Willingboro, NJ- Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County will be the only healthcare facility in southern New Jersey to host special-needs students for National Disability Mentoring Day on Wednesday Oct. 15. Twelve local high school students will have lunch and spend time in various departments in the medical center to learn about future job opportunities in health care.

"Lourdes is very proud to be asked to participate in such a special event for these remarkable students," said Gene Johnson, Chief Administrative Officer. "The healthcare field is full of areas where people of various abilities and levels can serve our communities. I'm thrilled to have these students enter our hospital for a taste of that."

The mission of National Disability Mentoring Day is promoting career development for students and job-seekers with disabilities through career awareness activities in an effort to provide students with the opportunity to visit a business or government agency that is aligned with students' interests. The students were specifically matched with Lourdes through an evaluation of their interests. The students will have a brief tour of the hospital, boxed lunches in the medical center's cafeteria with other hospital employees and spend time in various departments learning about future job opportunities.

Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County is a 259-bed community hospital and is part of the Lourdes Health System, a member of the newly formed Catholic Health East New Jersey, which is sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegheny, New York.