The AUCD 2024 Special Recognition Award goes to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for their work on Project SEARCH. Project SEARCH is a primary way that the hospital shares the mission of inclusion for people with disabilities with hospitals and other employers worldwide. This unique, 12-month, work-preparation program takes place entirely at the workplace and features total workplace immersion, facilitating a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and worksite-based training and support for individuals with disabilities.

Biography

Cincinnati Children's is a nonprofit, comprehensive pediatric health system. As the leader in research and education, Cincinnati Children’s is consistently ranked as one of America's best children's hospitals by U.S. News & World Report and is one of the top recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health. Cincinnati Children’s mission is to improve child health and transform delivery of care through fully integrated, globally recognized research, education and innovation.

About Project SEARCH

Project SEARCH was developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, a research environment that fosters visionary thinking and innovation. It all began in 1996, when Erin Riehle was Director of Cincinnati Children’s Emergency Department. Erin felt that, because the hospital served individuals with developmental disabilities, it made sense that they should commit to hiring people in this group. She wondered if it would be possible to train people with developmental disabilities to fill some of the high- turnover, entry-level positions in her department, which involved complex and systematic tasks such as stocking supply cabinets. As a starting point, Erin presented her ideas to Susie Rutkowski, then the special education director at Great Oaks Career Campuses. Erin and Susie formed a partnership that was instantaneous, and together they launched Project SEARCH. Since its inception, Project SEARCH has grown from a single program site at Cincinnati Children’s to a large and continuously expanding international network of sites. Project SEARCH’s primary objective is to secure competitive employment for people with disabilities. Learn more about Project SEARCH.