Emory & Henry College will be at the heart of a coming health care program aimed at the region’s high-schoolers.
A $200,000 grant from the state Department of Education promises to launch a Southwest Virginia Healthcare Excellence Academy Laboratory School.
The College Partnership Laboratory School Planning Grant is designed to establish a high school career academy for 10th-, 11th– and 12th-graders, which officials hope will serve as a “pipeline” to prepare future health care professionals ready to meet the work force shortages in Southwest Virginia.
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President Dr. John W. Wells, Emory & Henry College
Dr. Michael Puglisi, Provost and Executive Vice President, Emory & Henry College
Dr. Lou Fincher, Dean, School of Health Sciences and Senior Vice President, Emory & Henry College
Dr. Laurie Anne Ferguson, Founding Dean, School of Nursing
David Matlock, Agency Head, Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center
Dr. Dennis Carter, Superintendent, Smyth County Schools, Marion, VA (Smyth County)
Dr. Wesley Poole, Superintendent, Wythe County Public Schools
Dr. Brian C. Ratliff, Superintendent, Washington County Public Schools
Dr. Keith Perrigan, Superintendent, Bristol Virginia Public Schools
Dr. Mike Robinson, Director, A.Linwood Holton Governor’s School
Dr. Adam Hutchison, President Virginia Highlands Community College, Abingdon, VA (Washington County)
Dr. Stacy Thomas, Vice President of Instruction and Student Services, Virginia Highlands Community College, Abingdon, VA (Washington County)
Dr. Scott Jefferies, Associate Vice President of Finance,
Wytheville Community College, Wytheville, VA (Wythe County)
The announcement was made on the campus of Emory & Henry College.
“The college is excited to take the lead in this collaborative partnership to build a sustainable pipeline of students who will support and impact the future health of this region,” said Dr. Lou Fincher, senior vice president and dean at the School of Health Sciences at Emory & Henry College. “Our goal is to increase the number of high school graduates from Southwest Virginia who choose to pursue health care careers and practice in Southwest Virginia.”
The SWVA-HEALS program is a partnership between the School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing from Emory & Henry College, Smyth County schools, Wythe County schools, Washington County schools, the City of Bristol, Virginia, schools, the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, the A. Linwood Holton Governor’s School, Virginia Highlands Community College and Wytheville Community College.
It is expected to launch during the 2023-2024 academic year.
The program will seek students from the region’s divisions who have an interest in pursuing health care careers and will include a special emphasis on increasing high school students’ awareness of, interest in and preparation for pursuing the education paths that lead to nursing and behavioral health careers.
Sophomores, in the first year of the program, will focus on career exploration across health care professions, including nursing and mental health, and will include active engagement through early career forums and shadowing opportunities.
Students will develop an individualized college and career plan during the first half of their 11th-grade years and work closely with faculty and mentors to complete their plans prior to graduation. At this point, clinical simulations, team-based projects and case-based modules will help with the learning.
Studies have found that students who grow up in a rural region and earn their health care degrees in that region are more likely to live and practice in that region.
The proposed laboratory school is designed to provide a “grow our own” approach to addressing work force shortages.
While this high school “pipeline” approach will not provide an immediate impact on the health care areas that require baccalaureate and graduate degrees for entry into the professions, it will establish a high-quality, sustained path for training future health care professionals. Investment in the establishment of this “pipeline” will pay dividends well into the future, the college said.
“We are thrilled the planning grant for the Southwest Virginia Healthcare Excellence Academy Laboratory School has been funded,” Smyth County Superintendent Dr. Dennis Carter said. “The synergy created by the educational entities working together in developing the lab school will create amazing opportunities for area students interested in healthcare. The clinical experiences provided by the Emory & Henry Schools of Health Sciences and Nursing will be instrumental as students move toward careers in medical or behavioral health professions.
Emory & Henry will offer turnkey facilities that are state-of-the-art for teaching, clinical labs, training and patient exam rooms in an interprofessional and interdisciplinary environment. The partners will promote access and sustainability through the K-12 system in the region, private sector, industry and other higher ed connections. The health care career focused coursework in the proposed SWVA-HEALS program will be taught by an interdisciplinary team of faculty and will be designed to help students connect their “academic learning to real-world health care applications.”
The SWVA-HEALS program will find homes at three locations. In Marion, classes will be held at the E&H Health Sciences Campus and at the Henderson School.
In Abingdon, classes will be at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.
All three locations will offer convenience for high school students for safe travel and time savings with commuting. The SWVA-HEALS program will also incorporate several dual credit courses and potential certificates options.
As a result, this experiential learning model will allow students to graduate high school with college credits, career-related experiences and real-world career preparation.
“The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center is excited to embark on this opportunity with Emory & Henry College and the other partners,” said David Matlock, head of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon. “We are especially looking forward to growing the pipeline of high school students interested in health care professions to meet the demands of our region.”
Progress will continue to be shared on the Emory & Henry College website at www.ehc.edu.
The School of Health Sciences was launched in 2014, under the direction of Dr. Lou Fincher, Dean, School of Health Sciences and Senior Vice President, with the goal of preparing compassionate, patient-centered, highly-skilled health care professionals who not only provide quality healthcare to their patients but also actively engage in leadership and service opportunities within their professional organizations and communities. They offer graduate and doctoral degrees in Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant and Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
The School of Nursing was founded in 2021 by Founding Dean Dr. Laura Anne Ferguson. The School offersBachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science of Nursing (MSN) programs in various modes of delivery to serve rural healthcare needs. In 2018 an RN-BSN program was established. Dr. Ferguson brings extensive experience in the nursing profession in both education and clinical work. She brings strong leadership skills and a record of building innovative nursing programs that will position E&H to make a positive impact on the nursing shortage in this region. Dr. Ferguson also has extensive clinical experience in treating underserved populations in a rural healthcare setting.
