Fitzgerald, GA – Fitzgerald High School College and Career Academy (FHSCCA), Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, and Dorminy Medical Center were selected to participate in the Healthcare Pilot for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER) II Award. Earlier this month, the Governor’s office announced the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Pilot Program which is designed to support the work and partnership of Georgia’s College and Career Academy sites, their local technical colleges, and healthcare providers to create a streamlined path for students into careers in the healthcare. The shortage of CNA and nurses in the state has prompted this funding. This is the second GEER funding stream to help empower school leadership, support staff, teachers, and students in Georgia.
FHSCCA and Wiregrass are one of ten partnerships selected to participate in the pilot program, and the award will offset the tuition costs of the Nurse Aide technical certificate program and pay for CNA exam costs. Since the GEER funding will pay for the tuition costs for these students, this will not impact the dual enrollment funding hours. CNA courses will be taken in 10th grade. Students then have an opportunity to continue into more health sciences classes needed to apply for the Wiregrass LPN or RN programs upon graduation or begin work in the healthcare field. Dorminy Medical Center is a partner in the GEER funding who will host some work-based learning students.
FHSCCA Principal Dr. David Sims shared, “We (FHSCCA) are thrilled to expand our partnerships with our community partner. This new partnership combines two of our biggest community partners into one that will benefit our students beyond what we have been able to do in the past. GEER funding only enhances our opportunity to positively impact our school, community, and, most importantly, our student's lives. The funding provided will allow our high school students to earn needed credentials that will enable them to enter the healthcare workforce much more quickly. We also owe it to our community to continually examine ways to meet community needs. This funding will meet that goal by providing a pathway for students to jumpstart their careers. In the end, the students win! The community wins!”
“At Wiregrass, we are excited to see this streamlined process for our Dual Enrollment students at FHSCCA to be able to move seamlessly into careers in nursing after graduation from high school or Wiregrass,” shared Wiregrass President DeAnnia Clements. “This funding will allow these students to pay for extra education in addition to the allowed 30 hours through the Dual Enrollment program without affecting their 30-hour HOPE cap.” This grant will allow Wiregrass to be able to provide that pathway where students can transition from earning their CNA certificate while in high school and begin to start nursing school earlier as an LPN or RN or go into the workforce directly, therefore, aiding in the nursing shortage in Ben Hill county.
Dorminy Medical Center will play an integral part in this award. Paige Wynn, Dorminy Medical Center CEO, shared this award will serve as a pipeline for new and local employees at the hospital. “We are very excited to be part of this award and feel anytime you invest in your young people in your community it’s a win for the community,” shared Wynn. “We are always looking for talent within our local community. There’s nothing more personal than having local folks caring for local folks, there’s a lot of pride in this.”
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Image: (WGTC GEER II Award.jpg) Partners in the GEER II Award are pictured here at the Fitzgerald High School College and Career Academy. Back Row L-R Dorminy Medical Center CEO Paige Wynn, FHSCCA Healthcare Science Instructor Debra Brown, Wiregrass Executive Vice President April McDuffie, FHSCCA Dr. David Sims, FHSCCA Assistant CEO and CTAE Instructional Coach Payton Dix, and FHSCCA CEO Hal Wiley. Front Row L-R Wiregrass President DeAnnia Clements, FHSCCA and Dual Enrollment CNA students A’Kyhia Jackson and Ke’Asia Coffee, Ben Hill County Schools Interim Superintendent Dawn Clements, and FHSCCA Director of Dual Enrollment and CTAE Kristy Henderson.
