Health Information Key for Dalton State, GNTC Agreement
One of the fastest growing careers in the nation now has two collegiate partners to help provide a properly and powerfully trained workforce here in Northwest Georgia and beyond. On Thursday, Dalton State College (DSC) and Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) entered into a formal articulation agreement involving Health Information Management.
“This is a perfect example of how we are partnering together to service the students of this region,” said DSC President Dr. Margaret Venable during a signing ceremony in the Health Professions building on the DSC campus in Dalton, Georgia. GNTC students who now graduate from the Health Information Management Technology program with an Associate of Applied Science degree can transfer seamlessly into a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management program at Dalton State College.
“GNTC has a strong health information management technology program,” said Dalton State College Dean of Health Professions Dr. Gina Kertulis-Tartar in an interview this week. “Students who graduate from their program are well-prepared… and their program is respected in the community. Now, we can easily be the next step for those graduates.”
GNTC President Pete McDonald is proud that GNTC and DSC have made this move. “This gives our students a chance to progress in their education,” said McDonald. “And, ultimately, help them advance in their careers.” GNTC’s Health Information Management Technology program was first accredited in 2009. Dalton State College will see its first Bachelor’s Degree graduates from its Health Information Management program at the end of this semester.
The Associate of Applied Science Degree program for Health Information Management Technology is current taught on the Walker County Campus of GNTC. The median pay for professionals working in the Health Information Management field is more than $38,000 annually with jobs opening up at a 13-percent faster rate than average opportunities in the United States.
“Dalton State wants to compliment what Georgia Northwestern is doing, not duplicate it,” said Venable. “We are allowing students an opportunity to continue the education they began with Georgia Northwestern. It’s a perfect partnership.”
GNTC offers more than 200 other programs online and on-campus. Campuses are located in Ringgold (Catoosa County Campus), Rome (Floyd County Campus), Calhoun (Gordon County Campus), Rockmart (Polk County Campus), Rock Spring (Walker County Campus), and Dalton (Whitfield Murray Campus).
Georgia Northwestern Technical College provides quality workforce education to the citizens of Northwest Georgia. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree, diploma, or a certificate in business, health, industrial, or public service career paths. This past year, 14,151 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. With an annual credit enrollment of 7,956 students, GNTC is the largest college in Northwest Georgia. GNTC has an additional enrollment of 6,195 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training, and Georgia Quick Start. You can also see more information at the college’s social media sites Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Wordpress, Pinterest, Snapchat, and Instagram. GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institution.
# # #
|
Don Foley
Assistant Director, Marketing and PR
|
