DSCC Awarded $476,280 Delta Health Care Services Grant

On April 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Rural Development announced the approval of the Delta Health Care Services Grant for $476,280 to Dyersburg State Community College. The announcement was held inside the Student Center on the DSCC Dyersburg campus in front of over 50 legislators, community leaders and representatives from local businesses, industries and organizations.

 “Not only will these funds provide state-of-the-art simulation equipment for our emergency medical services programs and new nursing labs, it will also allow DSCC to expand its paramedic to RN fast track program to the Dyersburg campus and develop a RN to Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) partnership enrollment program with The University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in Memphis,” states Dr. Karen Bowyer, president of DSCC.

In addition, DSCC plans to achieve the overall goal of the grant by offering a CNA program in conjunction with Peabody High School; creating a pathway for advancement for RNs in northwest Tennessee; and providing job placement assistance to graduates with assistance from the American Job Centers.

The investment will be used to provide equipment and technical assistance, specifically for health care training in the rural areas of northwest Tennessee. It is designed to create a pipeline of rural health care workers to fill shortages currently present in the fields of emergency medical technicians (EMTs), advanced EMTs, paramedics, critical care paramedics, registered nurses (RNs) and certified nursing assistants (CNAs). In turn, the project will create entry points to health care professions and expand the access to primary health care for rural residents.