| Hot, happening health programs |
By: W.C. Sanders
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Posted: Saturday, June 26, 2010 11:21 pm
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South Central College Health Division has been experiencing some new additions to its already popular program options. SCC has been awarded a $4.5 million Health Care Pathways grant. This grant will bring four new programs to our Faribault and North Mankato campuses. This grant will be managed by Anne Willaert who has just recently joined our SCC Team. Willaert is leaving Health Education Industry Partners and comes to SCC with many years of grant writing and grant management experience in health care initiatives. Starting in the fall, SCC will be offering the following new programs: Health Unit Coordinator Certificate, Medical Assistant AAS Degree, Pharmacy Technician AAS Degree and if approved, a Physical Therapy Assistant AAS Degree.
The Health Unit Coordinator and Pharmacy Technician programs will be offered as an interagency partnership with Riverland Community College. They will deliver the core technical courses online for our students and we will offer the remaining courses on our campuses as well as awarding the certificates and degrees. SCC will develop and deliver the Medical Assistant program as well for fall 2010.
Initially, the Department of Labor Health Care Pathways grant called for SCC to partner with Riverland to offer a Radiography Technician program, but due to lack of clinical and accreditation support for duplication of this program. SCC is looking at the Physical Therapy Assistant program in its place. Data shows that there is a strong industry need for the PTA program in our regions.
Adult Basic Education and the Workforce Investment Centers will partner with SCC to recruit dislocated workers into ABE where these students will work through the Health Care Fast TRAC and College Prep Fast TRAC. At which time our new transition coordinator will help with the students transition into college. The transition coordinator will work with cohorts of students ensuring they are receiving the most appropriate supports to retain and meet the end goal of successful graduation and job placement.
An essential component to the grant is our Certified Nursing Assistant program. CNA is the first step to getting started as a health professional. This course will enable students to gain immediate entry into health care working in health and long-term care facilities. CNA is also a course that students can complete at the beginning of a health care pathway to one of the four new programs or possibly one of SCC’s current health care options. SCC will also offer a CNA for students who meet low-income criterion and who may also require supports for English as a second language. Brian Knutson, SCC’s Center for Business and Industry coordinator, has been successful in contracting with work-force centers and nonprofit organizations to offer this unique delivery option. Additional faculty will be hired through the grant to support the need for additional sections of CNA on both the North Mankato and Faribault campuses.
Additional faculty will be hired to support the needs in the new program fields as well. The four programs have been approved through the college Curriculum Committee. Advisory board meetings are being scheduled for June. These programs should be open for new student registration for fall 2010.
Additional Health Division News
On June, 3 the Minnesota Board of Nursing granted program approval to the professional associate degree nursing program at South Central College. Beginning this fall, South Central College will offer a four semester Associate in Science degree option which will prepare students to apply for licensure as a Registered Nurse. This degree option will be offered on the Faribault and North Mankato campuses. This new nursing program will join the Practical Nursing program offered on both South Central College campuses.
The Minnesota Association of Practical Nursing directors has elected Marilyn Swan, MSN, RN, and South Central College’s Director of Nursing, as their representative on the Minnesota Center for Nursing. The Minnesota Center for Nursing serves as a collaboration of researchers, educators, nurses and other health care leaders to collect data, address nursing workforce issues, serve as a clearing house for best practices for recruitment and retention, promote nursing as a worthy career, and strategically plan for a nursing workforce to meet the needs of health care consumers in Minnesota.
— W.C. Sanders is dean of business and health for South Central College. He can be reached at 507-389-7299.
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