Alexandria, La. (11/10/2022) – LSUA and LSUE commit to a Health Professions Collaborative Agreement to bring a Surgical Technology degree to central Louisiana.
A survey of the healthcare organizations in central Louisiana is conducted annually by the Department of Allied Health at Louisiana State University at Alexandria (LSUA) to determine the need for allied health professionals in the region. The most recent survey indicated a growing need for Surgical Technologists, along with a host of other technical professions in Allied Health. Considering no local training program for Surgical Technologists is available, finding individuals with the training necessary to work in many professions is difficult for area healthcare providers.
In an effort to meet the need for trained health professionals in central Louisiana, LSUA and LSUE will work together to provide the necessary training to LSUA and LSUE students interested in pursuing a career in health professions not offered on their particular campus.
LSUA College of Allied Heath Dean Haywood Joiner, Ph.D., said, “We are thankful for our healthcare partners in the region, and they have identified the need for Surgical Techs to bolster their workforce. Looking at LSUE, we can share the LSU System’s resources to bring this program to the Alexandria metro area. We are thankful to Rapides Regional Medical Center for renovating the Buchanan Building downtown to house the Surgical Technology program.”
Paul Coreil, Ph.D., LSUA Chancellor, commented, “The walls have come down between campuses in the LSU System. When any of us identify a need in our community, we are happy to reach out across the state to find ways to find a solution. LSUE has been a willing partner to bring Surgical Technology to central Louisiana. We are grateful for their long-standing support of our community.”
LSU Eunice Chancellor Nancee Sorenson, Ph.D., noted, “This is another great example of how collaboration can be used to help benefit not only our local areas but the entire state of Louisiana. We are proud to stand together as one LSU system in our pursuit of improving the lives of our citizens.”
Dottie McDonald, LSU Eunice Dean of Health Sciences and Business Technology, concluded, “These types of partnerships are something Dean Joiner and I have dreamt of for nearly two decades, and we are so thankful to see this become a reality. We are thankful for healthcare partners that share this forward thinking of trying to serve our community in innovative ways.”
LSUA students interested in pursuing the Associate of Applied Science in Surgical Technology through LSUE will begin taking prerequisite courses on the LSUA campus. LSUA students will complete the professional/clinical portion of the selected program through LSUE’s offerings locally in Alexandria, made possible by the Health Professions Collaborative Agreement. Graduates will earn a degree from LSUE.
