South Oregon News

Through the assistance of Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, Rogue Community College (RCC) is slated to receive $3.61 million in capital funding to create a new Allied Health training facility on the Redwood Campus in Grants Pass.

RCC’s project was selected through the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) process to help meet critical needs in Oregon for health care and education, while creating essential services, jobs and economic development. The request was included in the recently passed federal omnibus spending bill.

“The Rogue Community College and Allied Health training facility is a great example of federal dollars being leveraged for win-win opportunities to expand health care services and create jobs in Southern Oregon. I am pleased to have worked with my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee and Senator Wyden to secure funding for important homegrown projects such as this,”  said Senator Merkley. 

“We are honored to have our Allied Health training facility project included in this strategic investment helping Oregonians build economic resiliency and healthier communities,” said Rogue Community College President Randy Weber. “We are very grateful to Senators Merkley and Wyden for prioritizing the education of new healthcare workers in our region through these building renovation funds.”

“I’m gratified the teamwork with Oregonians, who know their local priorities best, has produced such promising federal investments to strengthen communities all across Oregon,” Senator Wyden said.  “Bottom line, our state’s communities are focused on coming together to forge Oregon Way solutions that build a better state just like these targeted investments.”

Funds requested for the Allied Health capital project at RCC will support design and construction costs to renovate an existing building previously used for science education, and to purchase equipment. The building became available as a result of RCC’s newly constructed Science Center, funded through a previous bond measure. The total Allied Health building renovation cost estimate, at the time of application, was $5.11 million.

With the CDS funding, RCC’s Allied Health training opportunities will expand for those seeking jobs in certified nursing assisting (CNA), dental assisting, medical assisting and medical office assisting, or as pharmacy technicians or phlebotomists.

According to Juliet Long, RCC Vice President of Student Learning and Success, “The project was chosen specifically to address the worker shortage in the region and to support several identified programs that address healthcare employment needs for the Rogue Valley.” 

The programs currently planned for the new facility will vary in length from six weeks to one year for completion.  Program seats will be available to both adult students as well as high school students pursuing dual enrollment options in RCC’s career and technical education programs. Additional two-year programs will be easier to locate on the Redwood campus with the creation of this facility when programs are added.

Weber added, “Future graduates from the Allied Health programs will be vital to our existing economic development efforts and the growing need for trained healthcare workers in our region. Families, healthcare organizations and businesses across Southern Oregon will be strengthened and supported as a result of this federal investment.”

The project funding is currently set to be allocated through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) – Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). RCC will be required to complete a formal application to receive the funding sometime in the next few months.

Rogue Community College is committing to cover $1.5 million of the total estimated project costs using the College’s capital improvement fund and, if needed, will incorporate fundraising for additionally identified costs through the RCC Foundation. Design and construction work are scheduled to begin in early Spring, 2023.

For additional project information, contact Juliet Long, Vice President of Student Learning and Success at jlong@roguecc.edu or 541-956-7279.

Original source can be found here