GREENVILLE — The Charles A. Dean Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home is taking part in an effort to reduce the nationwide shortage of clinical health care workers.

In collaboration with Boy Scouts of America, hospital and nursing home officials are offering young people, both boys and girls, an introduction to career opportunities in the health field.

Through a recent career-interest survey taken by Greenville High School students, those who indicated an interest in health care professions will have the opportunity to pursue those career interests through a program called Explore, according to Mary Lyon, director of marketing and development.

An Explore post allows youngsters between the ages of 14 and 21 an opportunity to shadow and mentor with adults who are working in a career that they are interested in exploring, Lyon said. This career exploration exercise provides young people exposure to various opportunities including law enforcement, firefighting, law, engineering and medicine, she said. The mentoring program allows teens to make more informed career choices, according to Lyon.

Explore posts have been established by Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent and at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. A post also has been established by the Greenville Fire Department. John Cobb Jr., a volunteer firefighter and Explore post adviser, works one with group of teens, and group members already are tackling skills not anticipated that they would experience, Lyon said.

To explain the health care opportunities for young people in the Moosehead Lake region, the hospital and nursing home will conduct an informational meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 17, 2000.

Participants can expect to receive an introduction to the program, tour the facility, learn about positions in the field of health care, meet staff and begin making decisions about which departments they would like to explore, Lyon said.

“Our hope is to pique some of our local youths’ interest in the health care field, develop a relationship with them, work to get them trained, and have them stay in the area and join our staff in a few years,” Geno Murray, vice president of ambulatory and diagnostic services, said.

Interested young people are encouraged to attend that evening or contact Murray at 695-2223.