[Nelsonville, Ohio] — Hocking College joined Adena Health System, Fairfield Medical Center, Genesis Healthcare System, Hocking Valley Community Hospital, Holzer Health System, Memorial Health System and Ohio Health in honoring the doctors, nurses, technicians and support teams who care for patients every day, while also highlighting the hands-on training partnerships that are helping grow the region’s health care workforce. This recognition comes as part of this year’s National Hospital Week, which was celebrated May 10–16.
At Hocking College, students prepare for in-demand health care careers through programs such as Registered Nursing, Social Work, Medical Assisting, Healthcare Informatics and more. Through clinical rotations, internships and other work-based learning opportunities with our hospital clinical partners, students gain real-world experience while strengthening the local pipeline of skilled professionals.
These careers and training pathways are recognized annually during National Hospital Week, an initiative organized by the American Hospital Association to celebrate hospitals, health systems, and the caregivers who keep communities healthy.
This partnership reflects what community colleges do best, working directly with hospitals and health systems to meet evolving workforce needs, said Dr. Betty Young, president of Hocking College.
"National Hospital Week is the perfect time to honor the dedicated caregivers in our local hospitals while highlighting our critical role in training the health care workforce of the future,” said Dr. Young. “Through our nursing and allied health programs and strong clinical partnerships, we are proud to prepare graduates who will deliver compassionate, high-quality care to Ohio patients for years to come.”
Ohio’s community colleges are vital partners to Ohio hospitals, said Mike Abrams, president and CEO of the Ohio Hospital Association.
“Ohio’s community colleges are vital partners to Ohio hospitals, said Mike Abrams, president and CEO of the Ohio Hospital Association. “The colleges’ nursing and allied health programs deliver well-prepared graduates who help us provide high-quality, compassionate care to patients across the state during National Hospital Week and every day,” Abrams said.
Ohio’s 22 community colleges play a central role in workforce-aligned training across the state, partnering with hospitals to respond quickly to industry demand, said Avi Zaffini, president and CEO of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges.
“Programs like our nursing and allied health offerings demonstrate how Ohio’s community colleges and hospitals work hand in hand to solve real workforce challenges,” Zaffini said. “By providing accessible, employer-driven training, our colleges are helping Ohioans gain valuable credentials while ensuring that hospitals have the skilled workforce they need to serve their communities.”
###