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Alt and members of the K21 Foundation board backed up that claim with a check for $171,945 to establish science and patient-care labs on the Warsaw campus.
Funding for the labs enables Ivy Tech to offer certified nursing assistant, qualified medication aide, licensed practical nursing and medical assisting programs, pending state board approval.
"Our hospital and physician offices are finding it extremely difficult to locate and hire qualified individuals to provide health care services," Alt said. "Today, we begin the process of building a workforce of skilled health care employees so that, when we need their services, they will be there for all of us."
Ivy Tech State College dean Joann Walgamuth, said there will be no delay in setting up the labs.
"More than 160 students on the Warsaw campus are currently enrolled in the health care programs or intend to enroll after completing general education courses," she said. "We'll do whatever it takes to have the labs ready this fall."
Currently, potential CNAs, QMAs, LPNs and medical assisting students must travel to Ivy Tech in either Fort Wayne or South Bend to attend certification classes.
The science and patient care labs mean anatomy and physiology, biology, microbiology and environmental science courses could be available in local classrooms.
"This grant means that more of our citizens will be able to pursue health care careers," she said. "and our county will have more trained workers to meet critical shortages in the future."
Two current students, Brenda Bone and Penny Pruitt, expressed their gratitude to the Foundation for supporting the labs. Both women are single mothers, and faced eight to 10 hours of driving time each week to attend out-of-town classes.
"This means fewer miles on my car and more quality time with my daughter," Bone, who is pursuing an associate's degree in nursing, said.
"This is a huge convenience for all students in this field," Pruitt said. Enrolled in a medical assisting course, Pruitt praised Ivy Tech staffers.
"The school is an asset to me," she said. "They help students become successful."
The Warsaw campus moved from classrooms and offices in Lakeview Middle School to the United Office Complex, 3755 Lake City Highway, last August.
Established in Warsaw in 1978, the Warsaw campus serves 600 full- and part-time students. In spring 2003, the number of credit hours for which students registered increased by 20.1 percent over the previous year.
The Kosciusko 21st Century Foundation was established in 1999 with proceeds of the sale of Kosciusko Community Hospital to Quorum Health Group. The foundation's mission is to maintain an endowment to ensure healthcare facilities remain in Kosciusko County and to improve community health and wellness through investments and grants.
