CareSouth, NETC to Develop Two New Health Care Training Programs

Partnerships for healthcare: CareSouth CEO Ann Lewis and Dr. Ron Bartley talk to the media during a press conference.

CareSouth Carolina is partnering with Northeastern Technical College to develop two new training programs to grow a skilled workforce for the health care community.

CareSouth Carolina is using grant funds it received from the Ryan Community Health Network (RCHN) Foundation to work with NETC to develop programs for community health workers and certified medical assistants. Community health workers and certified medical assistants are typically a patient's primary connection to his or her healthcare provider and essential to a health center's operation.

CareSouth Carolina was one of only five community health centers across the country to receive funds from $2 million in grants awarded by the RCHN Community Health Foundation to meet the anticipated increase in demand for health care.

"We are thrilled to receive this grant that will help us to increase access to care and improve the patient experience," said Ann Lewis, CareSouth Carolina CEO. "As a rural health care provider, it can be a challenge to find workers with the right skills. By partnering with Northeastern Technical College, we can design the training programs that we need to develop our frontline staff that will broaden and strengthen our healthcare centers. This is good news for our community both in terms of career opportunities and our ability to improve health care."

NETC and CareSouth Carolina anticipate enrolling about 30 to 40 students into these training programs by fall. The programs will be a year in length and will graduate skilled healthcare workers for the "patient-centered team" model of care provided by CareSouth Carolina.

"We are glad to be able to partner with CareSouth Carolina to provide the training that they need to grow their workforce and continue to provide excellent healthcare," said Dr. Ron Bartley, president of NETC, said. "This grant allows for the development of several new career pathways for healthcare workers that will benefit everyone in this region."

Lewis has worked with NETC as part of the Northeastern Rural Health Network for four years and said once she heard about the funding option, NETC sounded like a "match made in heaven."

CareSouth Carolina is a private, nonprofit community health center with an array of practices that serves patients in Bennettsville, Bishopville, Chesterfield, Cheraw, Hartsville, Lake View, McColl and Society Hill, nearly half of whom do not have health insurance.

The RCHN Community Health Foundation is a nonprofit foundation establish to support community health centers through strategic investment, outreach, education and cutting-edge health policy research.

This is the first time the RCHN Foundation grant has been offered, and there is no telling whether it will be renewable, but Bartley said the programs will continue to be offered at NETC regardless of a grant renewal.

Anyone interested in becoming a community health worker or certified medical assistant and would like to enroll in the upcoming training programs, contact NETC's Division of Continuing Education at (843) 921-6925.

Tags: New Programs Pathway to a Future Programs

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