The “Medicalodges Academy” officially launched Wednesday in Great Bend and the first members of a new apprenticeship program were introduced at a reception. The long-term care facility has joined forces with Barton Community College to blend classroom instruction with paid on-the-job training.

“It started with a conversation,” Barton President Dr. Carl Heilman said. “It all comes down to a human connection.”

That connection was Barton Vice President of Instruction Elaine Simmons, whose mother lives at Medicalodges. She noticed areas where the facility could improve its health-care services, and the management was open to discussions that led to the creation of an apprenticeship program.

“We were struggling with some staffing challenges,” said Shannon Lager, chief operating officer and executive vice president of Medicalodges. That’s a struggle all senior living facilities and the entire health-care profession face, she added. Now staff will be able to advance and others will be able to enter the field.

“We’re pretty excited about all of this,” Lager said. “We know that our greatest asset is our workforce.”

“The apprenticeship program gives us a new opportunity to work with employers,” Simmons said. 

Lager said the program provides on-the-job training, technical instruction and mentorship to individuals who would want to advance their careers.

“The wonderful thing about an apprenticeship program is the wraparound services that they have,” she said. “So many times individuals start down a path and then it’s a simple thing that just throws them off that path. Maybe they have a blowout in their car and they can’t get to their program that day. Or maybe they have to work to provide a roof over their head and to provide food and so they can’t not work to go to school.” 

Putting this program in place didn’t happen overnight. Officials from Barton and Medicalodges started talking about this more than a year ago and there were several meetings to plan the logistics.

“Medicalodges did their homework,” Simmons said.

“The ultimate goal for us is to provide the greatest services to the residents and the clients that we care for across all of our operations and Medicalodges Academy is a way to do that,” Lager said. “We’re starting here in Great Bend but I am fully prepared and excited about taking that across the state of Kansas and all of our locations.”