COCC, St. Charles Partner for New Training Program
Thanks to a new partnership between Central Oregon Community College (COCC) and St.
Charles Health System, the number of trained health care workers in Central Oregon
will begin to grow through a certified nursing assistant instruction program held
at the Bend hospital.
COCC and St. Charles recently signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines a
two-year pilot project designed to offer non-credit education to hospital caregivers
and community members seeking a new role in health care. The program will combine
college-level lectures and labs — both online and in-person — taught by COCC faculty
at the hospital, as well as clinical instruction provided by St. Charles staff. It
will be offered at no cost to St. Charles caregivers.
“There’s a dire need for certified nursing assistants all across the country,” said
Julie Downing, instructional dean at COCC, who oversees the college’s health careers
programming. “This will help our area address that workforce gap. For St. Charles
caregivers and community members who are currently in other roles, it promises a new
job in health care at the end.”
Through the program, which will feature content approved by the Oregon State Board
of Nursing, students will have the opportunity to take a noncredit class each term.
Over the next two years, COCC will offer at least eight CNA classes, including both
CNA-1 and CNA-2 coursework, at St. Charles. The first 10-person CNA-1 class begins Oct. 12; any unfilled openings will be available to COCC students. Available
spots for the program are posted as CNA-1 trainees here.
An ongoing need for nursing assistants at St. Charles put the program into motion.
“We currently have 29 CNA positions we are looking to fill,” said Debbie Robinson,
St. Charles Bend’s chief nursing officer. “This is a great opportunity for our caregivers
who are working in other fields to explore a clinical role as a certified nursing
assistant.”
Health care has seen a surge in demand for skilled workers in recent years due to
the country’s aging baby boomer population, which is some 73-million strong and requiring
more health services.
“Finding new ways to grow regional workforce development is a central part of our
mission,” said Laurie Chesley, president of COCC. “St. Charles has long been an active
partner with COCC, dating back to the start of our nursing program in the 1950s. We’re
excited to keep investing in this relationship for the betterment and well-being of
Central Oregon.”
The new program adds to other recent developments in COCC’s nursing training. In 2017,
COCC joined with Ridgeview High School in Redmond to create and oversee an in-house
certified nursing assistant program. And beginning in the fall of 2021, the college’s
nursing program — recognized with national accreditation last spring — will expand
its cohort size from 48 to 56 students.
