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| WALLACE PROVIDES MEDICAL WORKFORCE | 2009-04-28 |
| For several years Wallace Community College radiologic technology students have achieved a 100 percent pass rate on first attempt at the national certification exam, and graduates have achieved 100 percent employment. The U.S. Department of Labor projects employment in the field to increase by 15 percent through 2016, as the demand for diagnostic imaging services increases with the aging baby boomer population. | |
 Dothan, Ala.--Now is the ideal time to work in the health-care industry, and Wallace Community College offers a variety of programs for those planning to pursue a medical career. According the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the aging baby boomer population—78 million strong—has created an increased demand for nurses and allied health professionals, pushing health-care careers into eight of the top 20 fastest growing professions for the next decade. Wallace is prepared to help local health-care providers fill those gaps. According to Kathy Buntin, WCC coordinator of health sciences, Wallace provides more than 80 percent of the local medical support workforce for local physicians, hospitals, extended care and home health-care facilities. “The community-focused mission of Wallace Community College has allowed our health programs to expand the number of students being trained for the shortages that exist,” Buntin says. “This expansion not only serves to meet our local workforce needs, but it also draws students from other areas of the country who then return to their home communities to offset health-care shortages there.” Wallace is recognized for excellence in its associate degree and practical nursing programs, which continue to enroll large numbers each semester. More than 3,000 students have graduated from the associate degree nursing program since it first began in 1969, and 452 students are currently enrolled in the program. Another 541 students are enrolled in pre-nursing academic courses. One of the oldest programs of Wallace Community College, the practical nursing program began at the Wallace Campus in Dothan in 1952. Wallace also offers practical nursing at its Sparks Campus in Eufaula and its Fort Rucker Center. The combined programs have graduated more than 3,100 to date, and 151 students are currently enrolled in that program. The Wallace nursing programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, with the ADN program being accredited through spring 2015, and the PN program being accredited through fall 2016. To help meet scheduling needs, the College offers evening and weekend options for both nursing programs. In addition to nursing, Wallace also offers five nationally accredited allied health programs which are projected as having higher-than-average job demand: medical assisting, emergency medical services, physical therapist assistant, radiologic technology and respiratory therapy. Wallace is instrumental in meeting those demands. Of the College’s total student enrollment of 3,961, 41.6 percent are registered in a health occupation or in academic classes preparing to enter one of the programs, and competition to attract these graduates is growing. Since shortages are a nationwide problem, students have opportunities for higher salaries out-of-state, and many are drawn by the higher pay scales. Buntin says, “The current health-care shortage is being experienced worldwide. Health-care credentials are portable, so Wallace graduates will be able to market their skills across the region, the state, or the nation and find rewarding opportunities with job security.” | |
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