FLETCHER ALLEN HEALTH CARE ITAR PROGRAM

Fletcher Allen Health Care Teams with Vermont HITEC to Train Licensed Nursing Assistants: Applications for Free Training Program Due June 1, 2010

Burlington, VT - May 17, 2010: Fletcher Allen and Vermont HITEC are recruiting candidates for the partnership’s first training program for Licensed Nursing Assistants (LNAs). The free training will lead directly to employment in part-time or full-time positions for eight participants. The program is targeted to unemployed and underemployed Vermonters, and Fletcher Allen employees seeking to upgrade their skills.

The two-part training program will be conducted over an eight week period. Students who successfully complete an unpaid three week readiness program will enter a paid five-week training program that combines academic course content with clinical rotations. The program will prepare eight participants to work directly with patients and to apply for LNA licensure with the Vermont State Board of Nursing. Upon completion of the eight week training, the new LNAs will also participate in a one year state certified apprenticeship program.

The pay scale for an LNA begins at $11.23 per hour with a comprehensive benefits package, with potential future earnings up to $16.89 per hour. Participants may also receive college credit toward an associate’s degree at a state community college.

The LNA program follows the success of six previous training programs between Fletcher Allen and Vermont HITEC, funded with support from Senator Patrick J. Leahy.

“LNAs are valued members of our nursing care team, working with the RNs and LPNs in providing quality care and caring for the patients and their families. We look forward to working with our partners at Vermont HITEC to provide this excellent training opportunity,” said Sandra Dalton, Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer of Fletcher Allen Health Care.

"Fletcher Allen has provided Vermonters with the opportunity to demonstrate that with the appropriate training they can become part of a high quality workforce dedicated to patient care,” said Gerry Ghazi, President of Vermont HITEC. “We applaud their efforts to engage in this innovative partnership and hope to continue to offer similar opportunities in the future.”

The deadline for applying to the LNA program is Tuesday, June 1, 2010. Individuals interested in applying to the program must visit www.vthitec.org to fill out an online application. Questions and inquiries can be directed to Lisa Gorman, ITAR Project Leader, Vermont HITEC, Inc., P.O. Box 1548, Williston, VT 05495, or by email at lisa.gorman@vthitec.org. For up-to-date program information, visit: www.vthitec.org.

About the Fletcher Allen/Vermont HITEC Partnership
Fletcher Allen and Vermont HITEC developed their partnership in 2004 with funding assistance from both the State of Vermont and the U.S. Department of Labor. The partnership was created to help address critical workforce development needs by training unemployed and underemployed Vermonters for jobs that are persistently difficult to fill. The goal is designed to be flexible to match current workforce needs with potential applicants who lacked the necessary skills to be considered for a position.

Training programs have been conducted for a variety of positions including practice support specialists, registration representatives, medical coders and phlebotomists. Most recently, in the fall of 2009, the partnership trained 32 Data Abstractors and PRISM Go-Live Specialists to assist with the implementation of Fletcher Allen's electronic health record. To date, a total of 102 Vermonters have been trained and offered positions at Fletcher Allen as a result of these programs.

About Fletcher Allen
Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont’s College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center. Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment. Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center – providing advanced are to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York – and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region. For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our website at www.fahc.org.

About Vermont HITEC
Vermont HITEC is a 501C (3) non-profit organization with a mission to transform the lives of Vermonters through employer based education and training opportunities. Vermont HITEC has employed over 400 Vermonters over the past ten years in the fields of healthcare, information technology and manufacturing partnering with over 20 Vermont businesses including Fletcher Allen Health Care, Husky Injection Molding Systems, Hazelett Strip Casting Corporation, IDX Systems (GE Healthcare) and Dealer.com.