PCC part of free tuition program to address Colorado shortage of health care workers
Pueblo Community College is offering five health care certificate programs tuition-free through a statewide initiative focused on building Colorado's health care workforce.
Care Forward Colorado will cover tuition, fees and course material costs for certified nurse aide, emergency medical technician, phlebotomy technician, pharmacy technician and medical assistant programs at PCC.
PCC is one of 15 colleges participating in Care Forward Colorado, according to the Colorado Community College System.
“If someone is interested, let's say, in wanting to be a CNA, then they would apply here at Pueblo Community College and they would complete the FAFSA,” PCC President Patty Erjavec said. “We would make sure that they are financial aid-eligible and we would get them through the process.”
“Whatever their financial aid, Pell would pay for them. The scholarship would take care of the balance,” she said. “In essence, it is free college for that individual.”
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Programs earmarked for Care Forward Colorado funds are certificate programs that can be completed within a year. While certificates prepare an individual for an entry-level position, Erjavec said they may be used as a stepping stone to earning credentials for higher demand positions, including registered nurses and paramedics.
Care Forward Colorado takes effect this fall and is a result of Colorado Senate Bill 22-226, a bipartisan effort allocating $26 million in Economic Recovery and Relief Cash Funds for training health care workers.
“This is just another wonderful opportunity for the constituents in Pueblo County and in my entire service area … This is a catalyst for individuals to get the competencies they need to move into the allied health care profession, and hopefully continue on so that they can fill those high demand jobs,” Erjavec said.
Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, health care worker shortages have led to several census tracts across Colorado being designated primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Some areas and facilities have even received federal designations.
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In Pueblo County, state designated shortage areas include Avondale, Beulah, Colorado City and Rye communities in Decile 10, indicating the “highest need” for primary care professionals, according to state data. With Parkview Medical Center and St. Mary-Corwin Hospital nearby, the city of Pueblo and most of Pueblo West is designated in Decile 2.
Two Pueblo County primary care facilities, Pueblo Community Health Center, 110 E. Routt Ave., and La Vista Correctional Facility inside the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo, are designated by the federal Health Resources & Services Administration as Health Professional Shortage Areas, according to HRSA data.
While registration for the fall 2022 semester has closed, spring 2023 registration at PCC will be open from Nov. 7 to Jan. 13.
Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached by email at JBartolo@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo Community College offers free tuition for health care certificates
