West Valley Residents Learn and Earn Locally for High Demand Healthcare Jobs

April Mitchell, MSN, RN, is an assistant professor at Salt Lake Community College and teaches students studying to be certified nursing assistants.

PRESS RELEASE

The confluence of the current demand for many healthcare positions and the anticipated comprehensive University of Utah Hospital being built in West Valley, is creating a surge of opportunities for West Valley residents to be educated and work in their city.

“We’re focused on increasing accessibility to many of our healthcare programs right now so West Valley residents can be prepared in both education and experience, to take advantage of the career opportunities this hospital will provide,” said Lorna Gwilliam, associate dean of Salt Lake Technical College (SLTech) at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC).

SLCC’s West Valley Center location has been transformed to offer new programs for certified nursing assistants (CNA), clinical medical assistant (CMA) and for medical billing coding. Numerous scholarships are currently available for CNA students.

One of the highest demand areas is for CNAs. “Filling these positions is the single biggest issue we are facing in our realm of healthcare right now,” said Jeremy Osmond, executive director, Pointe Meadows Health and Rehabilitation. Pointe Meadow (Ensign Services) has more than forty assisted-living and skilled-nursing facilities in Utah.

“CNAs are the most important people in our facilities and a critical part of the team,” said Osmond, who feels like CNAs are undervalued. “They are the ones who are there with patients, day-to-day and often the first ones there when there is a crisis.”

Most CNA graduates from SLCC have a job upon graduating, with many being hired by the places where they did their clinical training.

“Ninety percent of our students go on to other careers in healthcare, like nursing—being a CNA is a steppingstone,” said SLCC instructor Mark Bilbow. “The program is a fast and flexible way to get into healthcare and the training is thorough, so our students stand out from the get-go.”

Upon graduating, SLTech CNA graduates know more than 80 specific skills as well as have a familiarity with disease processes, anatomy and patient safety. “They are not learning this on the job, they come in knowing it,” added Bilbow.

Low-Cost Training for High Demand Healthcare Jobs

SLCC’s Salt Lake Technical College is responding to the current and future need for medical technology training by investing in an expansion of these new programs for West Valley and surrounding communities.

· The new Clinical Medical Assistant program is a one-year certification program. Students meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6-9 p.m. The total cost is $3050. The CMA Program begins April 11.

· The new Certified Nursing Assistant is a 12-week program. Students meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays during daytimes and evenings. The program is covered under a grant providing free tuition ($515) for most students.

· The Medical Billing and Coding program is an 8-month program, and the total cost is $3200.

The new University of Utah Hospital and outpatient healthcare center is expected to be completed by 2027. It will be located at 3750 South and 5600 West on the western edge of West Valley City.

For more information on the above programs or to register, contact Michelle Robertson at michelle.robertson@slcc.edu.

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