Dobson, NC, May 19, 2026 – Twenty-five area students have completed pre-apprenticeships at Hugh Chatham Health and are accepting apprenticeships or part-time positions to continue their education in the healthcare field through the Surry-Yadkin Works program.
Six of the pre-apprentices, five of whom are area high school students and one of whom is an adult student at Surry Community College, will be working full-time and part-time at Hugh Chatham Health while continuing their education. Five of the pre-apprentices will be working part-time while they pursue their education at two-year college. Accepting apprenticeships at Hugh Chatham Health are Ashton Calloway, Julie Cortez, Lesly Cruz-Ramirez, Sabrina Dobbins, Kristen Gregory, Kaley Holbrook, Alexis Hutchins, Jovanny Lopez-Segura, Breanna Norman, Julissa Pineda, Zaqueo Santos, Natalie Scott, Luis Serrano, and Layla Wall. Completing apprenticeships and continuing as full-time employees are Georgia Simmons and Emma Sturdivant.
Paul Hammes, CEO of Hugh Chatham Health, said, “There are few greater investments we can make than in our students and aspiring healthcare professionals. They are the future of our workforce, our economy, and a stronger community overall. We are extremely proud to partner with Surry-Yadkin Works – a national model that will make a difference for generations to come.”
Four Surry-Yadkin Works pre-apprentices working at HCH signed as PRN at the event and will be working on a part-time basis. “PRN” stands for the Latin phrase “Pro re nata,” meaning “as
needed,” and “occasionally.” They are Luke Altemueller, Charles Pelkey, Julia Settle, Reagan Snow and Ania Trejo.
Crystal Folger-Hawks, Executive Director at Surry-Yadkin Works, stated, “Seeing our students reach this milestone is incredibly rewarding. Their completion of the pre-apprenticeship experience and commitment to advancing as apprentices speaks to their dedication and potential. This event represents more than a signing; it reflects the strength of our partnership and a shared investment in developing a skilled, compassionate workforce. Together, we are creating meaningful pathways that connect education to careers and strengthen the future of our community.”
This special opportunity is a part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship program and the state’s ApprenticeshipNC program through the N.C. Community College System Office that combines a paid work-based learning experience with classroom academics leading to a national certification. These students will earn free tuition for the Associate Degree in Nursing program at a North Carolina community college to become registered nurses.
For more information about apprenticeships at Hugh Chatham Health, contact the Hugh Chatham Health Human Resources department at (336) 527-7664 or email humanresourcesHCH@advocatehealth.org.
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About Hugh Chatham Health (www.hughchatham.org) is a not-for-profit community health care network of physician clinics and an 81-bed acute care hospital that serves residents of the Yadkin Valley region of North Carolina and southwestern Virginia. Recently becoming part of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Hugh Chatham employs more than 900 teammates at its hospital, 24 medical practices, and home health agency. Headquartered in Elkin, North Carolina, Hugh Chatham has been nationally recognized for patient satisfaction, patient safety, and clinical quality.
Surry-Yadkin Works is the first community-based internship program of its kind in North Carolina, officially beginning on January 1, 2021, covering a two-county region. Surry-Yadkin Works is the collaborative effort of four public school systems in Surry and Yadkin counties including Elkin City Schools, Mount Airy City Schools, Surry County Schools, and Yadkin County Schools, as well as Surry Community College, to create an innovative and unique approach to a regional internship program. The funding is also a joint effort with commitments from the Surry County Commissioners and the Yadkin County Commissioners. For more information about the Surry-Yadkin Works program, contact Crystal Folger-Hawks, Surry-Yadkin Works Program Director, at (336) 401-7820 or folger-hawksc@surry.edu or visit www.surryyadkinworks.org.