The $1.4 million grant will allow the school’s Respiratory Care program to be expanded to its Sevier County Campus, as well as enhance recruitment efforts for the program.
Walters State Community College has received a $1.4 million Rural Health Care Pathways Expansion Grant from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission in order to bring the college’s Respiratory Care program to its Sevier County Campus. In addition to the program expansion, the grant funding will also allow for expanded recruitment efforts for the program.
According to an article on Walters State Community College’s website, Dr. Sheila Williams, who serves as the dean of Health Programs at the college, as well as the co-director of the new grant program, was quoted as saying, “Respiratory therapists are essential in healthcare facilities and many of our rural counties have a constant demand for these professionals. This grant will enable us to double the number of graduates and begin sharing the details of this rewarding career with more students beginning with middle schools.”
The Respiratory Care program at Walters State Community College is a five-semester program that awards students with an Associate of Applied Science degree. After completing the program, students can take the National Board of Respiratory Care exam. It prepares students to work as respiratory therapists, which, according to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, are highly in-demand in East Tennessee. Respiratory therapists provide patients with oxygen therapy and ventilator management. The program provides students with clinical experience opportunities throughout East Tennessee.
Part of the grant funding will allow the college to increase its recruitment efforts to bring more students into this high-demand, well-paying career. The college will begin recruitment efforts with students as young as middle school aged, with school visits, career fairs, camps, and open houses. The college will also encourage dual-enrollment allied healthcare opportunities for high school students.
For more information about Walters State Community College, visit the school’s website.