The Medical Center of Central Georgia’s Commitment to Funding Faculty Positions for Licensed Healthcare Professional in Georgia Tops $1 Million

MACON (August 18, 2006)―The Medical Center of Central Georgia’s commitment to financially supporting faculty for licensed healthcare professionals topped a combined $1 million over six years. Local universities and colleges received an estimated $250,000 for the year 2006 increasing the number of faculty for licensed healthcare professionals. Georgia College & State University (GCSU) received $90,734, Macon State College (MSC) received $125,000, and Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) received $30,000. 

   Georgia College & State University uses the funds for one, full-time nursing faculty, and five adjunct professors. Macon State College uses the funds for two nursing faculty and one respiratory therapist, and Central Georgia Technical College uses the funds for an orthopaedic technologist program.

   As a regional healthcare center, MCCG has been acutely effected by the national nursing shortage. Don Faulk, president and CEO of MCCG, and Barb Stickel, senior vice president and chief nursing officer, recognized that universities were struggling to fund nursing faculty for to meet the increased number of students. 

   “We knew that the best way to ensure a future workforce was to work with our community now instead of worrying about the shortage later,” says Stickel. “Qualified students were placed on waiting lists until the universities could accept more students into nursing programs.” 

   Realizing in what ways they could help, The Medical Center began a partnership with GCSU to underwrite faculty positions allowing the university to expand its nursing program. 

   In addition to its financial support, MCCG nurses serve as guest lecturers for GCSU nursing courses, and these nurses teach from their real-life experiences. MCCG also allows GCSU to hold classes for RN-BSN students in its Peyton Anderson Health Education Center and encourages these students to use their on-site Health Resource Center.

   Dr. Cheryl Kish head of the nursing department at Georgia College & State University, said, “This partnership with MCCG is a precious one―we are truly grateful for the support. The funding we receive has been invaluable to GCSU. MCCG’s generosity allows us to hire an additional full-time faculty member, and this year, we admitted an additional eight students.” 

   In 2004, MCCG expanded their funding to include Macon Sate College and Central Georgia Technical School. Dr. Rebecca Corvey is the director of Macon State College’s nursing program. 

   “MCCG’s partnership gave credence to our nursing program and encouraged our Board of Regents to fund two additional nursing faculty, resulting in enormous expansion,” said Dr. Corvey. “Three years ago, we were only able to admit 50 nursing students once a year. As a result of this combined effort, we tripled our enrollment, expanded the nursing program to our Warner Robins campus, and doubled our Respiratory Therapy program’s enrollment.”

   MCCG’s funding allowed Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) to create an orthopaedic technologist program. Since its inception, the program has become the only program of its kind in the Southeast.

   While each school’s enrollment has increased exponentially, MCCG remains committed to helping local residents attend nursing and healthcare professional classes, which prepares our community for this future need.