Prisma Health Invests $1M in Piedmont Technical College to Expand Nursing and Health Sciences Training in Laurens County
September 11, 2024
Prisma Health has committed $1 million to Piedmont Technical College (PTC) Foundation to increase access to nursing education and health sciences training on the PTC Laurens County campus. The investment will strengthen a workforce pipeline aimed at addressing nursing and other healthcare profession shortages in Laurens County and the surrounding region.
Details of the three-year program will be announced publicly Wednesday, Sept. 11, by Prisma Health Chief Executive Officer Justin M. Benfield and PTC President Dr. Hope E. Rivers at the “Maximizing Our Future Upstate Summit,” hosted by Ten at the Top at the Greenville Convention Center.
“This partnership underscores our shared commitment to enhancing healthcare education in Laurens County,” Rivers said. “With Prisma Health’s generous support this program will allow an increasing number of students to build foundational knowledge for future growth and success.”
Officials at Prisma Health echo this sentiment. “Investing in nursing and health science education is an investment in the future health of our community,” said Benfield, who serves as CEO for Prisma Health Laurens County Hospital and Prisma Health Hillcrest Hospital. “We are proud to collaborate with Piedmont Tech to develop a robust pipeline of skilled nurses and health sciences professionals who will serve the needs of Laurens County. It is exciting to work with educators to envision the best and most advanced learning environmentslocally to help students feel prepared and confident to serve patients in clinical and laboratory settings.”
The funding is Prisma Health’s latest initiative supporting workforce development in the healthcare sector for South Carolina. Innovative programs and academic partnerships with universities and technical colleges across the state and programs such as youth apprenticeships in nursing for college credit, MedEx Academy and Project Search lead to rewarding career paths across the wide variety of clinical and non-clinical jobs offered in healthcare.
PTC students in the Prisma Health Laurens Nursing Ladder Initiative will have an opportunity to complete the following credentials, culminating in an Associate Degree in Nursing:
