(PUEBLO, COLO.) An innovative alignment between St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center Centura Health (SMC) and Pueblo Community College (PCC) will provide expanded education, workforce development and job creation opportunities while helping to revitalize Pueblo’s Bessemer and Minnequa Heights neighborhoods.
St. Mary-Corwin President and CEO Mike Cafasso and PCC President Patty Erjavec formally announced the venture on Monday.
As part of the strategic plan that was recently implemented at SMC, hospital leaders were asked to reimagine the possibilities for the hospital’s legacy campus. Cafasso engaged a group of leaders from Centura Health, SMC and PCC, as well as state and local elected officials, to evaluate the idea of a teaching and learning center repurposing the hospital’s 450,000-square-foot east tower.
From those discussions, the concept of a new Teaching and Learning Center for health care careers was formed. The Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce estimates that by 2020, 74 percent of new jobs will require some level of post-secondary education. Through the Teaching and Learning Center, SMC and PCC will work in tandem to educate, train and sustain a supply of highly skilled individuals to serve the health sector in Colorado.
“Our strategic plan is coming together in the most cohesive way,” said Cafasso. “It brings us great joy to see this space used for the education of current and future caregivers. The demand for qualified health care providers currently exceeds the supply. This working relationship not only provides PCC with a space where they can further educate their students, it allows us to support our incredible caregivers with career advancement and workforce development in our own health system.”
The collaboration gives both partners the ability to improve the neighborhood and community through educational opportunities and career development. The plan includes the expansion of PCC’s nursing, surgical technology, radiologic technology, medical assisting, respiratory care, occupational therapist assistant and physical therapist assistant programs, as well as its simulation center, learning labs, human anatomy lab and science lab. General education classes also will be offered. Another component of the plan is a residence hall for students.
“Opportunities of this magnitude are rare,” Erjavec said. “This is our chance to fill the skills gap for St. Mary-Corwin and other health care organizations while we add to the economic vitality of our neighborhood and community. It’s not premature to say that this partnership will add 225 new health professionals to the workforce each year – a potential $15 million boost to our economy.”
SMC plans to lease the east tower to PCC for $1 per year. This is a nod to SMC’s history. In 1881 the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company started a medical center inside the steel mill to treat workers who were injured on the job. The center was headed by Dr. Richard Corwin and eventually took on his name. In 1882, the Sisters of Charity started a medical center in Pueblo called St. Mary’s Hospital. In the late 1940’s the steel mill decided to separate itself from the medical center and sold it to the Sisters of Charity for $1, provided the sisters kept the Corwin name attached. Thus St. Mary-Corwin Hospital was established, eventually becoming St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center.
PCC will be responsible for all facility operating costs and other mutually agreed upon changes. The college currently occupies approximately 10 percent of the east tower with its simulation lab, human anatomy learning center and surgical technician program.
Funding for the project will come from public and private partnerships, Erjavec said. Architectural planning is underway and will determine the renovation timeline.
About St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center
St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center is nationally recognized for its award-winning programs in women’s services, orthopedics, cancer, cardiology, stroke, trauma and emergency services. St. Mary-Corwin’s expert team of physicians, nurses and caregivers provide compassionate, quality patient care, with access to the latest in medical technology. St. Mary-Corwin is part of Centura Health, the region’s leading health care network. For more information visit St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center or follow us on Twitter @StMaryCorwin and on Facebook.
About PCC
Founded in 1933, Pueblo Community College is a premier teaching institution focused on providing academic and service excellence, without discrimination, to help its students acquire the 21st-century skills needed to better their lives. An educational and technological leader, PCC fosters economic development and utilizes strong partnerships in the communities it serves through its Pueblo, Fremont and Southwest campuses.
Media Contacts:
Mallory MacFarlane
Marketing & Communication Coordinator
Phone: 719-285-2100
[email protected]
Amy Matthew, PCC public relations coordinator
[email protected]
Phone: 719-549-3053
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