September 9, 2021 — Autumn Leaves Nursing & Rehabilitation Center recently joined a group of medical and economic development organizations in investing funding to support the Practical Nursing Program offered by Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC).
“Nursing is one industry we can barely keep up with demand,” noted Rod Brady Campus Dean Laurel Comeaux. The Practical Nursing program, which averages 30 students per course, is a two-year program. Based on demand, school officials added a second cohort and staggered the start to allow students to start each year. “This allows us to provide new graduates in May,” Comeaux said. “We are especially grateful for the support of local organizations like Autumn Leaves Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. They understand this is an investment in our community. These are very good paying jobs that give people who live here an opportunity to have a career and serve the health needs of our residents. After earning their Practical Nursing diploma, many of our students go on to get their RN. This creates a real economic boom, not just for LaSalle Parish, but for our surrounding parishes as well.”
“We are so very grateful for the support of Autumn Leaves Nursing & Rehabilitation Center and all of our financial supporters. Our partners are thrilled to have graduates each year,” said Michelle Morea, program lead for nursing.
Matt Walton, Administrator for Autumn Leaves Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, stated, “We are happy to have the privilege of supporting the Practical Nursing cohort at Rod Brady, as well as the mission of all of CLTCC. We look forward to continuing to partner in our shared mission of providing the best quality possible allied health workforce in the region, so that we can continue to enjoy a great health care community here in central Louisiana.
Dr. Heather Poole, Executive Vice Chancellor of Student Services, Enrollment Management and Foundation Relations, said, “Community colleges are often the lifeblood of rural communities. They help drive economic opportunity and engagement, providing access to higher education and creating hubs of cultural development and personal training. We are blessed in our region to have amazing partners like Autumn Leaves. Partnerships like ours play a key role in spurring workforce development, employment, and economic prosperity, as well as such social outcomes as health and family stability. We are blessed to have them in our community supporting our students.”
One of the cornerstones of CLTCC’s providing of high wage, high demand, and high skill career training is working with the local business community. We engage in several ways to ensure we are providing our students the skills training needed to be successful and make an immediate impact,” said CLTCC Chancellor Dr. Jimmy Sawtelle. “It is extremely gratifying when a local organization like Autumn Leaves Nursing & Rehabilitation Center chooses to invest in our program. That choice validates the need for and quality of our program, and it ensures that we will be able to continue to offer top-quality instruction to our students to meet the needs of the local community. We are extremely grateful to Autumn Leaves Nursing & Rehabilitation Center for their strong support and investment.”
Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC) is a two-year technical and community college offering associate degrees, technical diplomas, industry certificates, and customized training in more than 20 disciplines to support local workforce development and prepare students for high-demand and high-wage careers. CLTCC serves 10 parishes in Central Louisiana through its eight campuses and provides instruction in one state prison and one federal correctional institution. For more information, visit http://www.cltcc.edu.
Above photo: (left to right): Laurel Comeaux, CLTCC Rod Brady Jena Campus Dean, Dr. Heather Poole, CLTCC, Executive Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and Foundation Services, Jimmy Dale Zimmerman, Administrator of Autumn Leaves Nursing & Rehabilitation Center LLC, Matt Walton, Administrator of Autumn Leaves Nursing & Rehabilitation Center LLC, Michelle Morea, CLTCC Rod Brady Jena Campus, Nursing Coordinator, Dr. Jimmy Sawtelle, CLTCC Chancellor
