Western New Mexico University is ramping up its efforts to train those looking to enter the healthcare workforce. The university currently offers courses in phlebotomy and Certified Nurse Aide (CNA).
The CNA class is offered every spring, fall, and summer and is taught in both Silver City and Deming. The phlebotomy course is currently in Deming, but the university also plans to offer it at the Silver City campus.
According to Healthcare Workforce Programs Director Victor Stephen Gonzales (BSN ’17, MSN ’23), the next healthcare workforce program under development is a pharmacy tech program. The curriculum for the program has been developed, and WNMU is currently seeking instructors to teach the coursework.
Gonzales was recently hired into the role as Healthcare Workforce Programs Director because WNMU recognizes southwest New Mexico’s strong need for workers in the healthcare field and understands the university’s crucial role in providing training and education for potential caregivers. “We are trying to give back to the rural communities. As we know, the medical field is continuously short-handed,” Gonzales said.
By growing the programs, WNMU has the potential to have an even wider impact on the health of southwest New Mexico’s residents. “These kinds of workforce programs will help not just Silver City and Deming,” he said, “but Hidalgo County, including Lordsburg, Luna, and any surrounding communities. They are underserved areas, and it is crucial to the medical field that we have trained workers.”
He also noted that the programs provide a way for residents of the area to enter in-demand careers. “I do believe this is a stepping stone for anyone that is looking to go into the medical field,” said Gonzales. “A lot of people decide if they want to go into the medical field by starting out in programs like these.”
“A lot of our students—if they are deciding if they want to enter nursing, they will start as a Certified Nurse Aide,” he added. “It is a great way to find out if nursing is for them.” In addition to the CNA training, WNMU offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing.
Gonzales said that the university is looking to expand its healthcare workforce offerings even further. “We are looking into adding a medical billing and coding program and a Medical Assistant program. Those programs are also highly needed in our area.”
Because healthcare workers are so highly in demand, students completing the university’s programs have been highly successful finding work. This has been facilitated by the many connections between WNMU and the area’s healthcare facilities. Said Gonzales, “I was the instructor for the Certified Nursing Assistant course prior to becoming the Healthcare Workforce Programs Director, and I was able to build up relationships with community entities to assist with job placement [for students]—Gila Regional Medical Center, Bayard Medical Center, all the assisted living facilities, and skilled nursing facilities—we are connected.”
He added, “We really looked at giving [the students] options and letting them know that once they passed the test, they were eligible for employment right away. We have really worked hard at job placement, and we have had a lot of success in giving them opportunities.”
Serving as a bridge between the regional workforce and those entities providing healthcare is central to his position at WNMU, Gonzales indicated. “My ultimate goal is to make sure we support our community,” said Gonzales, “As a nurse, I am an advocate for healthcare, for veterans, for mental health, for the elderly, and it is our goal is to get students into the community to help in these underserved areas. … My goal is to use our resources [at WNMU] to make sure people have the care they deserve.”