CLEVELAND — Fredrick Paul is a man on the move.

“I was determined to get in here," he said.

What You Need To Know

• The Cleveland Clinic Community Career Expo is Saturday, August 27 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital


• It will focus on hiring for Cleveland Clinic’s South Pointe Hospital, Marymount Hospital, Main Campus and Regional Family Health Centers


• Some of the positions available include nursing assistants, cleaners and floor technicians, patient service specialists, and call center operators


• The Cleveland Clinic is partnering with the city of Cleveland to achieve the goal of hiring 1,200 new employees that live within city limits by the end of 2022

As a patient transporter at the Cleveland Clinic, he said he knows the halls of the hospital inside out.

“It’s a great hospital to work in. Definitely the best," said Paul.

It’s a job the 33-year-old said he has dreamed about since high school. A Community Career Expo earlier this year made it possible.

“He hired me on the spot, which I was kind of surprised," he recalled.

Paul is just one of more than 1,000 new hires who are part of a new initiative.

The Cleveland Clinic is partnering with the city of Cleveland to achieve the goal of hiring 1,200 new employees who live within city limits by the end of 2022.

The health system said it's committed to serving the communities that surround the hospital buildings and has been going door-to-door with city council members to let neighbors know about meaningful career opportunities at the Cleveland Clinic.

At the first Community Career Expo in March, job-seekers met with recruiters in various departments and job offers were made on-site with 600 people hired out of that event.

“Extremely blessed that they had it and I was able to get in here right away," said Paul.

Paul’s brother also works at the Cleveland Clinic and he wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Prior to his current position, Paul was balancing school and helping take care of his 104-year-old grandma.

“She still has her mind and stuff like that. But, you know, just being there for her and helping out my mom," he said.

Now, he spends his days making sure others get where they need to go safely.

Patient transporters do everything from helping transfer a patient from a hospital bed to a wheelchair to bringing a patient to an MRI appointment across campus.

Paul said he works with at least 18 patients a day.

“I try to bring some type of happiness and excitement to them," said Paul. "I just enjoy helping people. Always been a helper.”

And helpers like Paul are just the type of caregivers the Cleveland Clinic is looking to bring on to the team.

The Director of Talent Acquisition Workforce Diversity, Melissa Burrows, said her position is new. She is the first to hold it and she started last June. Burrows said as someone who lived just down the street from Cleveland Clinic Main Campus for 25 years, this initiative to bring the community in means a lot to her.

“It’s not enough for us to just be here physically. It’s how are we improving the areas and the opportunities for individuals who are in our neighborhood. We’re part of their neighborhood," said Burrows.

Burrows said they are hiring for every kind of position you can think of across all northeast Ohio campuses and her team is not going to stop after they reach that goal of 1,200 new employees. Burrows said this is about building a legacy of sharing wealth by giving opportunities to neighbors through meaningful careers.

“So, we actually have career pathing in place for individuals. Even if you start in environmental services, which is our housekeeping, there’s a whole career map in place that you can follow and receive assistance so that you can begin in one career and then end, and I mean end in terms of retirement, all the way to another position as well," said Burrows. "So many opportunities, tuition reimbursement, lots of good things. Part of it is just get your foot in the door and then we will welcome you and most importantly we will offer other opportunities if you’re interested in other careers.”

The Community Career Expo is coming up on Saturday, Aug. 27 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital and will focus on hiring for Cleveland Clinic’s South Pointe Hospital, Marymount Hospital, Main Campus and Regional Family Health Centers. Some of the positions available include nursing assistants, cleaners and floor technicians, patient service specialists, and call center operators. 

If you’d like to attend, you do need to register online ahead of time at jobs.clevelandclinic.org/careerexpo by 5 p.m. on August 24 to be considered for an on-site interview. The Cleveland Clinic said if you need registration assistance, please call or text 216.904.5805.

Community resources such as City of Cleveland Council Wards 1,2,4 and 6, Cuyahoga Community College, Dress for Success Cleveland, First Federal Lakewood and Step Forward will be at the event as well as face painting, balloon artists and wellness activities. The Cleveland Clinic encourages attendees to bring their families.