Austin Community College, SETON Healthcare Network and St. David's Respond to the City's Nursing Demands
Austin--You are probably familiar with the old aphorism, "Is there a doctor in house?" Well, there may be a doctor, but nurses are harder to come by. With Austin attracting more than 25,000 people per year from outside the region and experiencing the seventh fastest growth spurt in the nation among major cities, the result is a nursing shortage for the greater Austin area.
In an effort to help meet the needs for additional registered and vocational nurses Austin Community College, SETON Healthcare Network (SETON) and St. David's Healthcare Partnership (SDHP) will hold a news conference on Tuesday, April 11, to announce plans to cooperatively implement and support an expansion of the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) and Vocational Nursing (VNG) Programs at ACC.
"Austin has grown 34 percent over the past five years. This type of exponential growth calls for innovative thinking and progressive measures," said Dr. Richard Fonté, president of Austin Community College. "Our partnership with the health care community is critical. "We believe this collaboration allows us to develop solutions that will have a lasting impact on the Austin community and increase the city's qualified nursing pool."
"ACC is providing a valuable service to the community by coming forward and making nursing a top priority, especially during a time when we all need more nurses," said Dr. Pat Hayes, executive vice president and COO, SETON Healthcare Network.
According to Joyce Batcheller, Senior Vice President Network Chief Nursing Executive, SETON Healthcare Network, "There are several hundred vacant positions in the Austin area depending upon the time of year. And with so many new health care facilities opening up, it is hard to keep up with the growing demands. If we were to include the needs of nursing homes and other clinical facilities, I am sure the number of nurses needed doubles."
"Collaborating with ACC and SETON to strengthen the educational offerings for those considering careers in the health care field is a win-win situation for everyone," said Jack L. Campbell, president and CEO of St. David's HealthCare Partnership. "ACC students will benefit from enhanced educational and career opportunities, which should attract more graduates in the health care field." He added, "We need to plan for the future today to ensure that we have enough qualified individuals to take care of tomorrow's ever-increasing health care needs."
"The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is important because it documents an important alliance and recognition of partnership between ACC health sciences programs and a majority of our major clinical facilities in Austin," said Cecile Sanders, dean of health sciences at ACC.
In the MOU between the three organizations SETON and SDHP will be responsible for providing equipment and clinical placements for nursing students and will cover the expanded programs' operating budget. ACC, in turn, will be responsible for providing classrooms and labs at its Riverside Campus, hiring additional faculty and support staff, and providing tutoring and other support services.
DATE: Tuesday, April 11, 2000
TIME: 11:00 - 11:30 a.m.
PLACE: ACC Highland Business Center 5930 Middle Fiskville, Room 201
Posted: 04/10/2000 11:14 am
Austin--You are probably familiar with the old aphorism, "Is there a doctor in house?" Well, there may be a doctor, but nurses are harder to come by. With Austin attracting more than 25,000 people per year from outside the region and experiencing the seventh fastest growth spurt in the nation among major cities, the result is a nursing shortage for the greater Austin area.
In an effort to help meet the needs for additional registered and vocational nurses Austin Community College, SETON Healthcare Network (SETON) and St. David's Healthcare Partnership (SDHP) will hold a news conference on Tuesday, April 11, to announce plans to cooperatively implement and support an expansion of the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) and Vocational Nursing (VNG) Programs at ACC.
"Austin has grown 34 percent over the past five years. This type of exponential growth calls for innovative thinking and progressive measures," said Dr. Richard Fonté, president of Austin Community College. "Our partnership with the health care community is critical. "We believe this collaboration allows us to develop solutions that will have a lasting impact on the Austin community and increase the city's qualified nursing pool."
"ACC is providing a valuable service to the community by coming forward and making nursing a top priority, especially during a time when we all need more nurses," said Dr. Pat Hayes, executive vice president and COO, SETON Healthcare Network.
According to Joyce Batcheller, Senior Vice President Network Chief Nursing Executive, SETON Healthcare Network, "There are several hundred vacant positions in the Austin area depending upon the time of year. And with so many new health care facilities opening up, it is hard to keep up with the growing demands. If we were to include the needs of nursing homes and other clinical facilities, I am sure the number of nurses needed doubles."
"Collaborating with ACC and SETON to strengthen the educational offerings for those considering careers in the health care field is a win-win situation for everyone," said Jack L. Campbell, president and CEO of St. David's HealthCare Partnership. "ACC students will benefit from enhanced educational and career opportunities, which should attract more graduates in the health care field." He added, "We need to plan for the future today to ensure that we have enough qualified individuals to take care of tomorrow's ever-increasing health care needs."
"The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is important because it documents an important alliance and recognition of partnership between ACC health sciences programs and a majority of our major clinical facilities in Austin," said Cecile Sanders, dean of health sciences at ACC.
In the MOU between the three organizations SETON and SDHP will be responsible for providing equipment and clinical placements for nursing students and will cover the expanded programs' operating budget. ACC, in turn, will be responsible for providing classrooms and labs at its Riverside Campus, hiring additional faculty and support staff, and providing tutoring and other support services.
DATE: Tuesday, April 11, 2000
TIME: 11:00 - 11:30 a.m.
PLACE: ACC Highland Business Center 5930 Middle Fiskville, Room 201
Posted: 04/10/2000 11:14 am