Mon Health System and West Virginia Junior College Partner to Establish Collaborative Nursing Program

During an event on April 18, Mon Health and WVJC signed a letter of intent to initiate the collaborative nursing program. 

Mon Health System and West Virginia Junior College (WVJC) have announced plans to help address the nursing crisis through a collaborative initiative. The pioneering partnership strategically aligns the resources and expertise of Mon Health and WVJC to expand our state’s nursing workforce by creating the WVJC School of Nursing at Mon Health.

The new initiative will be an accelerated 18-month program and will include elements tailored to hospital culture and procedures, a hybrid online delivery method, joint appointments for lab and clinical faculty, and scholarships tied to employment commitments upon graduation. The program plans to open enrollment in September 2022 and start its first class in April 2023. 

“Our state’s healthcare system desperately needs more nurses, quickly,” said Chad Callen, CEO of WVJC. “This collaboration allows us to integrate our accelerated 18-month program directly into the hospital system, thereby increasing capacity, optimizing learning outcomes, and improving the student experience. The hybrid-online delivery method is essential to opening access to non-traditional students who cannot put life on hold to go to nursing school.”

During an event on April 18, Mon Health and WVJC signed a letter of intent to initiate the collaborative nursing program. Integrating WVJC’s School of Nursing with Mon Health System is the first step towards a broader workforce development partnership between the two organizations.

“Mon Health System is always in need of a well-trained workforce to carry out our responsibility of providing the highest level of patient care, including a steady supply of nurses,” said Dr. Krystal Atkinson, Chief Nursing Executive of Mon Health System. “Our collaboration with WVJC will integrate our two cultures to enhance the health of the communities we serve, one patient at a time.”

Mon Health System also has an active career placement collaboration with WVJC for students completing their medical coding certifications. Mon Health offers shadowing opportunities and assists newly certified students with interviews across the system. Mon Health and WVJC also work together to help those who are not yet certified with securing interviews in other departments, such as pre-access services, admissions, and patient financial services. 

To find out more about the WVJC School of Nursing at Mon Health, please call 877-25ONLINE or visit WVJC.edu.