Health Care Training

from 19th Street March 2020

A Good Life

Moore Norman Technology Center Offers Health Care Programs

Sammie Kimmel and Francine Johnson know professionally and personally how vocational education can change students’ lives.

The two are registered nurses who oversee some of the health programs at Moore Norman Technology Center. They also got their start in the health care field through the CareerTech system, which provides programs for individuals seeking career and technology education.

“That really changed the direction of my life,” Kimmel said. “CareerTech has been amazing in my life.”

Kimmel and Johnson also are hoping to inspire individuals to pursue careers in health care, especially since it’s a field with a growing demand for employees.

A 2018 report found that the United States will need to hire 2.3 million new health care workers by 2025 to take care of the aging population, according to CNN.

“There’s always a need for health care workers,” Kimmel said, who works with short-term health programs for adults. “You have a guarantee lifetime of employment and that is huge.”

Johnson said job availability and the opportunity to help people are other incentives to pursue the field.

“If you have a heart for compassion for others, it will be very rewarding to you for your entire life,” Johnson said.

The two said that the health care profession offers a variety of jobs, and Moore Norman Technology Center provides courses that can accommodate different schedules for students, such as shortterm or long-term courses or online classes

FlexTrack health classes are another opportunity, Johnson said. They feature a self-paced schedule that meets the learners’ needs.

Short-term health classes the center offers include medical coding and billing as well as first aid and CPR. The program also offers training for certified

nurse aides and emergency medical technicians. Students can also study to become a medication administration technician, who can assist individuals in residential care or group homes with medication administration.

Long-term programs include biomedical science, diagnostic medical sonography, physical therapy aide, practical nursing, surgical technology and veterinary assistance.

Clinical labs at the center also give students hands-on opportunities to increase their skills, Kimmel said.

Kimmel and Johnson said a rewarding aspect of their job is helping students discover the path that suits them in the health care field.

They say the nursing profession attracted them when they were both children, watching nurses and doctors in their lives. Those experiences inspired them to pursue the profession.

They also said they found encouraging

instructors and valuable training and courses through the CareerTech system that gave them a start in the profession and motivated them to enhance their skills and education.

Both said they want to offer that same motivation for the students they serve.

“Everyone really is here for the community and for students,” Kimmel said. “We’re all about changing people’s lives for the better and that’s really, really exciting.”

Johnson said the center works to offer excellent customer service for the students and community it serves.

“If we can make sure people that we serve meet their needs, then they will always be willing to come back to us,” Johnson said. “It’s very rewarding to help them to be successful.”

For more information about health programs at the center, visit www.mntc.ed. – 19SM