BRANDON, Fla. (WFTS) — A new workforce training facility aims to address a national trend: a shortage of healthcare workers.
Suncoast Career Academy celebrated the grand opening of Suncoast Career Academy at 223 Morrison Road in Brandon on Thursday.
SCA's expansion will offer affordable and flexible courses to high school graduates and adults looking to become dental or medical assistants or pharmacy technicians.
“We have a passion for providing the best care to our community, so when we couldn’t find enough health care workers, we rolled up our sleeves and took action,” said Bradley Herremans, CEO of Suncoast Community Health Centers. “We were thrilled to be one of the first community health centers in Florida to open a workforce training center. Ultimately, our mission is to train the best workers and keep them here, so people in Tampa Bay can receive the highest quality care.”
As of November 2023, 36% of private dental practices said they were actively recruiting dental assistants.
According to the Occupational Information Network sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Florida will need another 9,300 medical assistants by 2030; a 30% jump.
In the meantime, a 2021 survey conducted by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists found Pharmacy Technician shortages as high as 40% or more in some states.
SCA has felt the pinch of the shortage for years. In 2018, the nonprofit serving the uninsured and underinsured community launched their on-site training program.
Alondra Gaspar Aguilar graduated from the program in 2020.
"I remember the first day I was like, um, is this really happening? I'm dreaming. But no, it was actually happening," she said.
Her first day was pivotal. She's a DACA recipient; unable to secure FAFSA and other funding for higher education.
"All the schooling [said] 'Okay, no, you don't qualify for no financial aids, you gotta pay out of pocket to $20,000.' So I'm like, I cannot do that. I had two little girls," she recalled.
But SCA made it possible for her. Today, she's the lead Dental Assistant at Suncoast Community Health Centers.
The new center hopes to reach even more people like Gaspar Aguilar.
Much of the design and implementation is the brainchild of Nila Patel, a Pharmacist Instructor and Pharmacy Manager.
"This is really transformative. Where I can teach my students at the same time, I can show them how exactly a pharmacy looks like because, you know, if they can visualize it, it's easy to understand," she explained.
Hands on learning is important for them. Throughout the new facility, there's plenty of opportunities to learn the basics in the most hands on way.
"We have been teaching students in our old building, the conference room and in our training center," she said. "It was a challenge, to say the least. There wasn't enough space."
Now they're able to tackle the worker shortage head-on. Patel says since its inception, 50 students have graduated. She has no vacancies on her team, because students who went through the program were hired on after graduation.
"It's a wonderful feeling because the shortage is alleviated. At the same time, we have good quality students, and they are happy as well. Because what we offer at SCA is, if you stay with the company, for three years, you get your whole tuition reimbursed. So if they have incentive to stay as well," she said.
It's all breaking down barriers for the people who dream of helping others.
"If you know you have a dream, just follow your dreams. And don't stop. Just keep going into you know where you want to be," said Gaspar Aguilar.
The new workforce training facility also houses the Suncoast CHC Employee Training Department, with new hire orientation, electronic medical record training, skills, and refresher training sessions. Suncoast has six trainers and two administrative professionals who are responsible for all federal compliance training for more than 500 staff members.
Suncoast Career Academy is accepting new students and application information can be found at suncoastcareeracademy.com.
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