Cox Donates Laptops to Intermountain Healthcare’s Medical Assistant Training Program
In celebration of National Nurses Week (May 6-12) and International Nurses Day (May 12), Cox Communications has donated 20 laptops, valued at $10,000, to Intermountain Healthcare’s new Medical Assistant Training program.
The innovative, in-person, three-month program was developed in partnership with NV Careers and Goodwill of Southern Nevada to help expand the number of medical assistants (MA) available to work in Intermountain Healthcare’s 60 Southern Nevada clinics and facilities. This jump-start program allows unemployed and underemployed community members with no prior experience the ability to enter and diversify the healthcare workforce. In addition to coursework, apprentices must complete 1,200 clinical hours of training before full time employment as a MA I. Students work with current MA II and MA III that have successfully worked their way up Intermountain’s MA Career Ladder. Apprentices rotate through primary care, pediatrics and specialty clinics. The program provides a full-time paid apprenticeship at $16 an hour.
“Access to healthcare and access to technology including internet connectivity are vital to keeping our local economy thriving,” said Cox Business Vice President Steve Westerman. “We’re happy to support Intermountain Healthcare’s future medical assistants by donating laptops to the program and information to help students connect to low-cost internet programs offered through Cox and the federal government.”
After one year of employment, medical assistants are eligible to test for the Certified Medical Assistant credential that they can then use to continue a career in the field.
“Making sure that these medical assistant students have access to dependable technology through low-cost internet and Chromebooks is a key to the success of them advancing through the didactic portions of this program,” says Intermountain Healthcare Region Chief Nursing Officer Keyona Cole. “It provides an equitable opportunity for the participants. We are thrilled to receive such a generous donation from Cox and know that these laptops will be put to great use and benefit our community for the long term.”
Intermountain’s nursing educators were instrumental in supporting the clinical portions of the program. Nursing education is one of the many roles the nursing profession has to offer.
For more information about this program and to sign up for the next cohort in August, please visit http://www.goodwillvegas.org/90-day-ma.
About Cox’s Affordability Program
Cox, the largest private broadband company in America, is dedicated to ensuring digital equity for households of all incomes and economic statuses in Southern Nevada. Several affordable internet programs to available to qualifying households. To learn more about Cox’s dedication to digital equity and explore affordable internet tiers, please visit cox.com/digitalequity.
About Intermountain Healthcare
With locations in seven states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Healthcare is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, medical groups with 3,800 employed physicians and advanced practice providers, a health plans division called SelectHealth with more than 1 million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs.
