In a collaboration that began in 2022, Cayuga Health continues to work with Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) to train new nurses, with many of those nurses choosing to remain with Cayuga Health following graduation.
The agreement allows both institutions to better serve the community by expanding the College’s 2-year nursing program into the evenings to draw nontraditional students working full-time jobs during daytime hours. Combined with the expanded accessibility, classes and clinical visits take place just three nights per week, January to January.
“We are thrilled to be able to partner with Tompkins Cortland Community College by making an investment in our future that is good for both our organizations, as well as patients in the region,” said Dr. Martin Stallone, CEO of Cayuga Health. “These are unprecedented times for healthcare and the need for nurses has never been greater than it is now. We have worked closely with TC3 for many years, and we look forward to continuing to do so for the betterment of our community and the people we serve.”
One nurse who has benefited from Cayuga Health’s relationship with TC3 is Tricia Warren, Nursing Team Leader for the Cayuga Endoscopy Center. After being a patient at Cayuga Medical Center, Warren decided she wanted to work in healthcare, and began working as an Aide at the hospital. She was also taking classes at TC3, when she applied for nursing school and was accepted. After working in one area of the Hospital, she moved on to become a Technician in Endoscopy.
“I absolutely loved my job in endoscopy and realized I definitely wanted to be a nurse. I could see how much the nurses in this department liked their jobs,” Warren said and decided to pursue her nursing degree at TC3. “I had gone to TC3 for my other degrees, so I wanted to go to TC3 for my nursing degree, I have always heard that the nursing program was really good, and students came out of it to be successful in their careers.”
She was provided with a scholarship by the hospital and able to work part-time at the hospital and go to school full-time. “I was able to do my clinicals at the hospital where I was working,” she added.
Now in her tenth year at Cayuga Medical Center, Warren said, “I can’t imagine working anywhere else. I have had really great bosses that have encouraged me and helped me advance in my career.”
“Nurses play such a vital role in the care of our patients and this collaboration speaks to both TC3’s and Cayuga Health’s commitment to the profession and our community,” said Tali Edge, Chief Nursing Officer for Cayuga Health. “This is also a great opportunity for those in the program to see what an excellent team we have as well as the career paths available to them at Cayuga Health. We appreciate and value this important partnership with TC3 as we work together to train the next generation of nurses.”
