Grant Provides Funding for Select Allied Health Tuition

Dr. Linda Nelms

Funding Limited Six Per Course

The first students to register for Walters State’s Allied Health Programs this fall will receive free tuition through a Tennessee Department of Labor Rural Health Workforce Initiative.

The grant will pay the tuition for the first six students to register. Those students will also receive additional professional development training through courses focused on the American Heart Association basic life support course (4.5 hours), Workforce Readiness (2 hours), Life Mapping (9 hours) and Mind Matters (15 hours).

Students must contact Dr. Linda Nelms, coordinator of health programs, at Linda.NelmsFREEWS, or Kristy Parkins, facilitator, at Kristy.ParkinsFREEWS to be enrolled. Students who have already paid for a fall class may receive a refund if tuition has been paid. Two virtual open houses are planned to discuss these classes. Both will be held at noon on Aug. 6 or 7. Students may email Nelms or Parkins for a link. This grant does not include the Registered Dental Assistant Program.

These classes are offered through the college’s Division of Workforce Training and do not require any prerequisites or placement scores.

Morristown Campus

• The Clinical Medical Assistant course will be offered Sept. 2-Feb. 5, meeting Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-9:30 p.m. The cost is $3,000 with the first six to register receiving tuition grants. Students are trained to assist physicians by performing duties common in a medical office. These include preparing patients for examination and treatment, conducting routine laboratory procedures and diagnostic testing, taking and documenting vital signs, and placing leads properly lead placement for cardiology visits. The class also covers phlebotomy, the cardiac life cycle, pharmacology, medications and the legal aspects of healthcare.

Niswonger Campus

• Certified Nursing Assistant course will be offered Aug. 12-Nov. 13, meeting 4:30-9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The cost is $899, with the first six to register receiving tuition grants. Graduates of this class may become licensed CNAs in the state of Tennessee. Training covers basic routine patient care which includes assisting with meals, exercise and personal hygiene. Students will also learn how to take vital signs and reporting symptoms that indicate illness. This program includes lecture, classroom skills lab and 35 hours of supervised patient care in a long-term care facility.

Sneedville

• The Certified Nursing Assistant course will be offered Sept. 9-Nov. 20, meeting from 5-10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The cost is $899, with the first six to register receiving tuition grants. Graduates of this class may become licensed CNAs in the state of Tennessee. Training covers basic routine patient care which includes assisting with meals, exercise and personal hygiene. Students will also learn how to take vital signs and reporting symptoms that indicate illness. This program includes lecture, classroom skills lab and 35 hours of supervised patient care in a long-term care facility.

Online

• The Direct Support Professional (DSP) program is an online competency-based, 12-course training program designed to enhance the skills of direct support workers. This class was created to increase the number of trained direct support staff in medically underserved communities. During the program, students will earn certifications in DSP-1, DSP-2 and DSP 3, leading to a national credential as a direct support professional. This course is a total 335 hours with flexible course times. The cost is $4,000, with the first six students receiving a tuition grant.
• The Registered Behavior Technician works in clinical settings under the supervision of board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA), providing treatment plans for patients including children with autism spectrum disorder or adults with developmental disabilities. This field is focused on science and human behavior and how to alleviate problematic behaviors in individuals. RBTs may also work in schools or home settings to assist patients in reducing problematic behaviors or learning daily living skills. The cost is $2,700, with the first six students receiving a tuition grant.