.png)
Students Ethan Austin and Stevie Archey with NWMI Health Services staff. Photo courtesy of WRCC/AHEC.
West Shore School News is a presentation of West Shore Educational Service District in partnership with Mason County Press and Oceana County Press.
SHELBY — Nine ninth- and 10th-grade students from Hart, Manistee, Mason County Central and Shelby high schools are exploring careers in health care through the Northwest Michigan Health Pathways program.
Launched locally in 2025, the annual program provides students with hands-on experiences, opportunities to meet health care professionals and information about college programs and career opportunities.
The program is led by April Osburn, executive director, and Jayme Martin, program manager, of the Western Regional Community Consortium Area Health Education Center (WRCC/AHEC), hosted by Covenant HealthCare at Central Michigan University’s College of Medicine.
The program was developed in partnership with the West Shore Educational Service District’s Summit Tech Center, West Shore Community College (WSCC) and college access networks in Mason and Oceana counties. Corewell Health is the program’s major local supporter.
Students meet weekly during October and November, visiting health care facilities and educational institutions to learn about the variety of careers available in the medical field.
During the opening session, students visited WSCC, where they explored the college’s emergency medical technician, paramedic, firefighter and nursing programs.
The second session took place at Northwest Michigan Health Services in Shelby, a Federally Qualified Health Center.
Kim Corliss, chief operating officer, and Alicia Harmon, clinical services manager, introduced students to the organization, explaining its background and the various professions that make up a health care team.
Following the presentation, students rotated among health care professionals, learning about their educational backgrounds, career paths and daily responsibilities.
Upcoming sessions will introduce students to rehabilitation careers through Ivy Rehabilitation and the various professions within public health through District Health Department No. 10.
The program is designed to expose students to a broad range of health care professions before they make decisions about their education after high school.
Through hands-on experiences and conversations with professionals, students can learn about educational requirements, identify their interests and recognize how their individual strengths may translate into future careers.
Students also have opportunities to connect with college students and professionals at different stages of their health care careers, providing insight into the educational and professional paths available to them.
Please Support Local News Coverage
For generations, local newspapers were supported by subscriptions. Today, while Mason County Press and Oceana County Press remain free to everyone, the cost of producing quality local journalism continues to rise.
If you value independent local news coverage, we invite you to help sustain it by subscribing to the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing for $12 a month — about 40 cents a day — or $120 a year.
Your subscription helps support the reporters, photographers and editors who cover local government, schools, community events, sports, breaking news and the stories that matter most to Mason and Oceana counties. In return, you’ll receive the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing each morning with the day’s headlines, along with occasional breaking news and special email editions.
Monthly subscriptions are available for $12 per month.
Click here to subscribe monthly.
Annual subscriptions are available for $120 per year.
Click here to subscribe annually.
If you prefer to pay by check, mail your $120 annual payment to:
Media Group 31, LLC
P.O. Box 21
Scottville, MI 49454
Please include your name, mailing address, email address and telephone number so we can activate your subscription.
Subscription payments must be received before service is activated.
Whether you choose to subscribe or continue enjoying our free content, thank you for reading Mason County Press and Oceana County Press. Your readership—and your support—helps ensure that independent local journalism remains available to everyone in our communities.
This story and original photography are copyrighted © 2026 by Media Group 31, LLC, P.O. Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. All rights reserved. No portion of this story or its images may be reproduced in any form, including print, broadcast or electronic media, without the express written permission of Media Group 31, LLC.
As a news organization, Media Group 31 maintains published content as part of the public and historical record. Accordingly, stories are not removed after publication. At the editor’s discretion, stories may be updated or corrected as new information becomes available. Updates may be made by revising the original story or by publishing a follow-up story. Media Group 31, LLC reserves the right to modify this policy at any time. Please refer to our Use Policy for additional information.
.jpg)
