical training, traditional education and non-traditional financial assistance to encourage individuals to advance their careers, building and supporting a stronger healthcare network throughout the Lowcountry.

Anyone interested in learning how they can join the team at Beaufort Memorial and grow their career through the PATH program should visit BeaufortMemorial.org/PATH.