RANDOLPH – Recognizing the shortage of professionals to fill a large number of jobs in the health care industry, New Jersey and Morris County officials will invest $30 million in a new facility to train and certify students in this field.
Several lawmakers, industry leaders and local officials gathered at the College of Morris County on Friday to announce plans to build a 70,000-square-foot Center for Health Care Professions.
“As current and additional healthcare careers emerge in our rapidly changing environment, the college embraces the opportunity to supply healthcare professionals for the industry and community it serves,” said CCM President Anthony Iacono.
The facility will become a training center for professions ranging from dental hygiene and assisting to surgical technology, diagnostic medical sonography, nursing, radiography, respiratory therapy, paramedical science and drug counseling.
State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio, a retired dentist, cited dental hygiene as a field where students can get certified for a six-figure job without the burden of heavy loans required for many four-year degrees.
“There’s a lot of conflict right now about whether a college degree is worth it or not,” said Pennachio, R-26. “I don’t think any education is worthless. But these kids, for $12,000 (can become) a dental hygienist making $100,000 a year and there’s going to be so many people knocking on their doors to get hired .”
A flurry of activity at CCM
Funding for the estimated $30 million price tag will come from a variety of sources. KKM officials said. The school received a $10 million appropriation from the state. Another $11 million will come from New Jersey’s Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act.
The rest will come from the state’s Chapter 12 bond revolving fund funded equally by the county and state.
The foundation will be opened in about 10 months. Construction is expected to take about a year.
The project is the latest announcement in a flurry of recent activities at the college. Earlier this month, CCM launched a Morristown College Promise program that promotes college readiness and community engagement for low-income Morristown High School students.
Last month, the school launched another new program in partnership with the Morris County Vocational School District for a new Career Training Center located on the CCM campus. The program will enable Morris County students to pursue in-demand educational and career paths while simultaneously earning high school and college credit.
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Bipartisan support for the new project
At Friday’s event, two Republican lawmakers from Morris County, Pennacchio and state Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco, praised Democratic state Sen. Paul Sarlo for helping secure state funding. Sarlo, who represents District 36 in Bergen County, referred to the project as “monumental.”
“This is not just a facility for Morris, this is a statewide facility,” he said. “It’s a great path. Come here, two years, very affordable. Come out and be a health care professional. We need to do a lot more of that with our community colleges.”
The senators also praised George Helmy for his fundraising help when he was chief of staff to Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat. Helmy last month joined RWJBarnabas Health System as executive vice president.
“Joe and I are Republicans,” joked Bucco who represents Randolph and most of Morris County in New Jersey’s 25th District. “We don’t get $10 million from Trenton every day.”
CCM President Iacono “talked to (Bucco), he talked to Senator Sarlo, Senator Sarlo talked to George Helmy, George Helmy talks to the governor and it’s done,” said Pennacchio, who represents the Morris-heavy 26th District. “It got done because it’s a big project.”
Public-private partnership
“The beauty of this project is that it is a public-private partnership from top to bottom, with the involvement of the state, with the involvement of the district and local, on a bipartisan basis,” said Bucco.
Representatives from Morristown Medical Center and the New Jersey Dental Association attended the event to pledge support, including donations of equipment and other assets.
Joseph D’Auria, chief operating officer at Morristown Medical, said CCM has already produced a large number of hospital staff.
The hospital is part of Atlantic Health System, Morris County’s largest employer. Last year alone, it hired 45 college-trained nurses, D’Auria said.
“We’re very excited about this program and I think we’ll provide equipment where we can,” he said.
District 26 Assemblywoman Aura Dunn added that “there are currently more than 33,000 open healthcare jobs here in New Jersey, so that’s great for our economy.”
“This hits home for us and we are very eager, not only to make a donation, we are eager to participate when we need to, if these students have to come to our office and mentor,” said the president of NJDA, Dr. Renee Arace. . “We are happy to make this happen and place these health care providers in our practices.”
William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com
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