HCC observes partnership between Coleman College campus and HCA Houston Healthcare

Houston Community College (HCC) recently observed the one-year mark of the partnership between its Coleman College for Health Sciences campus and HCA Houston Healthcare, with officials from both entities touting its successes. Since last June, Coleman and HCA have worked together to address labor shortages in computed tomography (CT), according to the Houston Community College website.

“[HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division Regional Human Resources Vice President Douglas Goodman and I] were at an event, and we began to talk about the challenge to fill CT positions,” Dr. Phillip Nicotera, the president of Coleman, said in reference to the partnership’s origins, according to Houston Community College. “HCA would invest the time and resources into some of our X-ray technologists, and our college would provide the instruction to transition them into certified CT technologists.”

Coleman and HCA both understood that, with the significant increase of CT scan usage during the past 20 years, hospitals are looking for more CT technologists.

“The scans are a good diagnostic tool for physicians, so there’s a high demand for CT techs to take and deliver these scans,” Christopher Daza, who heads the radiography program at Coleman, told the HCC website. “When HCA asked us to develop a fast-track CT program for some of their radiologic techs, we were glad to help.” What started as a local initiative soon was emulated in other cities.

As a part of the collaboration, HCC developed a 10-week hybrid course, which took on a 13-member HCA cohort. The college said that, although the program was directed at Houston, cohorts in Kansas and Missouri completed the course, with San Antonio next in line.

“Dr. Nicotera and his visionary team understand the significant need for efficient, adaptable and high-standard programs to address the evolving demands of our growing communities,” Goodman said, according to the HCC website. “Our partnership has flourished.”

The HCC Coleman College for Health Sciences is located in the Texas Medical Center. Visit the Coleman website to learn more about the campus.