August 2005 Press Releases
Public Information and
Marketing Office
(805) 546-3108, FAX (805) 546-3921
E-mail questions and comments to sroark@cuesta.edu
August 2005 Press Release Index
August 19, 2005
CUESTA COLLEGE FORMS
UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP
WITH LOCAL HOSPITALS TO ADDRESS CRITICAL
NURSING SHORTAGE
Local
hospitals are experiencing a tremendous number of vacancies in their
nursing staff which is reflective of a statewide trend. Cuesta College
has expanded its first year nursing class from 46 to 56 students, and is
continuing to face increasing student needs with limited State
resources. A unique partnership between Cuesta College and local
hospitals, formed under the leadership of Cuesta
Superintendent/President Marie E. Rosenwasser and the CEOs of the six
area hospitals, is one answer to the crisis, raising more than $105,000
annually to fund additional Cuesta nursing faculty.
Sierra
Vista Regional Medical Center, Twin Cities Community Hospital, French
Hospital Medical Center, Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, Marian
Medical Center, George L. Mee Memorial Hospital and the Cuesta College
Foundation will each contribute $15,000 each year for the next two
years.
Rosenwasser
was the driving force behind the partnership, which is the first of its
kind. “Cuesta has a waiting list of 130 pre-qualified nursing students,
who have successfully completed the pre-requisites and are already in
the system in nursing-related fields,” said Rosenwasser. “These
students, many of whom have families and are settled in this area, can
not simply move to attend other nursing programs at different
institutions. Most institutions that provide nursing programs are
impacted in the same way as Cuesta College.”
One
additional full-time nursing faculty member at Cuesta will make room for
10 additional full-time nursing students per year in the nursing
program. Beginning fall 2005, this partnership also will support
increased student services, such as counseling and academic support,
which has a direct correlation to student success. “Cuesta nursing
students have an excellent reputation, with the most recent class
experiencing a 100 percent pass rate on the California Nursing Boards,”
Rosenwasser said. “A small financial investment in the Cuesta College
Nursing Program will return thousands of benefits to our community.”
“As we strive
to address areas within health care that affect us all, such as the
acute nursing shortage in California, it is gratifying that we are able
to seek solutions as a community so that everyone benefits,” said
Candace L. Markwith, Chief Executive Officer at Sierra Vista Regional
Medical Center. “Cuesta College is to be applauded for its innovative
solution by developing this unique partnership of good corporate
citizens. In our own way, each hospital is working toward the same goal
– better health care right here at home.”
“French
Hospital is very pleased to be a part of this partnership to help solve
the critical shortage of nurses,” said Alan Iftiniuk, President of
French Hospital Medical Center. “We believe this investment is vital to
meeting our future workforce needs and we are proud to support Cuesta
College.”
The number
of nursing students at Cuesta continues to grow, with 49 of them
receiving just over $22,000 in privately funded scholarships this year.
Cuesta
nursing students often move on to jobs at local hospitals. In order to
meet current demands, these hospitals are hiring traveling nurses at a
higher rate of pay than what they are paying their own nursing staff.
These
shortages are expected to grow in direct correlation with the increase
of the aging population and the added numbers of retirees moving to the
Central Coast. In addition, significantly more acute care is required
for the older hospitalized patient, which increases the demand for
nurses.
For more
information, contact the Cuesta College Superintendent/President’s
Office at 546-3118.
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