Just a little "stick-to-itiveness" and you could have a new career in medicine. JCCC's Health and Human Services (HHS) and Olathe Medical Center (OMC) have collaborated to offer a 150-hour comprehensive phlebotomy technician certificate program.

"I am extremely pleased with the quality of the students and of the program," said John Staton, director, OMC Laboratory Services. "There are always some challenges and unknowns with new programs, but the first group of (JCCC) students exceeded our expectations."

Rebecca Tyndall, CPT1, has more than 10 years of instruction experience with the Navy and has trained medical students at the University of California, San Diego. At JCCC, she teaches a class of eight students all aspects of clinical and didactic phlebotomy and specimen collection, including collection procedures, safety guidelines, patient rights, test requirements and equipment basics. Students who successfully complete the lecture and initial clinical practice progress to a 100-hour, one-on-one rotation assignment with OMC laboratory staff.

Training from OMC staff prepares students for situations that arise in emergency room, outpatient and nursing home settings. JCCC students are also instructed on how the lab works so they have a thorough understanding of collection and testing.

"It's totally comprehensive," said Penny Shaffer, program director, Health and Human Services, JCCC. "Students are well prepared to sit for the national certification test after working with OMC and Rebecca."

According to Shaffer, word is spreading to area labs about how well JCCC students are being trained. "JCCC and OMC are making opportunities readily available for people to enhance their careers or start new ones," she said.

Shaffer and Staton accredit the success of the program to a combination of JCCC's and OMC's commitment to students and Tyndall's great teaching.

"The students all spoke very highly of Rebecca and their preparation was demonstrated from the moment they walked in our door," Staton added. "Successes such as this will only make the program and our partnership stronger."

New EKG, pharmacy and phlebotomy programs are some of the courses offered in JCCC's and OMC's curriculum agreement. Classrooms for these and other medical courses will be housed in the new Olathe Health Education Center (OHEC), which is expected to be open for classes in fall 2011. See a complete list of medical programs becoming available at OHEC here.