Ingleside at King Farm Launches Certified Nursing Assistant Program (PHOTOS)
Dr. Christine Handy is the principal of Gaithersburg High.
Sixteen students from Gaithersburg High School have been selected to participate in a career-launching training program that will provide them with the skills to become certified nursing assistants. The program is sponsored by Ingleside at King Farm, a senior living community in Rockville, and a local foundation created by Dr. William Leahy, a physician who serves on the Ingleside Board of Directors.
The program launched with a dinner for students, teachers and parents at Ingleside at King Farm earlier this month. Students were able to sign up for classes and begin planning out their coursework for the coming semester. The program will be administered by Montgomery College’s Workforce Development and Continuing Education division.
Program founder Dr. William Leahy is surrounded by students.
Students who have been accepted to the program will be able to participate on a tuition-free basis, as the program is fully funded by the High School Health Education Foundation. Dr. Leahy is the president and founder of the foundation, which he started more than a decade ago in Prince George’s County.
“Developing the skills to become a certified nursing assistant is a great way for young people to break into the health care field,” said Dr. Leahy. “Through this program, they will receive both the training they need to find gainful employment and an exposure to the industry that may well encourage them to explore the nursing field or other aspects of the growing health care industry.”
“Ingleside at King Farm is proud to partner with Dr. Leahy, Montgomery College and Gaithersburg High School to offer this program and provide students with the clinical experience they will need, in a real-life, community-based setting,” said Marilyn Leist, executive director at Ingleside at King Farm. “We’re so grateful to Dr. Leahy for his vision and his generosity, and his commitment to growing the next generation of health care professionals.”
Linda Hall is a program instructor at Montgomery College.
The program will provide the training and experience necessary for students to pass certifying exams and begin a career in health care. Upon completion of the course, students will be eligible to apply for Nursing Assistant State Certification or take the Geriatric Nursing Assistant (GNA) exam.
The classes will be taught in two-hour sessions during after-school hours and will take three days a week for 15 weeks. This program will provide students with clinical experiences on weekends when they will practice under the supervision of their instructor and the nursing staff in Ingleside at King Farm’s Comprehensive Care Center. Students will be expected to complete the class with a grade of 80 percent or above.
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