Hinton WV – (Hinton News) Summers County Appalachian Regional Hospital and New River Community Technical College have entered into a new partnership to bring higher education to the area. Students can now attend a Licensed Practical Nursing course through New River CTC at Summers ARH.
The two agencies recently held a joint press conference to announce the new partnership. SCARH CEO Wes Dangerfield, NRCTC President Dr. Bonny Copenhaver, and others spoke about the new program. Copenhaver said, “We are very thrilled to be able to make this announcement today about the partnership between New River and Summers County ARH Hospital. New River Community and Technical College will be offering classes at the Summers County ARH starting this fall, which begins on Monday, August 22. Students will now have the option of selecting the hospital site location to complete the certificate of Applied Science in Practical Nursing.” She also noted that they plan to bring more classes to the new site.
Additionally, Copenhaver spoke about the process of getting to this point. She said, “Working with the hospital and with Wes and his staff here, we have formed what I would truly call in every essence of the word, a partnership between the college and the hospital. We both were able to see that education and access to more training for people in Summers County was of vital importance, and we saw the opportunities and some of the challenges to doing this.”
Next up on the podium was the New River CTC Director of the Practical Nursing Program, JoAnna Perry. While speaking about the new program, Perry said, “Not only will students be able to learn in state-of-the-art classrooms and simulation labs on-site, but we’ll also be able to complete most clinical experiences within the hospital campus. Students will also have the opportunity to complete any prerequisite courses using our state-of-the-art Zoom room equipment at this campus also.”
Dangerfield took to the podium to say, “It’s hard to really Fathom sometimes when you’re standing in the midst of a major milestone for what this is for the county. This is such an important endeavor that is happening, and we are honored and truly as Dr. Copenhaver said, the team that she sent over is what I call the A-Team. We’ve had the best of the best. I couldn’t have imagined it being any better with the team that we’ve had bringing education to Summers County.” Dangerfield also noted that to his knowledge, this is the first time education beyond the high school level has been offered in the area.
“It is a unique opportunity because it will provide not just an LPN degree program, but it is a career path, a career path that can lead to other great things, a degree that you would get from New River that for most everything else everywhere else, you wouldn’t have had this opportunity. So we are truly blessed in our county. This is just the start of many great things to come.” Dangerfield continued saying, “This is the start of something great.”
Dangerfield ended that press conference by saying, “Be part of something awesome. Be part of this. Thank you so much.”
According to a representative of New River CTC, the easiest way to sign up for the program is to go to newriver.edu. Interested individuals can request information or submit a free application directly from the site.
