Raleigh General Hospital and West Virginia Junior College Partner to Establish Collaborative Nursing Program
June 27, 2022
BECKLEY, W.Va. (June 27, 2022) – Raleigh General Hospital (RGH) and West Virginia Junior College (WVJC) have announced plans to help address the nursing crisis through a collaborative initiative. The pioneering partnership strategically aligns the resources and expertise of Raleigh General and WVJC to expand our state’s nursing workforce by creating the WVJC School of Nursing at Raleigh General.
The new initiative will be an accelerated 18-month program and will include elements tailored to hospital culture and procedures, a hybrid online delivery method, joint appointments for lab and clinical faculty, and scholarships tied to employment commitments upon graduation. The program plans to open enrollment in September 2022 and start its first class in April 2023.
“Our state’s healthcare system desperately needs more nurses, quickly,” said Chad Callen, CEO of WVJC. “This collaboration allows us to integrate our accelerated 18-month program directly into the hospital system, thereby increasing capacity, optimizing learning outcomes, and improving the student experience. The hybrid-online delivery method is essential to opening access to non-traditional students who cannot put life on hold to go to nursing school.”
During an event on June 27, RGH and WVJC signed a letter of intent to initiate the collaborative nursing program. Integrating WVJC’s School of Nursing with Raleigh General is the first step towards a broader workforce development partnership between the two organizations.
“Raleigh General is always in need of a well-trained workforce to carry out our responsibility of providing the highest level of patient care, including a steady supply of nurses,” said Marsha Jamison, Chief Nursing Officer of Raleigh General Hospital. “Our collaboration with WVJC will integrate our two cultures to enhance the health of the communities we serve, one patient at a time.”
To find out more about the WVJC School of Nursing at Raleigh General, please call 877-25ONLINE or visit WVJC.edu.
About Raleigh General Hospital: A part of LifePoint Health®, Raleigh General Hospital, southern West Virginia’s leading medical center, has served the city of Beckley and surrounding counties since 1922. The acute care hospital offers a full range of services including trauma, obstetrics, advanced imaging, lithotripsy, interventional cardiac care, oncology, emergency, gastroenterology, and advanced wound care and hyperbaric medicine services. Additionally, we offer the following surgical services: general, orthopedic, vascular, spine, gynecology, ENT and podiatry. Each year, the hospital admits over 10,000 patients, delivers about 1,100 babies and treats nearly 50,000 people in its emergency department. Approximately 3,500 inpatient surgeries, 8,000 outpatient surgeries and 4,500 endoscopies are performed annually. Our facility is also an Accredited Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI from the American College of Cardiology's (ACC) Accreditation Services, Raleigh General Hospital has also attained advanced certification by The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center. To learn more about Raleigh General Hospital, visit http://www.raleighgeneral.com.
About West Virginia Junior College: West Virginia Junior College is a state-wide private college that offers certificates and associate degrees in nursing, allied health, business, and information technology/security. The College offers accelerated nursing programs in 11 locations across the state and implemented a first-of-its kind rural nursing program, accessible to residents of 19 rural counties across West Virginia in November 2021. This year marks the Morgantown campus’ 100-year anniversary. The WVJC Charleston campus is celebrating 130 years of operation this year.