Health-care aide program approved for Crocus Plains

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/05/2024 (850 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon School Division board has approved a memorandum of understanding with Assiniboine Community College for the delivery of the college’s Comprehensive Health Care Aide (CHCA) program at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School for the 2024-25 academic year.

The CHCA program had been in place for more than a decade, with BSD and ACC partnering to provide Crocus Plains students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the medical field before graduation.

It was suspended in 2022 due to the division’s budget constraints. In May 2023, ACC continued the program with sites in Brandon, Birtle and Reston.

Speaking at BSD’s regular board meeting on Monday, Supt. Mathew Gustafson said the college independently funded the program last year while the division provided the required learning environment.

“This year’s approval is a continuation of that arrangement, formalized in a second memorandum of understanding with ACC,” Gustafson told the Sun. “Our investment is primarily in providing the location, which includes the classroom and lab space, as well as computers, a data projector, and instructor office space. We do not cover tuition costs.”

The program’s tuition and fees, he said, amounting to $2,644.38, will be covered by ACC, not the school division, noting this arrangement ensures that the financial burden does not fall on the Brandon School Division, aligning with its mandate.

Gustafson also outlined measures to ensure the program’s successful integration and support at Crocus Plains.

“Our academic counsellors will work with students on timetabling to ensure they can access the program,” he said. “We will also ensure that students from other schools can participate by managing scheduling and access to resources like the room and lab.”

Additionally, the division handles necessary paperwork, such as criminal record checks and child abuse registry checks, to facilitate student participation, he said.

ACC spokesperson Anya McNabb said it is committed to meeting the growing demand for health-care aides in rural areas.

“Assiniboine runs programs in 35+ communities each year, including multiple offerings of Comprehensive Health Care Aide,” McNabb told the Sun in an email. “Last year, the college invested nearly $67,000 in the program. There’s increasing demand for health-care aides in all regions across the province, particularly in rural areas. Assiniboine will continue to evolve our offerings with that heightened demand and work with regional health authorities to deliver programming to help meet this need.”

In 2023, ACC president Mark Frison said the experience from the program allows students to enter post-secondary schooling with college credit already in their back pocket, teeing them up for a future career in medicine.

“The demand for skilled health-care aides is high,” Frison said. “We know this program will be able to help support this need in the province while providing terrific career pathways for individuals to pursue.”

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

» X: @AbiolaOdutola