The Southeast College has announced the creation of a new healthcare fund to support students pursuing post-secondary training in healthcare-related programs.
Dave Harazny, the manager of college advancement, said the college offers a number of healthcare related programs that have been well-received by students throughout the region.
“We wanted to focus our efforts in raising money towards those programs in those particular fields,” said Harazny.
Southeast College currently offers a continuing care assistant certificate program in multiple locations, as well as a practical nursing diploma program in Weyburn.
The college has 49 students taking full-time health care programming across its campuses. They also have 64 students taking part-time continuing care assistant (CCA) courses.
In 2019-20, the college plans to add a primary care paramedic certificate program in Redvers.
Harazny said there has been demand for that program in the past.
“We broker through Sask. Polytechnic, and it’s something we’ve had to wait for based on their schedule of where they can offer it and when, and we’re very happy to finally get it going. We’ve been hoping to get it for a number of years.”
The college reached out to those interested students and let them know they can now offer the program.
Sheena Onrait, the manager for marketing and communications for the college, said Redvers was selected for the program because the college had students in the area who were interested in it. Data was gathered over the last few years, and Onrait said it made sense to have that program delivered in the Redvers area.
“We can draw from the Moosomin area, from the Whitewood area, and then of course, from the Carlyle, Oxbow, Carnduff and of course right in that Redvers area,” said Onrait.
A location for the program in Redvers has yet to be determined, since the college doesn’t have a campus in the town, but Onrait said the college hopes to have that narrowed down in the next month or so.
It’s a fully-credited course, but it would be done part-time instead of full-time, so it would take 18 to 24 months to complete.
The college has also announced a new health information management diploma to be delivered in Estevan in the 2019-20 school year. It would also be a two-year program.
“That one is new to us,” said Onrait. “We’ve never delivered it before. So that’s always very exciting when we have a new program.”
The details are still being worked out when it comes to the practical portions, because there will be some time spent in the healthcare facilities associated with the program.
The college is excited to have the program in Estevan.
“There is a lot of in-class work, as well as there are some practical portions that will be in the health care facilities in the region,” said Onrait.
Harazny noted all students at the college have a financial need when it comes to tuition and materials. Being a student is expensive, so the college has come up with the healthcare fund.
“The need isn’t any greater than other students, but it is an opportunity to create a pool of funds that can be directed specifically for those students, and can attract donors who want to support the healthcare industry,” said Harazny.
To help kick off the initiative, the college will host a Greek Feast fundraising dinner on March 9 at Knox Hall in Weyburn.
The evening will include plenty of authentic Greek food and entertainment featuring Greek dancers and traditional plate breaking.
Ticket sales started recently, and Harazny hopes they hope to raise at least $20,000 for the fund during the Greek Feast.
The money will assist students with scholarships and bursaries, as well as training assets, such as equipment and materials that elevate the level of training in health care related programs at the college.
A health care fund committee will be established to oversee the fund administration and stewardship.
