Ezra Barber said it was eye-opening to join the security team at Richland’s Kadlec Regional Medical Center during the last few months of his high school education.

The experience not only offered him an opportunity to put his law enforcement training from Tri-Tech Skills Center into practice, but Barber also learned new de-escalation skills, the 2026 graduate recently shared. And he got paid for the privilege.

“I would have been happy to do it for free,” he said.

Barber was one of 24 students in the first cohort of the new Kadlec Health Care Academy at Kennewick’s Tri-Tech during the 2025-26 school year. The program, the result of a partnership between the hospital and Gesa Credit Union, not only shows the power of empowering students to experience healthcare and related careers, but also the importance of not-for-profit organizations in supporting communities.

“I think this program really exemplifies what happens when a not-for-profit and another not-for-profit come together,” said Lacy Perry, Kadlec’s chief philanthropy officer.

The hospital and credit union announced the program in March. The academy is modeled after a similar program piloted in Spokane by Providence, which owns and operates Kadlec.

Like that effort, the Kadlec academy is focused on engaging students from communities who have not had as much access or representation in healthcare. And while it will engage with students on healthcare-specific careers, those pursuing training not explicitly tied to that field but still applicable, such as information technology and facilities management, also will be able to participate. 

Participating students also received compensation for their contributions, thanks to a $100,000 donation from Gesa, allowing students to participate without the need to find additional employment. 

“This shows how the credit union model gives back to the community,” said Ben Rutledge, Gesa’s senior vice president of commercial banking.

Since graduating, Ezra has been hired on full time to Kadlec’s security team. While his eye is on a future career in law enforcement, he’s grateful for the experience the academy provided and to be welcomed onto a team that values his contributions.

“It means the world to come into a place like this and not be looked down on for my age,” he said.

The next cohort for the healthcare academy will welcome students in early 2027.