BEND, OR -- St. Charles Health System, Central Oregon Community College and OHSU are collaborating on a program to train more nurses. Dr. Susan Bakewell Sachs is Dean of OHSU's School of Nursing. She says it will help address the local healthcare workforce shortage more quickly than traditional prgrams, "Designed for individuals who already have at least a Bachelor's Degree in another field, to enter nursing through this accelerated program that gives them a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing in 15 months."

OHSU already offers the program in Portland and Ashland, "It is a well-established program," says Bakewell Sachs, "And we have students who have Bachelor’s Masters, Doctoral degrees, who make the decision to change their career path and come into nursing." The partnership allows for OHSU nursing students to use COCC’s simulation lab and classroom space, and they will serve many of their clinical hours with St. Charles. She says it'll also benefit OSU-Cascades, "OSU has graduates who come out of their campus with Bachelor’s of Science degrees, and who may very well want to pursue nursing."

The gaol is to train local students who Bakewell Sachs expects will stay in Central Oregon to work. "We have four regional campuses outside of Portland, and we really do seek to try to educate students in those communities who want to be in those communities." She adds, "We have examples of how this has worked well in other parts of the state, so I’m just really pleased we were able to put this together and we’re ready to move forward."

The first cohort of eight students begin classes in July.