LCC prepares for evolving healthcare industry
Advancements, such as state-of-the-art teaching tools to augment a top rated allied health training program, are just one way Laredo Community College is meeting the demand to produce caring and competent professionals in a continually evolving and growing healthcare industry in South Texas.
“Laredo Community College has responded to the region’s need for quality healthcare professionals in nursing and allied health fields through its comprehensive health sciences program,” Dianna Miller, dean of health sciences, said. “The college is constantly looking at ways to improve its delivery of quality education in the health sciences.”
Last month, a new teaching tool was introduced to students in the nationally recognized Radiologic Technology program at LCC.
The program’s students, who dedicate half of their study time in an X-ray laboratory in the Allied Health Building on the main campus, are now working with innovative radiography equipment similar to tools used in the emergency rooms of hospitals and some doctors’ offices.
The Ameri-Comp radiography equipment, valued at $24,000, was purchased by the college with Carl D. Perkins funds.
Oscar Gomez, director of LCC’s Radiologic Technology program, said that students are excited to be working with this new equipment.
“The new equipment is helping students become more competent in their skills as future radiology technologists,” Gomez said.
And that’s good news for the advancement of the two-year allied health degree program at LCC.
LCC has experienced significant success with its Radiologic Technology program. Graduates have achieved notable passing rates on the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists Examination.
At LCC, students are being trained for one of 11 health-related careers, all of which are fully accredited model programs, thanks to student achievement on national and state board certifications.
The nursing program includes instruction for Associate Degree Nursing, Associate Degree Nursing Transition Track, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistant (Aide). The length of the programs varies from one semester to two years.
In the allied health division, LCC offers one- and two-year training for careers in Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Medical Office Assistant/Coding Technician, Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT), Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA), Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) and Radiologic Technology (RT). The newest allied health program—Phlebotomy—was launched last fall.
CREATING A SPECIAL PERSON
LCC nursing faculty members know it takes a special type of person to devote their lives to caring for others.
And that’s why the college is committed to achieving this goal.
Since 1996, hundreds of such caring people have fulfilled their destiny in life through LCC’s Nursing Assistant program.
The semester-long nursing program has established itself as one of the best training programs in the state for this high-demand health occupation, Nursing Assistant Coordinator Arturo Navarro Jr. said.
“Hundreds of graduates from the LCC Nursing Assistant program have achieved high passing rates, including a 100 percent passing streak since 2002,” Navarro noted.
LCC also boasts an Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program that rates high above the state average for graduates passing the state board exam.
A report issued by the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners (BNE) last fall indicated that 22 out of 23 graduates from the Dec. 2004 and May 2005 graduating classes passed the national licensing examination on their first attempt.
The pass rate of 95.83 percent achieved by the LCC nursing graduates is well above the average of 89.47 percent among all of Texas’ nursing schools.
“Laredo Community College is pleased to know that students in the Associate Degree Nursing program continue to receive a quality education to prepare themselves for the future,” Miller said.
A transition track is available for licensed vocational nurses and emergency medical technicians who may want to advance their careers via the college’s ADN program. Through the ADN Transition Track, students can complete the two-year program in one year.
The college also has provided a seamless transfer for many of its graduates to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees at major state universities through articulation agreements and partnerships.
“As we continue to experience shortages for healthcare practitioners locally and globally, statistics indicate that employment of allied health and nursing professionals is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through the next decade,” Miller said. “As the leading provider of health sciences education for South Texas, Laredo Community College is committed to delivering quality and technologically advanced instruction by caring and gifted faculty.
“LCC also is committed to helping our graduates reach new heights in their careers after completing their studies at LCC.”
CHOICES IN ALLIED HEALTH
LCC Allied Health Department chairperson Norma Moore said that the healthcare industry offers an array of careers to choose from.
“If you love working with people, then nursing, physical therapy or occupational therapy are good careers to pursue,” Moore said. “If you are technologically inclined, then radiology, medical lab and phlebotomy may be better suited for you. For those who are in-between, consider EMS. In this industry, you have choices that offer many rewarding opportunities.”
She added that the Allied Health Department has begun to implement innovative ways for students from other parts of the South Texas region to realize their dreams via the college’s Distance Learning Center.
Imelda Guevara, who lives outside the community college district, completed the Occupational Therapy Assistant program in December.
For years, Guevara envisioned herself as a healthcare provider. But, opportunities were dim for the Zapata resident, considering that the nearest health sciences school—LCC—is about 50 miles away and she has a family to care for at home.
Her career ambitions became reality through the aid of online courses, which she accessed from her hometown. She, along with two other Zapata students, had to commute only twice a week to Laredo.
“The online classes were a blessing,” Guevara said. “My classmates and I traveled less, saved gas money, and, personally, I was able to handle my responsibilities as a student and as a parent of two children.”
Other students are discovering alternate paths to fulfilling their career ambitions in the healthcare industry.
For instance, Alfonso Ortiz realized his career goal as a student in the Medical Laboratory Technology program, which offers an important foundation in medicine and an alternate path to medical school.
“For some students, medical lab technology may seem like an unlikely route to start a career in medicine,” Moore said. “But, it can actually be a great stepping stone to enter the fields of medicine, forensics, public health, infectious diseases and pharmacology.”
Ortiz earned an associate’s degree in MLT from LCC in May. He transferred to the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio last fall. Thereafter, he plans to enter medical school.
Due to limited admission in each program of study, prospective students must apply for admission to enter a desired nursing or allied health program.
Additional information and applications for admission are available online at www.laredo.edu/healthsciences.
Radiologic technology students practice their skills on new, state-of-the-art radiography equipment that Laredo Community College acquired last month through Carl D. Perkins funding.
Nursing hopefuls are realizing their dreams at Laredo Community College to devote their lives to caring for others.
Occupational Therapy Assistant graduate Imelda Guevara realized her career goals with distance education opportunities available at Laredo Community College. Online coursework allowed Guevara to study from her home in Zapata, located about 50 miles away from Laredo.
Laredo Community College graduate Alfonso Ortiz is among the dozens of students in the college’s health sciences programs that are accomplishing their goals to enter the rewarding healthcare industry.
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