DSLCC Offering Health Care Courses

CLIFTON FORGE — Dabney S. Lancaster Community College is offering five non-credit health care programs through its Workforce Solutions and Community Education division during 2020: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) and Phlebotomy Technician, all on the DSLCC main campus in Clifton Forge; and Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and Pharmacy Technician, both at the DSLCC Rockbridge Regional Center in Buena Vista. 
All five begin during the spring 2020 semester, and all are available for financial assistance through the FastForward program, which provides tuition funding for short-term workforce training programs. 
Clinical Medical Assistant
Clinical Medical Assistant, a 15-week non-credit course that prepares students to sit for the National HealthCareer Association CCMA exam, will begin Feb. 4 and meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 9:30 p.m.  in Room 915 at the DSLCC Rockbridge Center in Buena Vista. There are also five Saturday sessions, held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
The CCMA course prepares students to be professional medical assistants dedicated to patient care management. Graduates will be equipped to assist physicians with examinations and treatment, take medical histories, perform diagnostic tests, expose X-ray films, sterilize instruments and supplies and assist with minor surgery.
The program includes 160 hours of classroom instruction and an opportunity to complete a 120-hour externship with a local health care provider. The full tuition fee is $3,210.
For information about financial assistance, or to register, contact FastForward Career Coach Brooke Shehan at (540) 863-2848 or email bshehan@dslcc.edu. 
Emergency Medical Technician
The EMT course begins Jan. 9 and will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 6 to 10 p.m. in Room 417, Warren Hall, on the DSLCC Clifton Forge campus.
Students will prepare for certification as a Virginia and/or National Registry EMT. With 120 contact hours of training, this course focuses on all aspects of pre-hospital basic life support as defined by the Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services curriculum  for EMTs. 
Students must be 16 years old to enroll, and possess a valid AHA certification in CPR-Basic Life Support. 
The tuition fee of $1,200 includes textbooks and the initial certification test fee. 
For information about financial assistance, or to register, contact FastForward Career Coach Brooke Shehan at (540) 863-2848 or email bshehan@dslcc.edu.  
Pharmacy Technician
The 50-hour Pharmacy Technician course, which prepares students to work in a retail or other pharmacy setting and to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s exam, will begin March 2. Class will meet on Monday evenings from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. and Wednesday evenings, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 908, at the DSLCC Rockbridge Regional Center in Buena Vista. 
The tuition of $1,497 includes textbooks and an 80-hour clinical externship, upon the successful completion of the course. The cost of the PTCB exam is not included.
For information about financial assistance, or to register, contact FastForward Career Coach Brooke Shehan at (540) 863-2848 or email bshehan@dslcc.edu.  
Phlebotomy Technician
Phlebotomy Technician is a 90-hour, 10-week course that will meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, beginning April 7, from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. in Room 515, McCarthy Hall, on the DSLCC Clifton Forge campus. Class will also meet on three Saturdays.
This course prepares professionals to collect blood specimens from clients for the purpose of laboratory analysis. In addition to the classroom work, the course includes a 40-hour clinical externship rotation. 
To be eligible for the clinical rotation, students must successfully complete the 90-hour program, agree to a thorough background check and drug screening, and meet other requirements. Students who complete this program will have the opportunity to pursue the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Phlebotomy Technician Exam. 
Full tuition is $2,325  and includes textbooks. For information about financial assistance or to register, contact FastForward Career Coach Brooke Shehan at (540) 863-2848 or email bshehan@dslcc.edu.  
Certified Nurse Aide
The 120-hour Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) training begins Feb. 10 and class will meet Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.  in Room 502, McCarthy Hall, on the DSLCC Clifton Forge campus. A prerequisite is a CPR certification.
Clinicals will be held at local care facilities for real-world, hands-on training. Four all-day labs will be held on campus in March prior to clinicals being scheduled. All students are required to submit to a basic background check and drug screen prior to attending the clinical sessions.
CNAs learn basic care skills, including the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of patients, with an emphasis on geriatric nursing.  CNAs may be employed in hospitals, long-term care facilities or private homes. 
The tuition fee of $2,325 includes all textbooks. For information about financial assistance, or to register, contact FastForward Career Coach Brooke Shehan at (540) 863-2848 or email bshehan@dslcc.edu.  
For more information or to enroll for any of DSLCC’s workforce or community education courses, visit the website at www.dslcc.edu/workforce.