Weirton Medical Center and West Virginia Northern Community College have a new partnership: the Future Nurses Program, which is meant to help local nurses of the future financially while encouraging them to provide their knowledge and services here at home upon graduation.
Through the program, several students will have their associate’s degrees paid for in exchange for a three-year commitment to work within the WMC Tri-State Medical Network. This is a win-win for both those who dream of becoming a nurse and for WMC who has been growing exponentially and is always looking for bright, inspired nurses.
“To recruit nurses through the excellent West Virginia Northern Nursing Program is a perfect fit. Some of our finest nurses at WMC came through that very program and we are thrilled to embark on this partnership,” Denise Westwood, chief nursing officer at WMC said.
“Students must not only have the passion to become a nurse, but they must have financial support, too. WMC will now remove a tremendous burden for these select students. This is an innovative program that will lead to success for not only the WVNCC student, but WMC and the nursing profession,” Linda Jo Shelek, director of nursing, WVNCC, said.
“Our nursing program at WVNCC provides exceptional training for our students and now WMC is going to provide them with an incredible opportunity to fulfill their dreams once they complete our program. We are proud to partner with organizations like WMC that are aligned with our top priority, which is our students’ success,” Dr. Vicki L. Riley, president, WVNCC, said.
“We need nurses. We need exceptional nurses who care about their community. What better way to find such professionals than through WVNCC?” Gabe D’Ortenzio, director of human resources at WMC, commented.
Interested students are encouraged to apply for admission into the WVNCC Nursing Program now through June 1 for the upcoming fall semester.
WMC will work with WVNCC to select several students for the program. That means WMC will pay students’ nursing school tuition and fees at WVNCC of up to $9,100 the first year and up to $5,800 the second year. (Promise Scholarship recipients are still eligible to apply).
Pictured above, from left are: Anita Dehlem, WVNCC nursing faculty; David Artman, WMC chief operating officer; Gabe D’Ortenzio, WMC director of human resources; Dr. Vicki L. Riley, WVNCC president; Denise Westwood, WMC chief nursing officer; John Frankovitch, WMC president/CEO.
