MultiCare hosts Spokane’s first-of-its-kind healthcare camp for highschoolers

A cohort of high school students assisted a mannequin with delivering a baby Friday morning, while another group learned ostomy care, CPR and virtual reality in neighboring classes.

These experiences are all part of M.A.S.H., or the MultiCare Academy for Students in Healthcare. This is the first year interested students had to submit applications to engage in the four-day program, which initially started in Western Washington.

Thirty-one local students, ranging from high school sophomores to seniors, participated for free. To be considered, Katie Van Deusen, MutliCare’s workforce development recruiter, said students had to write an essay about their interest in health care.

In addition, the application asks “if they’ve ever faced any hardships or encountered potential bias and possible discrimination,” Van Deusen said. By creating a sense of belonging among the future-healthcare professionals, she believes the patient care experience can become more inclusive.

Sophia Benedetti, a recent graduate of University High School, was at the Catalyst Building on Friday to complete the last day of M.A.S.H. camp. Earlier in the week, she practiced basic healthcare procedures, shadowed lab and emergency room technicians and learned about a variety of healthcare professions.

Benedetti entered the program with an interest in medical forensics, she said, because of the cooperation between law enforcement and victims’ families.

“It’s about medicine, but it‘s also about justice.”

After her “eye-opening” day at the MultiCare Deaconess Emergency Department, Benedetti expressed a newfound interest in emergency care.

An aspiring doctor, the 18-year-old bound for Spokane Falls Community College recognized the value of a program like M.A.S.H. and has hopes to continue the extracurricular engagement with medicine through COPE Health Scholars – a different local hands-on volunteer opportunity.

One key component of the program is the partnership with MultiCare nurses and team members. They volunteer their time to run participants through simulations and share their experiences in healthcare.

Van Deusen said MultiCare hopes to host 50 students in 2026 for a five-day M.A.S.H., and applications will open in January. The “ideal” candidate would be interested in healthcare and be passionate about patient engagement, Benedetti said.

“It’s very exciting knowing that these students will be taking care of us eventually,” Van Deusen added.