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LBW Community College, Mizell Memorial Hospital and Opp High School announced a new collaboration to provide healthcare jobs for the students at Opp High School on Friday, Oct. 20.

A Patient Care Technician (PCT) training program for junior and senior high school students will begin in January 2024. The course will be offered over one semester and will not only train the student as a Patient Care Technician but would also expose the student, via guest lecturers and field trips, to a myriad of other healthcare careers. The students will also become CPR trained as part of the curriculum.

The program will be taught on the Opp High School campus and upon completion, students will be awarded a career tech credential which is now a requirement for high school graduation. The curriculum for the course is provided by LBW and will be taught by an instructor from Mizell Memorial Hospital. Upon completion of the course, students will receive a $500 scholarship to attend LBW Community College provided by the Mizell Memorial Hospital Foundation and will also receive priority consideration for employment at Mizell Memorial Hospital.

Matt Blake, principal of Opp High School, spoke at the official kick-off for the program.

“I want to let you know how excited we are to give our kids an opportunity to get another certification, to have an opportunity to open the door to LBW and to the workforce and to hopefully keep them in our area,” Blake said.

The collaboration between these three entities exemplifies how valuable these relationships can be for our students, future employers and the community.

“This is a great opportunity to expose young people to careers in healthcare, while investing in the youth of our community. I am confident this partnership will develop phenomenal healthcare workers in the future to serve our community. I would like to thank Dr. Kelley and Mr. Blake for their efforts in making this collaboration a reality.  Again, we are thrilled for the opportunity, and we are looking forward to the success that will be afforded to Opp High School students through this program,” Mizell Memorial Hospital CEO Mitchell Myers said.

LBW continues to prove its commitment to training healthcare workers with this collaboration.  It currently offers college programs in Nursing, as well training programs for Emergency Medical Technicians, Ultrasound Technicians, and Physical Therapy Assistants.

“LBW is committed to help provide pathways in the healthcare field that have upward mobility, and this is a major step for our community.  The goal of the program is to provide a non-credit Patient Care Technician course that is aligned with a credential of value, ultimately leading to a job in the healthcare industry as well as a seamless transition into one of LBW’s healthcare programs,” LBWCC President Dr. Brock Kelley said.

For more information regarding the new Patient Care Technology program, call Opp High School career coach Courtney Blake at 334-493-4561.