PUEBLO – A strong collaborative relationship between Parkview Health System and Pueblo Community College continues to provide a solid foundation for PCC students and contributes to a healthier community.
Parkview supports multiple PCC health programs by providing funds to hire clinical instructors and offering students apprenticeship opportunities.
“We’re continuing to bring high-quality healthcare education and training to the area,” said Parkview President and CEO Leslie Barnes. “Both Pueblo Community College and Parkview benefit with healthcare students learning locally from trained clinical instructors, which also increases their potential for success and allows them to live and work in Pueblo.”
Parkview is a longtime partner and contributor to PCC’s nursing program, a profession that is facing a serious workforce shortage. To help PCC create and maintain a steady pipeline of qualified nurses in this vital field, the hospital will contribute $225,000 annually from 2022-2024 to fund a student success coach, tutoring, and clinical instructors for specialty areas such as obstetrics and pediatrics. Clinical instructors are professionals who teach students in real-life settings, allowing them to get crucial hands-on experience.
PCC’s respiratory therapy program includes three part-time clinical instructor positions that are funded by Parkview.
“High-quality clinical education is a vital component of respiratory therapy programs because it allows students to apply their classroom knowledge and skills to the real-world setting,” said Shawna Tracy, the program department chair of PCC’s respiratory therapy programs. “They need to be prepared to practice in a variety of settings with patients of all ages. At all levels, excellent clinical education is essential.”
Parkview is one of the three participating employers that will host students for PCC’s new medical assistant apprenticeship program.
“Apprenticeships in healthcare are newer to our area and we couldn't do it without the support of our local healthcare partners,” said Kathy Maurello, chair of PCC’s medical assistant program.
In addition, the hospital works with PCC’s surgical technology program to help certified students with rotations and externships and offers student loan repayment for graduates of PCC’s pharmacy technician program who are hired at Parkview.
“Pueblo Community College is charged with producing as many highly skilled, qualified health professionals as possible, while Parkview’s need to attract and retain employees from an ever-shrinking pool is equally daunting,” said PCC President Patty Erjavec. “However, our partnership of mutual respect and support has led to creative means for tackling the healthcare worker shortage here in Pueblo. We remain thankful as we all work to ensure a healthy community.”
