CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs signed 10 National Park College (NPC) nursing students
to the CHI St. Vincent Pathway Program Thursday. Kelly Callahan, clinical educator
and Nisa Trenthem, RN residency program manager were present to welcome the students.First year registered nursing students were selected based on their academic performance,
essays and desire to remain in Hot Springs and work for CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs.
The ten students selected include Ashley Allison, Carmelita Chavez, Crystal Sibley,
Kacee Young, Ben Valentine, Crystal McKinney, Crystal Gauldin, Madison Hair, Lisa
Lingo, and Deseray Yelverton. They will graduate in May 2020.
Students selected for the Pathway Program commit to work as registered nurses at CHI
St. Vincent Hot Springs for two years upon completion of their respective coursework
and licensure. The hospital provides a financial aid package that covers the cost
of tuition and fees for qualified applicants for four semesters, up to $5,000.
The Pathway Program was part of a partnership announced in September 2017 with the
goal of training additional nurses to fill the shortage in the hospital’s pipeline.
CHI St. Vincent committed to a three-year total investment of $1.6 million to provide
financial assistance to students enrolled in NPC's registered nursing program and
Henderson State University's Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. In addition,
CHI St. Vincent provided financial support to equip a state-of-the-art clinical simulation
lab at NPC.
Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences, Janice Ivers said, “We have an outstanding partnership
with CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs. Today is an awesome day for this group of CHI Pathway
students. While CHI is investing in the lives of our students by assisting them with
the expense of college, our students are committing to work for them following graduation.
Their generosity is affecting the lives and futures of our students. The students
that were accepted into the Pathway program today are some of our quality, top-notch
students who are committed to the health care needs of Hot Springs and the surrounding
area and plan to live and work in our community. This is a win-win for everybody.”
Pictured back row left to right is Ashley Allison, Carmelita Chavez, Crystal Sibley,
Kacee Young, Ben Valentine, Crystal McKinney; front row left to right is Crystal Gauldin,
Madison Hair, Lisa Lingo, Deseray Yelverton.
