BRATTLEBORO — Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) and Community College of Vermont - Brattleboro (CCV) recently held a virtual graduation ceremony for students enrolled in the college's accelerated College to Career medical assisting program.
The nine students included Jennifer Winte, Olivia Rhodes, Susan Jones, Morgan Gero, Allison Fiske, Hannah Buffum, Stephen Cannon, Emily Harvey, and Mariah Nichols.
Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, students' family and friends were unable to attend the in-person event, but they watched via a live Zoom feed alongside several members of CCV and BMH administration.
BMH Chief Operating Officer Eilidh Pederson began by thanking the graduates for their dedication to the program, calling them “a real asset to our hospital.”
As part of the joint initiative, BMH provided full scholarships for nine applicants to the program. Scholarship recipients had their CCV tuition waived and receive full-time employment at the hospital.
Upon completion of the academic portion of the program at CCV, students were enrolled in an extensive training program at BMH led by a registered nurse to enable them to work independently as a medical assistant.
The training included rotations throughout the various primary care and specialties of BMH's 11 outpatient practices, as well as the BMH COVID-19 vaccine and testing site, to learn how to operate specific equipment and to document appropriately in medical record systems.
BMH President and CEO Steven R. Gordon shared his gratitude for the hospital's ongoing relationship with CCV and the commitment by the students.
“We're very committed to providing opportunities for people who have the drive and initiative to enter this growing field and are very proud to welcome you officially into our practices,” he said.