Albany Tech’s MEDSTARTX van hitting the road to boost enrollment in health professions

ALBANY – A distinctly colorful van unveiled on Thursday will have the mission of hitting the road to enroll more southwest Georgians at Albany Technical College to supply the health care workers who are needed today and in the future.

The MEDSTARTX van will travel the seven counties served by Albany Tech to engage potential students. Students also can enroll and apply for financial assistance while on the van, which will visit cities in counties where transportation is an issue for many residents.

During the Thursday ribbon-cutting for the snazzy new vehicle, Lisa Stephens, Albany Tech’s assistant vice president of business and health care technology, said the van is an opportunity for those “needing a pathway into the medical community.”

In addition to Dougherty County, the technical college also serves Baker, Calhoun, Clay, Lee, Randolph and Terrell counties.

“These communities often face barriers, and this van is one way to break down those barriers, one mile at a time,” Stephens said. “It (van) is actually a rolling billboard.”

Funding for the van, which totaled about $150,000, including the technology in the back, was secured by U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Columbus, who cut the ribbon with Albany Tech President Emmett Griswold.

According to a study conducted by the Mercer consultancy and partner Lightcast Projects, there will be a shortage of about 100,000 critical health care workers by 2028. The study, published by the American Hospital Association, estimated a shortage of 73,000 nurses by that time.

Georgia is expected to have a shortage of 223 pediatricians and an equal number of family medicine practitioners by 2028, according to the study.

“The need for health care is real, not just here in Georgia but all across the country,” Bishop said during his remarks prior to the ribbon-cutting. “Access to health care needs to increase, and we need more health care professionals to meet these needs. This is especially true in rural areas.

“Today we are inaugurating the MEDSTARTX recruitment van. The team will use it to do outreach and connect with potential students.”

Following the ceremony, Albany Tech held an open house to give residents a look at what areas of training are available in the medical field. Those included dental assistant, medical assisting, nurse aide, radiologist technology and emergency medical services.

Albany Tech offers diploma, degree and certificate programs, and programs including phlebotomy and nurse aide can be completed in eight weeks or less.

While thousands of cars may pass by on the busy Slappey Boulevard, many are unaware of the opportunities that await inside, Morris Clarington, ATC dean of nursing and allied health sciences, said.

“A lot of people drive by every day and don’t know what we do here,” he said.

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
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