Fort Lewis College has partnered with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus to establish a new nursing training facility on its campus. U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper toured the facility on Aug. 29, highlighting the importance of local educational opportunities in retaining healthcare professionals in rural areas. $1.3 million in federal funding will support the CU Nursing Fort Lewis College Collaborative, which aims to train students in community-based, rural, and Indigenous healthcare perspectives. By keeping nursing education local, the program seeks to address the challenges smaller communities face in recruiting healthcare workers and enhance the quality of care available in southwest Colorado. By Sadie Smith. This story is sponsored by Tafoya Barrett & Associates and M&R Plumbing.
Fort Lewis College - https://www.fortlewis.edu
University of Colorado Anschutz - https://www.cuanschutz.edu
CU Nursing Fort Lewis College Collaborative - https://www.fortlewis.edu/administrative-offices/academic-affairs/academic-initiatives-and-supports/strategic-grants-partnerships/skyway-partnerships/nursing
Tafoya Barrett & Associates - https://www.tafoyabarrett.com/
M&R Plumbing - https://www.mandrhomeservices.com/
Fort Lewis College has partnered with the University of Colorado Anschutz to introduce a four-year nursing degree and a new nursing training facility to its campus. On August 29th, US Senator John Hickenlooper toured the new nursing training facility, which is still undergoing renovations. Hickenlooper secured 1.3 million in federal funds through congressionally directed spending to support the collaborative four-year nursing degree program at Fort Lewis College. You're watching the Local News Network, brought to you by Tafoya Barrett and Associates and M&R Plumbing. I'm Sadie Smith. This partnership, known as the CU Nursing Fort Lewis College Collaborative, allows Fort Lewis College students to receive a top-tier Colorado nursing education from CU Anschutz, while benefiting from the smaller class sizes at FLC.
The fundamental components, of how we'll create that system, whereby people can get all manner of medical attention, by highly trained kids who grew up here and didn't go off to Denver or Chicago and get their education there when they might decide, "Oh, this is a big city, I might just stay." Now they stay here, where their roots are.
Smaller communities often struggle to recruit and retain employees due to a lack of resources compared to larger cities. By keeping educational opportunities local, the program aims to develop a skilled workforce that meets the unique healthcare needs of rural and indigenous communities.
Diversity, especially, is going to be all important in rural healthcare. Rural healthcare, because you don't have as much density of people, it's harder to provide all the services that people expect. And the goal here is to make sure that, as much as humanly possible, anything you need for your healthcare, you can get here at Durango and not have to go to Denver or, you know, to some larger city.
Healthcare is essential to rural communities so people can get the care they need locally. This nurse training program specifically teaches students community-based, rural, and indigenous perspectives.
I think it's going to allow Southwest Colorado to continue to grow the way it has, and at the same time get better and better healthcare. The foundational elements of better healthcare are workforce, having young people coming into the system that have the right education and the commitment, the passion.
The nursing facility will take place in Skyhawk Hall adjacent to the Dennison Memorial Stadium. The first nursing cohort is expected to take place in June, 2025. For further details, visit the nursing program partnership on FLC's website. For more information about this and other stories, visit durangolocal.news. Thank you for watching this edition of The Local News Network. I'm Sadie Smith.
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