NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

1/26/2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES ­Northwestern State University and Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria are teaming up to provide for the future health care needs of the area.

By working with Rapides Regional, NSU's College of Nursing has been able to accept a class of 20 Bachelor's of Science in Nursing students into clinicals in Alexandria. Rapides Regional has given Northwestern space for three classrooms, a lab and faculty offices in the Medical Arts Building, in addition to funding for three faculty positions. The assistance has also extended to Northwestern's program in radiologic technology, which has received two $100,000 endowed professorships and funding for two faculty positions from Rapides Regional. CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital of Alexandria has also agreed to fund a faculty position at NSU.

Northwestern has increased the number of faculty in Alexandria from two to eight.

"This has become a win-win situation for Northwestern and Rapides Regional," said Dean of the College of Nursing Dr. Norann Planchock. "We had the infrastructure, but lacked the resources to use it fully. Rapides Regional was able to assist us. Northwestern has provided outstanding nursing education for a number of years and this will enable us to produce well trained professionals who are needed in this area."

NSU has offered its graduate program in nursing in Alexandria for more than two decades and has also made its R.N. to B.S.N. program available in person and over the Internet for several years.

According to Cheryl Wilson, chief operating officer of Rapides Regional, the partnership got its start five years ago when the Medical Center was facing a shortage of X-ray technicians.

"I talked with (NSU President) Dr. (Randall J.) Webb about my ideas at the time and he agreed to work with us. The radiologic technology program in Alexandria has been a great success," said Wilson. "For years, many bright students from this area have gone to clinicals and Shreveport and never come back to this area. So we got together and figured out how to make a nursing program work here."

Students in clinicals will be able to gain externships at Rapides Regional. The first class to go through clinicals in Alexandria is scheduled to graduate in May.

"I really like the opportunity to get an excellent education close to home," said Katie Dollar, a senior nursing major from Pineville. "We get a great deal of personal attention here. There are also some outstanding hospitals and other facilities to gain experience in."

Main Menu