Background

Project SEARCH began at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1996, when Erin Riehle (the Director of Cincinnati Children’s Emergency Department) 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. 

There are over 435 Project SEARCH programs across 45 states and eight countries. There are over 12 sites in North Carolina. Project SEARCH Matthews is located at Novant Health Matthews Medical Center. It opened it's doors in August 2021.