$1 Million Grant to Jefferson College

Jefferson College will receive about $1.1 million in grant money to create a health care educational program designed to assist unemployed adults.

The grant is part of a $20 million federal grant designed to help 4,600 Missourians obtain health careers, Jefferson College Roger Barrentine said in a news release. The activity is part of a statewide program named MoHealthWINS.

Missouri’s community colleges worked with Governor Jay Nixon to create a collaborative program that shares equipment, faculty, emphasizes distance learning and reduces redundant costs, Barrentine said.

“Missouri’s health care industry is growing quickly, and hospitals, clinics and other employers need more nurses, lab techs and other workers with the right education and skills today. By expanding educational opportunities for Missourians in these fields, we’ll open the door for employment for more folks and keep our economy growing. This is a strategic investment in the growth of our economy and the future of our state,” Nixon said in the release.

Colleges will use the funds to create or expand health services and health sciences programs, which are targets for Missouri Strategic Initiative for Economic Growth, Barrentine said in the release.

Jefferson College and St. Charles Community College will jointly develop a radiological technician program scheduled to begin in 2013. Employer donations will equip a lab for both colleges’ use. Both colleges will have general education at their home campuses, amd online lecture courses will be available to both colleges’ students.

Jefferson College will expand its Computer Information Systems program to meet health care providers information technology requirements. Jefferson College will add certificate programs on CISCO and A+ Comptia and is working toward obtaining transfer agreement with the University of Missouri on an applied science degree in computer information systems.

Few people understand the relationship between computers and health care,” said Dean of Career and Technical Education Elizabeth Check. “Health Information Technology and Computer Information Systems are part of the support system that health care requires. They manage information for the patients and insurance companies.”