WKCTC celebrated its healthcare education partners at special recognition event

Paducah, KY (11/11/2019) — In the next seven years Kentucky's need for healthcare professionals will increase significantly. The Kentucky Occupational Outlook to 2026 report states the need will be an additional 5,629 full-time registered nurses over current numbers, a 12.2 percent increase, and demand in allied health fields is also anticipated, with a projected increase of 11 percent.

West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) continues its mission to meet that need and took the opportunity to thank the education partners and donors who make that possible at A Salute to Healthcare Education October 24, 2019. The event celebrated its healthcare education partnerships of the past, present and future.

In order to sustain and expand the support for nursing and allied health education to meet regional workforce needs, WKCTC and its charitable foundation, Paducah Junior College (PJC) established a Healthcare Education-to-Work Endowment Fund in 2018. The fund will ensure continued access to education for more WKCTC students who are in high demand for employment in the healthcare field.

A Salute to Healthcare Education celebrated and honored those who were the first to contribute to the endowment fund - Baptist Health Paducah, Mercy Health-Lourdes Hospital and Kathy Sides of Paducah.

Sides, who was the first to contribute to the endowment fund in 2018, is an alumnus of the college's nursing program, graduating from Paducah Community College, now WKCTC, in 1976. Sides worked as a nurse in Paducah for over 30 years, and she said it was important for her to give back to the program that has meant so much to her.

"I just wanted to help people in the allied health and nursing programs. I paid my way through college, and I wanted to help make it a little easier for students to get their education," said Sides. "My parents couldn't tell my brother and me enough how important education is, whether it's college, technical, a GED...it's always important to improve. Education is the best thing you can own." Sides announced she is again going to contribute to the endowment fund this year.

WKCTC alumni Saman Butts and Nicole Snow also shared their stories of how the college changed their lives and thanked those who helped make their futures a reality.

Butts was born and raised in Pakistan and taught middle school before coming to the United States. She said she always wanted to pursue her dream of continuing her education and found that opportunity at WKCTC, graduating from the digital medical sonography program in 2016. Currently employed at Mercy-Lourdes Hospital, Butts said that although the journey was not easy for her, through the support of her family, instructors and donors, her hard work paid off.

"Without a doubt this degree has changed my life in so many ways...I firmly believe my degree has not only given me confidence in myself but has opened more professional opportunities for me, making me financially stable and definitely improved the quality of my life."

Snow, a 2009 graduate with an associate degree in nursing said, "I have an amazing job doing what I love all because of where things started here at WKCTC." A nurse practitioner at Baptist Health Paducah Medical Group Pediatrics for the past six years, Snow said she would recommend the (nursing) program to anyone...it's a program that prepares you so well. The clinical experiences are amazing, and I just think it's a wonderful fit."

WKCTC's Shari Gholson, dean of nursing who also spoke on behalf of Carrie Hopper, dean of allied health, paid tribute to college's healthcare partners in more than 150 clinical sites.

"The quality education and career preparation our students receive would absolutely not be possible without these partnerships that provide real-world experience for our programs," she said. "Having our healthcare partners help us with clinicals is a critical part of continuing our education programs."

WKCTC offers nursing education programs leading to careers as a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, and nursing assistant. Allied health programs include dental assisting, diagnostic medical sonography, medical laboratory technician, radiography, physical therapy assistant, surgical technology, medical information technology, pharmacy technology, and cosmetology. The majority of these programs have an 85 to 100 percent job placement for graduates throughout the region.

Promoting the regional vision for the college is a primary focus for WKCTC President Anton Reece, who said the need for healthcare professionals in the region is a reflection of the nursing and allied health programs being among the largest programs at the college.

"The ability for us to meet in real time, anticipate and prepare to the best of our ability the world-class graduates to meet the need throughout the region is a very important aspect of what we do," he said. "This celebration is just a way in which we acknowledge and recognize the critical importance of that."

Lee Emmons, WKCTC vice president of institutional advancement and PJC executive director, said investing in education is a remarkable gift for students. "It's the best gift of all because it's one that truly keeps on giving," she said.

To contribute to the Healthcare-to-Work Endowment Fund, contact Lee Emmons at lee.emmons@kctcs.edu or 270-534-3084.

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