Strategic Plan

Strategic Initiatives

5. HEALTHCARE AND HOSPITAL CAREER TRAINING

Regional Strategic-Industry Leader for Healthcare and Biotech Training

CGTC is committed to continuing to provide a comprehensive range of programs and state-of-the-art facilities for healthcare and biotech career training to meet critical hospital, emerging healthcare, and growing biotechnology workforce needs. Parts of this initiative include:
• Expanding healthcare and biotech programs

As one of the area's largest industries, healthcare provides many jobs, approximately 40% of which are in the hospital setting. Growing hospital workforce needs are related to almost constant advances in medical technology, the aging population, and the aging healthcare workforce. There is already a severe shortage of nurses, especially Registered Nurses (RNs). As the population ages, there is increased need for care for acute and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and stroke as well as injuries. Demand will increase for trained personnel in fields such as Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA). Additionally, as medical technologies become more sophisticated, the need for workers with skills in diagnostic fields, such as sonography and nuclear medicine, will grow.

In addition to hospital workforce demands, there is an urgent need to meet the growing demand for a vast array of healthcare employees in a variety of settings outside of hospitals. Many of the healthcare jobs projected to grow the fastest are for ambulatory care settings. Training programs are needed for the healthcare jobs that are expected to grow in the near future, such as chiropractic assistant, dental assistant, home healthcare aide, and veterinary technician. Additionally, refresher programs, such as an RN refresher course, are needed to address healthcare workforce shortages by assisting healthcare professionals who have not been practicing to re-enter the workforce.

Biotechnology is closely related to healthcare and is one of the fastest growing industries in the nation. Biotechnology, like healthcare, offers numerous jobs for varying academic and technical-skill levels. Rapidly growing employment in biotechnology fields will be found in pharmaceuticals/medicine, industrial products, bioinstrumentation, agriculture, and academic/governmental regulatory and research work.

A. Expanded Healthcare and Biotech Programs

    New Healthcare and Biotech Programs

CGTC will use alternative scheduling, innovative renovation and sharing of existing lab space, distribution of programs among campuses, joint ventures with healthcare industry and educational partners, state-of-the-art instructional technology, and additional faculty and staff to offer new healthcare programs. New programs may include: Associate Degree Nursing (ADN/RN), Prosthetic and Orthotic Technician, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA), Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA), Chiropractic Assistant, Dental Assistant, Home Health Aide, RN Refresher, Optical Dispensing, and Veterinary Technician.

    Dual-Enrollment Healthcare/Biotech Programs

Patient Care Assisting (PCA) dual enrollment programs will be continued and expanded in service area high schools and explore offering dual enrollment biotechnology programs, enabling high school students to benefit from TCC programs and/or general core, healthcare core, biotech core, and nursing core courses.

    Customized Training and Continuing Education for the Healthcare Industry

Continuing education programs for healthcare such as CPR, Basic First Aid, First Responder, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support will be expanded. CGTC will add new continuing education courses such as Expanded Duties Certification (for dental assistants), Medical Coding, Medical Billing, Pharmacy Tech Certification Preparation, CPR Instructor Training, IV Therapy, Tips for Caregivers, and Infectious Disease Control.

    Collegiate Bridge Programs for Healthcare/Biotech Career Training

The College will prepare students for biotechnology careers by training graduates for jobs and/or preparing graduates for transition into four-year programs of study through articulated programs and courses such as AA/AS Biotechnology, Biology, Chemistry, and Biochemistry.

B. Expanded Healthcare Training Capacity for the Region

    Construction of a Health Technology Training Annex in Bibb County

CGTC will overcome healthcare training limitations caused by lack of space by adding a two-story, 26,366-square-foot annex for the Macon Campus Building H. This added space will accommodate new science classrooms for Biology and Chemistry; new programs including Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician and Associate Degree Nursing; existing programs that need improved space including Polysomnographic Technician, Orthopedic Technology, Cardiovascular Technology, and Phlebotomy Technician; and increased classrooms for healthcare core classes.

    Construction of a Healthcare and Economic Development Center in Baldwin County

A new 72,300-square-foot facility on the CGTC Milledgeville Campus will serve community needs and accommodate new and expanded healthcare programs such as Optical Dispensing, Hemodialysis Technician, Physical Therapy Assistant, Chiropractic Assistant, and Diagnostic Medical Sonography as well as core courses for the ADN/RN program.