Beckley, WV (WOAY) – Valley College and Appalachian Regional Healthcare signed a new partnership in Beckley on Wednesday, one aimed at keeping the state’s health care system running strong.
The deal pairs the college with one of the region’s largest health care employers. Valley College Campus Director Jamie Holiday said the goal is to help ARH employees continue their education.
“We are partnering with Appalachian Regional Health Care to provide their employees with scholarships for all of our programs,” Holiday said.
The scholarships range from $3,000 toward a diploma to $6,000 for an associate’s degree and $12,000 for a bachelor’s. The money can go toward fields such as nursing and medical training, business, and information technology.
Beckley ARH CEO Todd Howell said investing where there is growth is common sense.
“Health care is definitely a growing field … in the state we’re actually one of the few professions that is growing,” Howell said. “So there’s a lot of opportunity in health care. We have an aging population. And so there’s opportunities for, you know, nurses, for CNAs, for therapists, for pharmacists. All those are in big demand in West Virginia.”
The benefits are not limited to ARH’s workforce. Holiday said Valley students gain from the partnership as well.
“They’ll have more opportunity since we are a partner with ARH for any type of externships with them or jobs with them, and we’ll be able to just network together,” she said.
Howell said the partnership also helps grow the quality of health care and health care education close to home.
“They don’t want to drive to Charleston or drive to another place to get an education or get health care,” he said. “So I think it’s important that we find providers that we can partner with who can deliver the services here in town so that people don’t have to drive to get those services.”
Gracie Ferrell is one of the students currently working toward a nursing degree at Valley College, and she recognizes the value of what she is working toward.
“It’s a difficult 18 months, but it’s a lifetime career,” Ferrell said. “I hope to be successful, help people, and make money.”
