Last Updated on July 12, 2020 by Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region
SOURCE: News release from Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo
KOKOMO – Ivy Tech Community College and Logansport Memorial Hospital, an acute care regional medical center serving patients throughout north central Indiana, have announced a new partnership under the College’s Achieve Your Degree initiative in Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Service Area. The Logansport Memorial Achieve Your Degree partnership will provide guidance and financial assistance to the hospital’s employees interested in continuing their education through classes at Ivy Tech Community College.
The Achieve Your Degree partnership has been designed to lead to certificates and associate degrees in fields related to the employment opportunities at Logansport Memorial Hospital. Under the program, all of the employee’s college tuition may be paid with federal or state financial aid in combination with Logansport Memorial’s tuition assistance program.
“Giving our employees access to this program may help us fill positions internally with staff who are already an integrated part of our organization,” said Perry Gay, president and CEO. “When our own employees are willing and motivated to learn new skills and grow professionally, we believe it’s our responsibility to encourage and cultivate that. Being part of this Achieve Your Degree program allows for those employees to step forward and do that confidently, without being limited by the resources and investment it takes to continue your education.”
Logansport Memorial’s Vice President of Human Resources Lynda Shrock noted healthcare is an industry that is facing significant workforce shortages right now, in necessary areas of clinical care and infrastructure.
“Our current employment opportunities vary across the hospital, from nurses and care technicians to IT and accounting,” she said. “Trends show that these workforce shortages are not anticipated to improve in the coming years; in fact, they may grow to be worse. We must be innovative and thoughtful in how we design our workforce development strategies, and this was a unique opportunity to be able to do that locally.”
She continued, “Having a workforce shortage like this can be more serious in a rural community like ours, where so many of the patients we care for depend on what we can offer them close to home. Healthcare professionals in all areas often require higher education and specialized training to be able to perform their duties. Partnering with Ivy Tech for this program allows us to develop our existing workforce in new ways, by giving them access to the training and education they need to provide the high standards of care that we deliver.”
Logansport Memorial Hospital is a not-for-profit regional medical center serving people in Cass County and surrounding Miami, Fulton, Pulaski, Carroll, and White counties in north central Indiana. The 83-bed, acute care facility offers a wide range of essential healthcare services and procedures, in both inpatient and outpatient settings, at the main campus located in Logansport and at clinic facilities in Peru, Rochester, and Camden.
Logansport Memorial has been named a Top 100 Rural and Community Hospital in the United States by The Chartis Center for Rural Health for four years in a row, most recently in 2019. Additionally that year, Logansport Memorial was further designated among the group of Top 100 as a Top 20 Rural and Community Hospital in the United States. This award is based on the hospital’s performance in key areas including quality of care, patient outcomes, patient perspective, and financial stability.
Ivy Tech’s Kokomo and Logansport locations will make it convenient for many Logansport Memorial employees to take classes close to home as well as online in the subject areas identified as important within the organization. These areas include but are not limited to medical assisting, nursing, surgical technology, business administration, accounting, HVAC, and IT. The credits that Logansport Memorial employees earn can be applied toward an associate degree at Ivy Tech and will also transfer to many colleges and universities in Indiana.
“Achieve Your Degree is an example of Ivy Tech’s commitment to supporting Hoosier employers and working to improve the state’s economy. It also supports the College’s goal of increasing statewide educational attainment with degrees and certifications,” Ivy Tech Kokomo Chancellor Dean McCurdy said. “This new partnership with Logansport Memorial Hospital will offer an exceptional benefit for its employees and will allow Logansport Memorial to further enhance the skills of its workforce and increase employee job satisfaction.”
Employers who want more information on Ivy Tech’s Achieve Your Degree program should contact Gerry Vasquez, apprenticeship and AYD coordinator for Ivy Tech Kokomo, at 765-252-5528 or gvasquez9@ivytech.edu .