(COLUMBIA, Tenn. - Nov. 17, 2016) - - - - Columbia State Community College recently received the Labor Education Alignment Program 2.0 Grant, which will fund two new health science educational training programs at Columbia State.

"This grant is helping to fund a new wave of opportunity at Columbia State," said Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president. "I look forward to seeing these new programs grow and see what doors they open up within our community."

The new programs include an Associate of Applied Science in Medical Laboratory Technology and an A.A.S. in Anesthesia Technology. These programs will partner with area health care facilities to provide clinical experience necessary to develop proficiency in skills introduced in the classroom.

Medical Laboratory Technicians collect, process and analyze biological specimens and other substances in clinical laboratories, hospitals, clinics and physician offices.

Anesthesia Technologists assist anesthesiologists and anesthetists in acquiring, preparing and using the equipment and supplies required to administer various levels of anesthesia during medical procedures. Columbia State's program will be the first Anesthesia Technology program in Tennessee and only the second program of its kind in the Southeast.

"This grant is an exciting opportunity for Columbia State to add these two new programs as a direct response expressed in the needs of the regional health care community," said Dr. Kae Fleming, Columbia State dean of health sciences and professor of radiologic technology. "The new options build upon the college's long history of providing excellent professionals to enter the area workforce and positively impact quality of care and patient outcomes."

The workforce partners include South Central Tennessee Workforce Alliance, Maury County Public Schools, Williamson County Schools, Maury Regional Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Williamson Medical Center.

"Maury Regional Health has maintained a long and successful relationship with Columbia State," said Paul Betz, Maury Regional Health chief operating officer. "Their commitment to training health care professionals is vital to our organization and to the communities that we serve. We are pleased that they will be expanding their programs to include careers that are in high demand and that will provide skilled medical professionals to our region."

Grant funding will be used to purchase the training equipment that will be housed at Columbia State.

The grant awarded nearly $570,000 to the college, which will give students new opportunities to enter the health care workforce in southern Middle Tennessee.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, one of the largest higher education systems in the nation. For more information, please visit www.ColumbiaState.edu.

Tennessee's Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. We offer associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, please visit us online at tncommunitycolleges.org.