FAIRMONT — Entry level Electrocardiography (ECG) technicians at WVU Hospitals will soon attend Pierpont Community & Technical College for certification after the two organizations officially partnered on Wednesday.
After completing a total of five credit hours between two classes the entry-level ECG techs will receive a certification and be able to advance to a level two ECG technician, Tracey Kennedy, program manager for workforce education, said.
“This is a culmination of a lot of hard work by lots of people,” Michael Waide, provost of Pierpont, said.
He said the college was able to retrofit an existing program to fit the needs of WVU Hospitals.
Pierpont strives to partner with other higher education institutions and businesses to fill the needs of a community, Kennedy said.
An ECG detects the electrical current of a heartbeat and cardiac activity, Hollie McDaniel-Brown, director of respiratory care and coordinator of ECG technology said.
The credits earned are part of the college’s health science associate’s degree, she said. The credits are able to be used towards that or other degrees.
McDaniel-Brown said students will have access to all services Pierpont offers from advisors to the library.
One of the things students of the program will learn is advanced rhythm interpretation, McDaniel-Brown said.
WVU’s Heart and Vascular Institute is growing by leaps and bounds and growth requires competent employees, Grace Verzosa, assistant director of cardiac imaging, said.
She, like Waide, described the partnership as exciting.
Students will receive hands-on experience and the well-trained and educated employees will help the hospital meet its mission of providing care across West Virginia, she said.
Charles Murray, manager of heart and vascular imaging and services, said the partnership would be a big benefit for both organizations
