Department tries alternative route

It has been a wet and stormy season not only with California weather, but for the students and faculty of Modesto Junior College. With the whirlwind of cut classes and slashed funding, it's getting harder and harder to see the hope in these troubled times.  The loss of many programs is a tragedy not only to the faculty and staff losing their jobs and the students who take their courses, but to Modesto Junior College as a whole. It is important not to lose sight of what remains. It is important to start thinking about moving forward; to see what areas are moving forward and how.

     The Allied Health and Family & Consumer Sciences division sustained heavy hits from a combination of budget cuts and other financial factors. Nearly half of the programs will no longer be continued as of the new school year including culinary arts, dental assisting and the Licensed Vocational Nurse (L.V.N.) programs.

     The L.V.N. program has not actually been financed through MJC since the early 90s, according to Teryl M. Ward, nursing instructor and Associated Degree Nursing Program Assistant Director. Until then, it was funded by MJC as part of the Allied Health Department.

According to Ward, the vocational nursing program had received support from various local sources for many years, including Emanuel Medical Center and the coalition of nursing homes in Stanislaus County.

The L.V.N program was discontinued for a time in the past, according to Ward.

"In spring 2007, MJC sought and received a federal grant through the Department of Labor to fund the program," says Ward. "In fall 2007, the first class of MJC vocational nursing students returned to west campus."

For the past two years, it was funded by financial stimulus money provided as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and "administered by Alliance Worknet and MJC's Workforce Training Center," says Ward. "The funds have not been renewed and the college is unable to support the program."

     What remains of the division, including medical assisting, the child development center and the Associate Degree Nursing (A.D.N.) programs are continuing.

     This year, the A.D.N. program received a Song-Brown grant for the first time in the amount of $160,000, according to Lisa Riggs, nursing instructor and Director of the A.D.N. program.  

     According to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development website, the Song-Brown program "was established in 1973...to increase the number of health professional training slots in established medical schools."  

     The grant is awarded to family practice residency programs, physician assistant/family nurse practitioner programs and registered nurse education programs for associate, bachelor, and master degrees.  

     Riggs says that the grant money will go towards sustaining the number of faculty and students of MJC as well as the cohort at Columbia College.  

     She also says that depending on the availability, the funds will help the program attempt to integrate eight additional transfer students over the next two years.  These transfer students include second or third semester transfer students from other schools or L.V.N. advanced placement students that can be placed in second or third semester classes.  

     The A.D.N. program currently maintains about 73 students per semester, according to Ward. Sixty three attend MJC and 10 attend Columbia.  However, all 73 are considered MJC students.

     "We get a huge amount of support and money from the local hospitals," says Beth Bailey, A.D.N. nursing instructor and ICU nurse.

     According to Riggs, 33% of the funding for the program comes from hospital funding.  

     Without that support, says Riggs, they would only be able to accept about 49 students or less per semester.

Even with continued success, the faculty of Allied Health is certainly aware of what the rest of the school is facing.

     "It doesn't matter what's happening here, it's a tragic story," says Bailey reflecting on the tremendous impact of the budget cuts on MJC.

     "The nursing program continuing, I think, is a good thing and it's a rational decision, [but] it doesn't make up for the loss," says Bailey, speaking on her own behalf.  

     Bailey, having been laid off herself eight years ago, empathizes with those who may be losing jobs but doesn't really find any joy or relief in being a survivor of financial struggles. However, she does feel there is hope.

    "Even though some survive and some don't survive in this particular form at this particular time, how do we all move forward for the best of the whole?" says Bailey.  "That to me is where the hope is."  

     This is the question many around MJC are asking themselves: "How do we move forward?" Unfortunately, it is not an easy question to answer.  However, according to Bailey, hope comes from the determination of the human spirit; it comes from trying to move on despite adversity.

     According to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development website, the Song-Brown program "was established in 1973...to increase the number of health professional training slots in established medical schools."