A Florida transplant by way of Montana, Michigan, Texas, and Ohio, Dr. Sarah Lochner has built upon her experience and connections in the medical field to elevate the Boca Helping Hands Job Training Program, developing new mentorship and job pipelines for graduates and enhancing the self-care portion of BHH’s Job Readiness training.
Dr. Lochner spent her formative years in the Midwest and Southwest, growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan and then completing medical school and her Internal Medicine residency in Texas – where she met her husband, David. When they moved to Cleveland to be closer to their families, she practiced at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
After relocating to Florida for her husband’s law career, Dr. Lochner first learned of Boca Helping Hands when taking part in a corporate day of service in 2014. Since then, she has held a variety of volunteer roles at BHH, including greeting clients at the front desk, preparing meals in the kitchen, and packing pantry bags in the warehouse.
But Dr. Lochner has most impacted the Job Training Program. She played a critical role in developing the preventative health and nutritional component of BHH’s current strategic plan, with a related curriculum incorporated into Job Readiness, the first phase of BHH Job Training. A favorite role of hers was creating and giving talks on health and wellness to new job trainees, whom she felt were very attentive and asked great questions.
Most recently, Dr. Lochner has worked closely with the Job Training Department as a Volunteer Community Liaison, where she identifies companies that align with BHH programs for potential partnerships. She looks for employers that can offer job placements and better prepare students to meet industry job requirements – and has leveraged her own professional experience and networks to bring on five new healthcare partners, including a local hospital and home health agencies to collaborate with BHH’s Certified Nursing Assistant, Home Health Aide, and Medical Billing & Coding Programs.
“Dr. Lochner is dedicated to all facets of our mission - but is particularly drawn to helping those who are less fortunate access opportunities to advance themselves,” said Trina Chin Cheong, BHH Director of Training & Career Development. “Her contributions are helping our graduates gain the freedom to make sound economic decisions for themselves and their families.”
For the last nine years, Dr. Lochner has also supported quality library programming through volunteering at North Broward Preparatory School, where she has served as chair, vice chair, and chair of fundraising and marketing for the upper school’s Friends of the Library. In addition, she has been the volunteer team manager for both of her sons’ travel soccer teams, assisting with everything from scheduling to organizing the teams’ finances.
