Program Components:

Academic/remedial support

Curriculum development

Collaborative funding

909-594-5611 x6108

joliva@mtsac.edu

through career laddering health care occupations. Racial/ethnic demographics have

registered 60% Hispanic, 36% Asian, and 4% other program participants, of which nearly

40% have been residing in California for seven or more years

between the pool of internationally trained health workers living in California and the

need of linguistically and culturally competent health services in underserved

communities. This is achieved through counseling and educational programs, preparation

for appropriate licenses, credentials, and development of leadership, management and

advocacy skills.

statewide initiative locations funded through a grant from The California Endowment

(TCE) to assist foreign-trained health care workers residing in California to transition to

high wage-high skill health care occupations. Participants have included former nurses,

doctors, dentists, psychologists and other health professionals who have been unable to

secure health care employment in the United States due to barriers of licensure, language,

and culture. The program has assessed local occupational health care needs, developed

partnerships with hospitals and other health care industries, developed and implemented

program-specific curricula, and developed a Student Success Kit, which will be

disseminated this year..

The program is a cost-effective use of resources as foreign-trained health care workers can

be trained for employment in one-third of the time, and for one-third of the cost for a nontrained

worker.

Nurse Advisor/Faculty member, and program Clerk.

The program has begun to look for opportunities to integrate services into the Mt. San

Antonio College system. Nine local hospitals and the Los Angeles County Dept of Health

88

Services have been approached for continued program support and a recent grant from the

California Community Foundation has funded a two-year Nurse Licensure program. In

addition a Nurse Licensure Pathway will be supported by the Governors Discretionary

Funds for two years.

release to various media outlets, including Spanish-speaking media sources. Dr. Oliva

delivered a 30-second program announcement on a Spanish language television network

(Channel 34), which generated over 38,000 inquiries! Word-of-mouth networking among

program participants also generated inquiries for program enrollment.

program over the last four years. In 2004, over 120 graduates successfully re-entered

health care occupational areas. In a salary survey of 100 program completers successfully

employed in health care occupations one year after graduation, annual wages increased by

more than 400 percent.

The program has been able to expand and explore other opportunities based on its success,

including a $250,000 two-year grant from the California Community Foundation for a

Nurse Licensure program, also an $ 800,000 two-year grant from the Governors

Discretionary Funds. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services is

supporting program efforts to create career ladders for bilingual/bicultural health care

workers. Dr. Oliva will be presenting the Student Success Kit at a Los Angeles County

Health Department Symposium and the Case Management Manual this year as part of the

effort to disseminate the Welcome Back model and highlight its successes

students. Present positive role models and stories of success so that students can develop

a positive outlook and goal-oriented strategy to gain high-wage high-skill employment in

health care occupations. Create and nurture partnerships early on with local hospitals and

other health care industries to garner and manage resources, create a strong studentemployer

connection, and keep college programs and services responsive to employer

needs.