Yesterday, El Paso education and healthcare leaders convened for a roundtable discussion on the importance of filling nursing and healthcare professional workforce needs in the El Paso region and statewide. Also, in attendance today was Representative Lina Ortega who discussed the need for strong educational pipelines from K12 education to two-year and four-year institutions to and create a robust pipeline for highly trained healthcare professionals to serve communities in the region.
Representative Ortega met with institutional leaders from colleges and universities in El Paso, as well as local students to discuss about the critical role partnerships and aligned programs across institutions play in creating pathways to nursing careers. She drew a connection between the institutional and programmatic partnerships represented at the table and the Community College Finance Commission's final recommendations that have been submitted to the legislature.
“The Community College Finance Commission's recommendations will benefit community colleges like EPCC by funding them based on the successful outcomes of the students they serve." said Representative Lina Ortega. “Investing in the education of the future of our workforce is key to the economic development of our community.
Yesterday's panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Keri Moe, Associate Vice President of External Relations, Communications and Development at El Paso Community College “The El Paso region has unique challenges and opportunities in filling the regional nursing and healthcare professional workforce need locally and statewide" said Dr. Keri Moe. “Partnerships between school districts, community colleges, 4-year universities and healthcare institutions create streamlined pathways for students to earn in-demand credentials, like nursing, and fill these workforce gaps. As a result of leveraging these promising practices students can enter the workforce efficiently trained and ready to provide vital healthcare to individuals in our community and they earn a living wage quicker."
The panel discussed policies and programs that mitigate a student's time and cost to degree, including dual credit, transfer articulation agreements, and stackable credentials. The group discussed access to dual credit opportunities and the importance of transfer pathways that allow students to work towards their career while still in high school.
The panel also featured two students that went through the nursing programs in El Paso. Angela Lopez completed courses for her nursing credentials at El Paso Community College, the University of Texas at El Paso, and the Texas Tech Health Science Center at El Paso. “Nursing is not just about financial stability and specialty diversity," Lopez said, “nursing is about waking up every day to serve your community, and telling patients that they are in good hands."
The nursing profession is projected to grow 9% between now and 2030 with nearly 2,000 additional job openings projected.
The panel members for yesterday included:
• Dr. William Serrata, President, El Paso Community College
• Representative Lina Ortega, Texas House of Representatives
• Diana Sayavedra, Superintendent, El Paso Independent School District
• Gail Meagher, Dean, EPCC College of Nursing
• Dr. Leslie Robbins, Dean, UTEP College of Nursing
• Dr. Stephanie Woods, Dean, TTU College of Nursing
• Angela Lopez, ECHS student and graduate from TTUHSCEP
• Elias Adair, BSN, RN, NREMT, EPCC to UTEP BSN Student
• Dr. Linda Lawson, Market Chief Nursing Officer for The Hospitals of Providence and Chief Nursing Office at the Transmountain Campus
Original source can be found here
Alerts Sign-up