ON THE PULSE OF HEALTHCARE CBC’s School of Health Sciences programs are at the forefront of care, preparing students with immersive classroom, lab and practical experiences. Students leave CBC with the knowledge and real-world skills to be career-ready from day one.
CBC FOUNDATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Melda Velasquez, Chair
Kadlec Regional Medical Center
Douglas Christensen, Vice Chair & Board Development Chair HMIS
Matt Backlund, Treasurer & Finance Chair
Community First Bank
CBC NEWS
THE ESSENTIAL SPECIALISTS OF PATIENT CARE
Every healthcare team has specialists who work alongside doctors and nurses to diagnose, treat and rehabilitate patients.
Rebekah Dobbs, Gift, Estate and Planned Giving Chair Premier Mortgage Resources
Lynn Tegeler, Scholarship Chair Central Plateau Cleanup Company
Kyle Simmons, Fund Development Chair
CG Public House
Rebekah Woods Columbia Basin College President
David Billetdeaux Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Andrew Chung Gesa Credit Union
Maggie Esquivel Gravis Law
Marsha Halverson Educator, Retired
Ann Harper Artist
Kedrich Jackson Columbia Basin College Trustee
Jack Janezic Trios & Lourdes Health
Moses Jaraysi
Leanna Nighswonger Washington River Protection Solutions
Shawn Nyman CBC Faculty Representative
Mitch Peterson CompuNet
Edgardo Quiroz-Moreno Keller Williams
Jaime Shimek Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Adan Tijerina
Columbia Basin College Educator, Retired
Michelle Twomey Kadlec Regional Medical Center
Tayler Welch
Monte Nail, CPA
Paige Wyatt
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
CBC FOUNDATION STAFF
Erin Fishburn
Executive Director
Devon Holze
Sarah Murphy
Timmy Song
“Contrary to pop culture, not everyone in scrubs is a nurse,” said Jack Janezic, Assistant Administrator at Trios Health and CBC Foundation Board Member. “Hospitals and medical facilities rely heavily on specialists who help us provide patients with comprehensive care.”
These subject-matter experts, known as allied health professionals, include technicians and therapists such as medical assistants, phlebotomists, dental hygienists, X-ray technicians and other skilled specialists.
CBC’s School of Health Sciences offers over 20 allied health programs in addition to its Nursing and Dental Hygiene programs. For every program, CBC aims to create realistic learning environments equipped with the latest technology to ensure students are well prepared.
“The more we can simulate real-world scenarios, the better,” said Doug Hughes, CBC Dean for Health Sciences. “Support from CBC donors and grants help us achieve this goal, so our graduates possess the critical thinking skills and practical experience necessary to hit the ground running.”
With the industry’s salary ranges and opportunities for advancement, these occupations can be life-changing for graduates dedicated to improving lives. Also, most healthcare students choose to stay in the community where they train, making local college programs crucial.
“Having such diverse healthcare programs at CBC allows us to address the needs of our local population and create a pipeline of professionals dedicated to supporting the health of our community,” Jack added.
LEARN MORE AT COLUMBIABASIN.EDU/HEALTHSCIENCES
“Coordinated Care is committed to investing in innovative solutions and strong partnerships as we strive to transform the health of Washington. Our investment to support future generations of healthcare professionals means students can worry less about personal finances and focus on pursuing their career goals in service to our communities.”
Beth Johnson
President
& CEO, Coordinated Care
Did you KNOW?
CBC’s Allied Health program specialties include:
› Community Health
› Dental Assisting
› Dental Hygiene
› Emergency Medical Technician
› Expanded Functions Dental Auxiliary
› Health Science
› Medical Assisting
› Medical Imaging
› Medical Office Specialist
› Nuclear Medicine Technology
› Nursing Assistant
› Paramedic
› Phlebotomy
› Pre-Nursing
› Radiologic Technology
› Respiratory Therapy
› Spanish Medical Interpreting
› Sterile Processing Technician
› Substance Use Disorder Professional
› Surgical Technology
Why Give! WE
NEWSBRIDGING GAPS IN HEALTHCARE
INTRODUCING
CBC’S NEW PROGRAMS
Columbia Basin College has three new programs to fill pressing industry needs and enrich the region’s healthcare offerings.
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM
(Started Fall 2024)
Over the next decade, substance use and addiction counseling is expected to be one of the fastest-growing professions in the nation.
To meet this demand, CBC worked with community partners for over a year to develop the Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP) Associate of Science in the Health Science degree program. The program teaches substance use disorder specialists to tackle the complex challenges of addiction. The courses align with Washington’s stringent certification requirements and equip students with a thorough understanding of addiction, covering its pharmacological, psychological and social dimensions.
DENTAL ASSISTANT PROGRAM (Coming
Winter 2025)
In our region, the demand for dental professionals is high. CBC is launching a new Dental Assistant program at its Richland Medical Science Center to address this need. This program will prime students for careers as dental assistants or transfer to higher-level health science programs like CBC’s Dental Hygiene bachelor’s program.
Students will gain hands-on experience working alongside dentists, dental hygiene students, faculty and clinical staff at CBC’s Dental Clinic. Several local dentists will also offer valuable work-based learning experiences and student observation hours as part of the program. Graduates will be ready to meet Washington’s credentialing requirements for dental assistants.
PLANNED PROGRAM OPTIONS
1-Year Certificate
Associate of Applied Science in Dental Assisting
PROGRAM OPTIONS
1-Year Certificate (for students with an associate degree)
Associate of Applied Science in Health Science with SUDP emphasis
RESPIRATORY THERAPY PROGRAM (Coming Fall 2025)
CBC has collaborated with healthcare employers, labor unions and educational partners to design a Respiratory Therapy degree program. This degree will fill the region’s urgent need for respiratory therapists and create career advancement opportunities for existing professionals.
The program combines intensive theoretical instruction with practical experiences to educate students for advanced roles within the respiratory care field. Graduates will be well prepared to work in hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers and other healthcare settings. Once the program is accredited, graduates will also qualify for national board certification.
PLANNED PROGRAM OPTIONS
Associate of Applied Science-Transfer in Respiratory Therapy
For Sarah Rogers, the third time proved to be the charm. After initially attending CBC following high school, Sarah’s journey included many fulfilling milestones.
“My mom worked in radiology, and I often went to work with her,” said Sarah. “While I was always surrounded by healthcare, I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career. I loved CBC’s music, science and healthcare classes.”
After earning an associate degree, Sarah gained valuable experience working for several doctors and a dental office. In 2011, she returned to CBC to pursue an associate degree in Surgical Technology, and CBC hired her as an instructor in 2013.
She didn’t slow down, earning a bachelor’s in 2017 from CBC and a master’s in 2020 from Washington State University. That same year, CBC welcomed Sarah as the interim director of its Surgical Technology program and promoted her to program director in 2021.
Reflecting on her experience, Sarah shared, “CBC has always excelled at creating learning pathways for students. This guidance helped me in my journey, and now, as an instructor, I see how beneficial it is for our students’ success.”
Sarah’s next milestone will be graduating with a doctorate next spring.
“The CBC community is special to me,” she remarked. “Being both a student and now training a new generation of surgical techs as CBC’s program director is a true honor.”
SHOW YOUR HAWK PRIDE
GET A CBC GESA VISA® DEBIT CARD!
Gesa member: visit any Gesa branch to replace your current debit card at no cost with a CBC card.
Non-member: visit a branch, open a checking account and instantly receive a CBC card.
TRAINING FRONTLINE PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS
CBC’S BACHELOR IN COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAM
Community health professionals play a vital role in enhancing public health through disease prevention, health education, access to care, emergency response, research and more.
CBC’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Community Health program prepares these future health leaders with the skills needed for careers in community health and related fields. The program also offers professional enrichment opportunities for current healthcare workers.
To accommodate working students, major courses are taught online and cover:
› Professional ethics
› Foundations of public health
› Epidemiology
› Healthcare leadership
› Health policy
› Behavioral and cultural issues in public health
› Public health education
› Health systems and healthcare delivery
“The connections these professionals make with the communities they serve help build trust and foster lasting improvements in regional health outcomes,” said Doug Hughes, CBC Dean for Health Sciences.
