Accelerated Patient Care Technician Program Graduates First Class

Published: 03/05/2020

In November, St. Charles Community College teamed up with SSM Health to offer free training for people wanting to become Patient Care Technicians (PCT). It was an opportunity Cynnamon Hogue had been waiting for.

“I decided to join the program because I wanted to start my career in the medical field,” she explained. “The PCT program was an awesome opportunity for me.”

Patient Care Technicians work alongside nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals to provide direct patient care in a hospital setting.

“I have always wanted to help people live their lives as best as possible,” she said. “I didn’t have a lot of healthcare experience before this program, but now I’ve got the skills needed to start a new career.”

“We’ve been very satisfied with the outcomes of this partnership with SSM and the PCT program,” said Lindy McGuire, director of operations for the St. Charles Community College Center for Healthy Living. “We offered this as an accelerated, six-week course for the first time, and the results have been great.”

Hogue completed the program with 11 other students in February. Each student was offered a position at SSM Health after graduation.

“I’ve tried a few career paths in the past,” she said. “This one feels different. I feel like I’m truly going to help the most people and make a difference this time.”

The PCT program satisfies the requirements of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP). Upon successful completion of the program, individuals will sit for the Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) challenge exam.

The training is not limited to in-district residents.