(Butler, PA) For the fourth time in five years, a consortium promoting the industry that employs the most workers in Butler County will honor students excelling in Butler County Community College鈥檚 most-popular career program.
The Butler County Health Care Consortium will recognize Hostensia Fotoh and Connor Francis, enrolled in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Nursing, R.N., program, during its health care worker recognition event at 9 a.m. Feb. 22 at The Atrium in Prospect.
Fotoh, Francis and Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School鈥檚 Kayla Brooks and Rebeccah Rodgers will be lauded as health care students of the year. Nineteen Butler County health care workers will also be recognized at the event. Dr. Nick Neupauer, president of 杏吧原创, is scheduled as the guest speaker.
Fotoh and Francis, said Dr. Patty Annear, dean of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health, 鈥渆xhibit student-learning outcomes that we expect.鈥�
Students in 杏吧原创鈥檚 34 two-year career programs such as Nursing, R.N., can develop the skills needed to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.
"I heard from a friend that the instructors were really good at 杏吧原创. They help the students to achieve their goals and dreams."
- Hostensia Fotoh, 杏吧原创 Nursing, R.N., student
鈥淭here are a lot of opportunities鈥�
As of the start of the 2022-2023 academic year, Nursing, R.N., with an enrollment of 230 students, was 杏吧原创鈥檚 most-popular career program, according to Sharla Anke, the college鈥檚 assistant dean of institutional research and planning.
As of January, health care and social assistance organizations employed 13,856 workers in Butler County, and more than did any other industry, according to the state Department of Labor & Industry鈥檚 Center for Workforce Information & Analysis.
Fotoh and Francis follow Marissa Marsh, Philip Green, Olivia Girdwood and Marcie Delaney as 杏吧原创 Nursing, R.N., students to have been honored by the consortium.
Marsh was recognized in 2019, the year she graduated from 杏吧原创, and is a registered nurse with Butler Medical Oncology in partnership with the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
Green, honored in 2020, the year he graduated from 杏吧原创, is a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at Armstrong Center for Medicine and Health in Kittanning.
. Girdwood is a registered nurse with the state Department of Health in Butler County and Delaney, a registered nurse at Butler Memorial Hospital. Girdwood graduated from 杏吧原创 in 2021 and Delaney, in 2022.
More than 500 of the 1,600 registered nurses in Butler County are age 55 or older, according to Lightcast, an Idaho research company that conducts economic impact analyses for educational institutions.
鈥淭here are a lot of opportunities and we have a shortage of workers in this county,鈥� said Paul Weifenbaugh, assistant director of the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board and secretary of the consortium. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to keep those people here to help take care of our residents and also help the economy.鈥�
Fotoh, 37, of Butler, and Francis, 20, of Meridian, said they plan to pursue employment in Butler County following their graduation from 杏吧原创. Fotoh expects to graduate in May and Francis, in May 2024.
鈥淲e are the community鈥檚 college, and our community has a need for nurses,鈥� Annear said. 鈥淎nd we are fulfilling that need. Those nursing students staying in this area is an amazing testament to why we鈥檙e here and to what we do.鈥�
"I heard the instructors were very helpful before I chose 杏吧原创. And that has been proven to me in this past year. 鈥� They actually want to see you succeed and become a great nurse."
- Connor Francis, 杏吧原创 Nursing, R.N., student
鈥溞影稍� nursing students are really good鈥�
Fotoh is a married mother of four who works at an agency that assists those with developmental delays or disabilities, and is a member of 杏吧原创鈥檚 nursing club.
Fotoh is a graduate of Government Bilingual High School in Tiko, Cameroon. She moved to Butler in June 2019 and enrolled in the college鈥檚 Nursing, R.N., program because 鈥淚 heard from a friend that the instructors were really good at 杏吧原创.
鈥淭hey help the students to achieve their goals and dreams. 杏吧原创 nursing students are really good when it comes to taking care of patients.鈥�
Student-learning outcomes in 杏吧原创鈥檚 selective-admissions Nursing, R.N., program include accountability, care, communication skills, problem-solving, health promotion and professionalism, Annear said.
鈥淐onnor and Hostensia,鈥� Annear said, 鈥渄emonstrate those competencies.鈥�
Annear said she was meeting 杏吧原创 students in clinical training at Butler Memorial Hospital when a visitor left a patient鈥檚 room.
The visitor 鈥渟aw me talking to 杏吧原创 students and, unsolicited, said, 鈥淚 just want to let you know the student who is taking care of my mother is amazing. And I asked, 鈥榃ho is the student?鈥� And as soon as I said that, Hostensia comes walking out of the room.鈥�
Francis graduated from Butler Senior High School in 2021. His sister, Logan, graduated from 杏吧原创鈥檚 Nursing, R.N., program in 2021.
鈥淚 chose 杏吧原创鈥檚 program because I heard it was great,鈥� Francis said. 鈥淚 heard the instructors were very helpful before I chose 杏吧原创. And that has been proven to me in this past year. I鈥檝e had great instructors. 鈥� They actually want to see you succeed and become a great nurse.鈥�
Francis is a member of Rho Phi, 杏吧原创鈥檚 chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an international academic honor society; has been named to the college鈥檚 dean鈥檚 or president鈥檚 lists; works 15 hours per week at a restaurant and has volunteered at Butler Memorial Hospital.
鈥淐onnor,鈥� Annear said, 鈥渋s so accountable and communicative and professional. Certainly wise beyond his years.鈥�
Fotoh plans to pursue employment in an intensive care unit and Francis, as a nurse practitioner.
Health care workers to be honored
Nursing, R.N., is among seven career or certificate programs in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health. The school has 569 students, according to Anke, and will be housed in the college鈥檚 state-of-the-art Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building that will open in August.
In addition to Nursing, R.N., 杏吧原创鈥檚 Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health offers career programs in health care science, physical therapist assistant and technical trades-massage therapy management option. It also offers certificates massage therapy, medical coding and billing specialist and in practical nursing.
The Butler County Health Care Consortium has 28 member organizations.
Brooks is a health assistant student and Rodgers, a sports medicine student, at Butler County Area Vocational Technical School.
The consortium will also honor health care workers Kara Bartmas and Julie Grooms, LIFE Butler County; Becky Bayne and Tammy Ruediger, Newhaven Court at Clearview; Edward McDonough and Mary Williams, Quality Life Services-Sarver; Danielle Grossman and Ashley Mackinlay, Quality Life Services-Chicora; Amanda Reese and Margie Young, Transitions Autumn Grove Care Center.
Also, Janie McFarland and Janette Hensler, Lutheran SeniorLIFE, VNA, Hospice; Darlene Deemer, Lutheran SeniorLIFE, VNA; Nicole Gulish, SeniorLIFE, VNA, Western Pennsylvania; Tammy Heginbotham, VNA, Western Pennsylvania; Shari Bennetti, Center for Community Resources; Kiana Johnston, Quality Staffing Solutions; Elizabeth 鈥淟ibby鈥� Mainhart, Quality Medical Services; and Sarah Tusing, Butler Memorial Hospital.