September 15, 2009
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – Five students who made up the first ever Patient Care Technician (PCT) class at Dutchess Community College graduated in a recent ceremony.
The eight-week non-credit course was offered by DCC’s Office of Community Services and Special Programs. The initiative was a partnership between the College, Vassar Brothers Medical Center, and the Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board.
“We were very pleased to partner with Vassar Brothers on the PCT program,” says Virginia Stoeffel, Assistant Dean of DCC’s Office of Community Services. “We were able to design a program specifically for Vassar, and we are looking forward to working with them and with other organizations interested in customized workforce training.”
Students were selected from a group of candidates at Dutchess Works, and the class began during the summer. All of the program graduates were granted interviews for open positions. They were hired and started orientation at Vassar on September 9, 2009.
“It really has been a collaborative effort,” said Cheryl Walker, Supervisor of Staff Development at Vassar Brothers Medical Center. “We had the need for a PCT class this summer but we did not have the educators or classroom space available since we were orienting a large number of graduate nurses. That’s when we thought of Dutchess.”
The Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board (WIB) got involved to help fund the course when it was approached by DCC about the short-term project. WIB Executive Director Richard Altman said the decision to provide funding was easy, based on the fact that it was in response to the need of a local business.
“This is the way the system is supposed to work,” said Altman. “And because the project began quickly and wasn’t long-term, we got a chance to actually see the results, which doesn’t happen that often.”
Student Ashley Coyne hopes the course will help her parlay the experience she already has into a hospital setting.
“I was already in the health care field, but I wanted to work at the hospital. I enjoy helping people, and thought Vassar would be a great place to be,” said Coyne.
Classroom work was done at DCC, while lab work was performed at the hospital. Pamela Duda, an instructor in the College’s nursing department, taught the class.
“Community Services contacted me, and I was very happy to do it,” says Duda. “They (Vassar Brothers) had a curriculum for their own use, and we took it and made just a few changes to make it a bit more conducive to a college course.”
Based on the success of the program, both DCC and Vassar plan on continuing the collaboration on the Patient Care Technician program in the years to come.
For more information, contact Ann Winfield, DCC’s director of Community Relations and Graphics, at 845-431-8405.
Founded in 1957, Dutchess Community College is a two-year community college with more than 50 years of service to the residents of Dutchess County. Visit www.sunydutchess.edu.