South Texas College has been awarded a $798,640 grant by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to be dispersed over the course of three years to fund the expansion of its bridge program to address the local shortage of skilled, Hispanic Registered Nurses (RNs). South Texas College offers a Transition Program for Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) to enroll in a one year program to help them get through course work and pass the national licensure exam to become RNs. This grant allows the college to expand the career ladder program to provide more intensive student advising and counseling, as well as hire more faculty to increase the number of students that can be in the program at one time.

"We are calling our program the 'South Texas Educational Professional Upward Program,' which stands for 'STEP-UP,'" said Dr. Dahlia Rojas, Project Director and STC Nursing Instructor. "We are hoping that more LVNs in the community will step-up to the challenge and enroll in the program to become RNs. The benefits to the community would be vast, but we are also offering LVNs the opportunity to expand their skills sets and increase their earning potential. You open up the want ads in the newspaper and the biggest employment section is typically calling for RNs. The health care market in the Valley is rapidly expanding. We need to be able to turn out the quality, caring RNs needed to ensure that patient needs are being met. The grant helps to make that possible. I am thrilled to be part of the team bringing such an important program to fruition. I am confident that STC will make a huge impact in the local community with STEP-UP."

During the course of the one year program students take classes in pharmacology, mental health nursing, care of adults, pregnant women and children, management of client care, professional nursing, as well as a variety of other classroom and clinical courses. At the completion of the program, students will earn an Associates of Applied Science degree in Nursing.

"We have 162 LVN students that have gone through this bridge program since we started it in 1999, but with the assistance of this grant, we will be able to expand that number to 60 students per year," said Wanda Spratt, Division Dean of Nursing and Allied Health at STC. "Our nursing group at STC has never had a problem recruiting new candidates, especially to our LVN program. However, we are hoping that by expanding the faculty and providing more one-on-one advising and counseling, we will be able to transition more of those students onto a track to becoming an RN."

The grant provides the funding to be used for hiring project staff and faculty for the program, including a project director, nurse retention specialist, counselor, nursing faculty, and office staff. STEP-UP will be launched in fall 2006, with funding planned through July 2009.

"In researching information for this grant, we found that the Valley was designated as a 'Health Professional Shortage Area' and as a 'Medically Underserved Area,' by the Texas Department of State Health Services" said Luzelma Canales, Director of Grant Development, Accountability and Management Services for STC and member of the grant proposal team. "Now we all knew that the area was underserved, but we did not realize to what extent until now. This is a serious problem. Couple this shortage, with the fact that Hispanics are twice as likely to die from Diabetes, account for 20% of all new cases of tuberculosis and are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, and you can see why this program is vital. We need talented RNs that can spread messages about early prevention to the community. These RNs are able to relate to their patients because they are familiar with this unique Border community and its culture. We truly believe this program will make a difference and we hope that we can build on this grant success in the future."

This grant was made possible, not only through the hard work of STC, but also through the diligence and support of U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, representing the 25th congressional district in Texas and U.S. Congressman Ruben Hinojosa, representing the 20th district. Both are long-time supporters of the STC mission and believe in the importance of creating opportunities for the citizens of Hidalgo and Starr counties.

This is an exciting step toward meeting the health needs of the Valley," said Congressman Doggett, a senior member of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee. "This program will mean better jobs for those who enroll in the program and better health care for the patients they will serve. STC has created a program that will result in better access to affordable, quality health care for people across Hidalgo and Starr Counties, making the Valley a healthier and more prosperous community."

"In just 13 years, STC has become a premiere institution in the Rio Grande Valley, addressing the needs of our citizens and leading the way to a better quality of life, whether it is in providing educational opportunities or training the skilled workforce to serve our community," said Congressman Hinojosa. "STC recognized that South Texas had a serious problem when it came to providing quality healthcare and encouraging men and women to pursue allied health careers. Rather than standing by and watching the problem reach critical levels, STC has taken steps to stem this tide. I am proud to have supported this proposal from the onset and know that the program will provide patients with quality and comprehensive care that benefits our entire community."

STC is currently accepting applications for the fall 2006 semester. For more information about STC's STEP-UP project, please contact at 956-872-3129 or visit http://www.southtexascollege.edu/nah . The STEP-UP project is housed at the Dr. Ramiro Casso Nursing and Allied Health Center Campus located at 1101 E. Vermont St. in McAllen.

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