Georgia Southwestern, Andrew College sign long-term care management agreement

AMERICUS — Georgia Southwestern State University and Andrew College recently signed a Pathway Memorandum of Understanding that is designed to ensure a smooth transition from associate’s degree programs at Andrew to GSW’s bachelor’s degree program in Long-Term Care Management.

Through the Pathway Program agreement, all students interested in a career in Long-Term Care Management can continue online and/or in classroom settings. Andrew graduates who have completed the appropriate degree (associate’s of science in nursing or associate’s of science in respiratory therapy) that is required in the LTCM curriculum can take advantage of this opportunity.

“We are excited to partner with Andrew College in educating the caregivers our aging and disabled communities desperately need,” GSW President Neal Weaver, said in a news release. “We hope that in simplifying the transition from institution to institution, more students are encouraged to pursue long-term care as a career.”

“Our nation has a growing number of older adults and individuals with disabilities,” GSW Associate Dean and Professor Leisa Easom said. “The LTCM degree addresses the multidisciplinary elements in education and training required in the preparation of our health care work force today to meet the needs of these populations.”

Graduates with the LTCM degree will have the managerial, budgetary and communication skills critical to the health management field. The degree prepares graduates to assist patients and families to connect with community resources, transition from hospital to home, and manage the care of residents in an institutional setting.

“According to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, there are currently 14 million people receiving some form of long-term care, and that number is expected to double by 2050,” Andrew College President Linda R. Buchanan said. “Our partnership with Georgia Southwestern will help contribute to the work force needs for southwest Georgia and beyond.”

Unique to the GSW campus is the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, where the creation of this degree began. In prior years, Easom served as the RCI executive director and experienced first-hand how families across the nation are struggling to connect with community resources that would enable the disabled family member to remain in their home, navigate the health care system, and/or transition from hospital to home as well as residential settings.

Learn more about GSW’s Long-Term Care Management Program at gsw.edu/LTCM.

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