The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is partnering up with Columbus State Community College to address a critical workforce shortage.
Their partnership aims to increase enrollment in Columbus State's surgical technology program, according to a Feb. 28 news release shared with Becker's. Students who are admitted to the community college's program will train in the Ohio State Jameson Crane Sports Medicine Institute Surgical Skills Lab, and Ohio State staff who are also Columbus State instructors will teach the curriculum in an advanced training center.
Surgical technologists are one of many healthcare support positions in shortage. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there will be 8,600 openings for surgical assistants and techs each year for the next decade.
"Offering our curriculum at a leading state-of-the-art healthcare provider in our region is an innovative way to expand our educational reach, at a time when we have committed to more than double Columbus State's contributions to our community healthcare workforce," Kirk Dickerson, EdD, chief healthcare strategist at Columbus State, said in the news release.