The Forrest County Campus celebrated the Asbury Allied Health and Nursing Building with a ribbon cutting last week. Several legislators and representatives of local health care facilities attended. The new building allows for the expansion of the Associate Degree of Nursing program to have a capacity of 240 students across the two-year program. Local healthcare providers such as Forrest Health are poised to benefit from the influx of new nurses.
With the continued rise in enrollment throughout all PRCC’s allied health and nursing programs, the building will serve to bring quality medical education to students and in turn, disperse vital health care workers into our communities. In addition to faculty support, equipment, and student scholarships, funding for the facility was made possible thanks to considerable financial contributions from the Mississippi State Legislature, Asbury Foundation, and the Forrest County Board of Supervisors.
“Today is far more than just a celebration of a new facility,” said PRCC President Dr. Adam Breerwood. “It's the opening of doors — doors of hope, healing, and countless lives that will benefit throughout our community.
“Inside these walls, future nurses, therapists, and healthcare professionals will be trained with cutting-edge resources. They will leave here prepared to serve in high-demand, high-paying jobs. Most importantly, they will stay in our communities, care for our families, and strengthen the health care system we all depend on.”
Currently, PRCC leads the state in total offerings of for-credit allied health programs at the community college level. Students graduating from the Allied Health and Nursing programs typically have job offers in hand before their final grades are issued. Students completing one program, such as Practical Nursing, may come back for additional training and growth in their careers.
In recent years, PRCC has expanded existing programs and added new ones to help meet workforce needs, primarily to address healthcare shortages in the area. Program expansions have happened for the Practical Nursing, Surgical Technology, Physical Therapy Assistant, and Radiology Technology programs. Newer programs on the Forrest County Campus include Massage Therapy in 2021, Associate Degree Nursing and Diagnostic Medical Sonography programs in 2022, and the Advanced Emergency Medical Training and Paramedic program in 2023.
"We have a tremendous need for nursing,’ said Forrest Health CEO Jeff Cook. “We have about 1000 nurses in our organization, and recruit anywhere from 200 to 300 nurses a year.
"That need has not necessarily been met in the last couple of years. We've seen a decline in the ability to attract and recruit new nurses. This facility and increasing the class from 90 to 250 really helps our need to serve our 19 counties.”
GETTING STARTED AT PRCC
Enrolling at Pearl River Community College requires just a few simple steps:
1. Apply for Admissions online and have your transcript sent
2. Apply for Financial Aid, including doing your FASFA
3. Apply for Housing if needed
Visit prcc.edu/future-wildcats/admissions/ to become a Wildcat today.
Anyone interested in a tour of Pearl River Community College can reach out to the Office of Recruitment by calling 601-403-1197, emailing recruitment@ prcc.edu, or visiting the webpage prcc.edu/future-wildcats/recruitment/
Detailed application information for Allied Health and Nursing programs can be found on each program’s page. Visit prcc.edu/academics/allied-health/ for the list of current programs.
