TAMPA, Fla. – August 22, 2018 – The American Red Cross, Pinellas Technical College and United Way Suncoast have joined forces in a multi-year effort to help reduce the caregiver shortage in the St. Petersburg area.

Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) candidates, who successfully complete the Red Cross Nurse Assistant Training (NAT) program, can now earn credit, based on the skills they have mastered, towards the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program at Pinellas Technical College. This bridge program allows students to further their education at an accelerated pace. The United Way Suncoast helped initiate and facilitate the relationship between the two organizations.

“Nursing has been part of the American Red Cross legacy for more than 100 years,” said Nicholas Fischer, Florida NAT program manager for the Red Cross. “This multi-year collaboration provides Nurse Assistant Training program graduates with an opportunity to advance their professional careers and helps the local healthcare system.”

“Pinellas Technical College is excited that this relationship and program will benefit challenged communities,” said Carl Lavender, managing officer, Workforce Innovation for Pinellas Technical College.

“We, along with other college partners, are continuing to push people towards career pathways in the allied health profession.”

“We know that 44% of households in our community are struggling financially,” said Emery Ivery, chief impact officer for United Way Suncoast. “By providing scholarships for this training as well as access to additional financial education, the students will have a pathway to long-term financial stability.”

Both nursing programs provide participants with the knowledge and hands-on training needed to prepare them for a career in the health care system. People can find information on the Red Cross Nurse Assistant Training program at redcross.org/takeaclass and the Pinellas Technical College LPN program at myptc.edu. 

The Red Cross Florida NAT program offers training centers in Jacksonville, Sarasota and St. Petersburg. To learn more, email FLnat@redcross.org or call 727-209-3560.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

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