The Navajo County Community College Governing Board approved an initial step toward a pilot project between Northland Pioneer College and Cochise Community College (CCC) June 20.
The agreement approved by the board will allow for up to 10 students to participate in a respiratory therapy program offered by Cochise Community College, working in collaboration with NPC. “Cochise has a respiratory therapy program and we have students in the area interested in respiratory therapy. They need to fill seats and there are certainly job opportunities in this area,” stated Vice President of Learning and Student Services Mark Vest.
CCC Respiratory Program Director Jim Nosek addressed the board, stating that CCC is limited to 20 seats, but is seeking opportunities such as the one with NPC to bring its program to more rural areas, allowing for the program to expand even more.
The classes provided through NPC would be limited to the White Mountain Campus in Show Low campus due to the equipment availability from CCC and proximity to Summit Regional Medical Center. The program will start in January 2018 and run for two years.
According to NPC Dean of Nursing and Allied Health Debra McGinty, the program is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. “Their accreditation standards are much higher than any other Allied Health discipline that we’ve seen,” she stated.
Nosek explained that finding a qualified employee pool in rural areas is difficult for hospitals and doctors. This program will allow rural hospitals to hire therapists who already have homes and families in the area, improving employee satisfaction and keeping families where they want to live.
