Erin Riehle MSN, RN, began her career at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as staff nurse in the pediatric intensive care unit and climbed her way up the ladder to clinical director of the emergency department. Remaining frustrated with high turnover rates in jobs that needed to be done, such as re-stocking supply shelves, she wondered if employees with disabilities might be able to help.

Today, Riehle, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, is , an affiliate of Cincinnati Children’s, and co-director of Project SEARCH. She launched a national and local award-winning collaboration in 1995 among the Division of Disability Services, Great Oaks Institute of Career Development and the Hamilton County Board of MR/DD to provide employment opportunities in a healthcare setting for individuals with disabilities. The initiative has since extended to include those on public assistance, and unemployed or underemployed people. Project SEARCH and the Division of Disability Services at Cincinnati Children’s now encompasses eight programs, including the High School Transition Program, Adult Employment Program, Healthcare Training Program, Vocational-Education Clinic, Intern Program, Virtual Academy, Incumbent Worker Program and SEARCH for Fitness.

While developing and implementing innovative programs, presenting at over 40 conferences, and co-authoring grants and publications locally, regionally and nationally, Riehle has remained an active member of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine, Association for Career and Technical Education, and Association for Persons in Supported Employment and many other professional groups.