Print this story | E-mail story | This story has 14 comments Add your own | iPod friendly
Hospital helps save MSCTC lab program
Published Tuesday, January 29, 2008
A popular medical program at Minnesota State Community and Technical College - Fergus Falls will not be a victim of the chopping block.
The Lake Region Hospital Foundation has stepped up to finance budget shortfalls for the program, which was slated to be eliminated in 2009.
The hospital foundation’s contribution will keep the program running for at least two years, said Steve Guttormson, director of public relations for the college.
The Fergus Falls community played a major role in saving the program, Guttormson said.
Following a community meeting at MSCTC on January 4, a task force was formed to identify possible alternatives to closing the program. From that meeting the Lake Region Hospital Foundation became a player in the program’s future.
In addition, several community leaders, including representatives of Lake Region Healthcare and Otter Tail Corporation, have offered assistance with organizing a marketing campaign to build the enrollment in the MLT program, he stated.
The program has experienced low enrollments in recent years, leading to the previous decision to phase it out at the Fergus Falls campus.
The MSCTC program for years has served as a feeder system for local medical facilities, providing them with well-trained medical lab technicians.
“We know first hand the value of the health care programs taught at the college,” Peter Jacobson, CEO of Lake Region Healthcare, said in a statement this morning.
“We will continue to partner with the college, looking at ways we may help ensure these programs continue,” Jacobson stated.
“The Medical Laboratory Technician program at MSCTC is an important and vital program to Fergus Falls and the surrounding region,” stated Dr. Greg Smith, medical director of the medical laboratories at both Lake Region Healthcare and the Fergus Falls Medical Group.
“This program supplies well-trained laboratory professionals to hospitals and clinics throughout the area.,” stated Smith, who also serves as the medical advisor to the MLT program.
Current students of the MLT program will continue their studies as planned, college officials said. The medical lab technician program, which offers a two-year associate in science (AS) degree, will accept new students starting next fall.
The Fergus Falls program is one of only six two-year MLT programs in greater Minnesota.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by Norse (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Imagine THAT?!
Posted by fergusfallsmom (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 12:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am happy for the students of the program. Relocation is not easy for the more non-traditional students.
Posted by ginger_ale (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 1:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I bet the evil Dr. Valentine is pissed! Great JOB Lake Region Hospital! What a wonderful gift to the community.
Now... About that nursing program...
Posted by bucksteel (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 1:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Solve the Dr Valentine problem and you solve the nursing problem, and the law enforcement problem, and the Foundation problem, and on and on ...
Posted by skatkat (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 1:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
long live lab professionals!!
Posted by chrreed (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 3:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That's great news for the MLT program! Now if we could only do something to help all those nursing instructors who are being cut next year...
Posted by sassica (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 3:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So cool! I always heard great things about the MLT program in Fergus!
Posted by fergusforever (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 5:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank you LRH for stepping up. I am sure that you will have a positive influence as well on the nursing program. Dr. Valentine should leave.
student MSCTC
Posted by freedomchurch (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 6:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I beileve the best way to handle Dr. Valentine is start a petition and show the school how displeased we are with him.
Posted by TKay (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 7:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
http://www.minnesota.edu/news/2005/03/02...
Dr. Ann Valentine.
Great news to read the program is going to be reinstated! Way to go, LRH and Otter Tail and all those involved!!!
Posted by vbmom (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 8 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Am I missing something? Is the nursing program also on the chopping block? You can't tell me that this program is suffering for lack of interest.It has been a main stay of this institution for such a long time.There are generations of my family that have gone through this program. This would hurt the community and the entire region.
Posted by TKay (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 8:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Though still available in Fergus Falls, the college’s nursing program will undergo significant changes beginning this fall.
http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/news/2...
Posted by MyFurryFriend56537 (anonymous) on January 30, 2008 at 9:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why must we read 1/3rd of the article until we are told what program has been saved?
Posted by sickandtired (anonymous) on January 30, 2008 at 6:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Congratulations to LRH for really coming through for this community and for the students in the college. One has to wonder though, why wasn't this partnership explored earlier? What was actively pursued by the college to help save this program before it lost so much enrollment? And can someone PLEASE tell me why we are paying our tax dollars to assist the college in the first place - only to have the community have to step up and foot the bill when the college isn't doing their job? Are the college dollars being spend wisely? Could there be a reason to look over the expenditures and find out where the spending is happening? It would seem to me that the college leadership should have been working with the community partners all along and all of this could have been avoided along with the very bad feelings this has created. A collaborative college leader would have worked long and hard with the key players here BEFORE things went south and not become defensive once the problems came to the surface. Is this community really happy with this leadership? It really doesn't sound like it. What does the working staff think? Does anyone know?
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)