GateWay Community College is expanding its Phlebotomy program to the East Valley, in partnership with Chandler-Gilbert and Mesa community colleges.
The program launches at Mesa Community College-Red Mountain Campus Aug. 24, 2020, and at Chandler-Gilbert Community College-Williams Campus on June 1, 2021.
This expansion supports efforts by Maricopa Community Colleges to provide educational opportunities in phlebotomy across the Valley, year-round, through GateWay at the SouthWest Skill Center in Avondale, and the two colleges in the East Valley, as well as Phoenix College in central Phoenix.
“This partnership with our sister colleges provides students in the East Valley with an affordable alternative in phlebotomy training and provides students waiting to get into one of our nursing or health science programs an opportunity to learn career-specific skills,” said Jennifer Kline, GateWay program manager.
The GateWay Phlebotomy program is offered through the Trade and Technical Training Division. The program is quick entry and completion, allowing those interested in a healthcare profession a path to their career in under three months.
While the program is quick, the quality of the instruction has been recognized by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), the accrediting body for the Phlebotomy program at GateWay.
According to NHA, for the past year, GateWay’s Phlebotomy program has held the highest pass rate in Arizona for first-time participants for the past year – 13% higher than any other Phlebotomy school in the state. GateWay has even outperformed the national average by 10%.
At CGCC, the Nursing program sees it as an opportunity for those waiting to get into the program to earn a credential quickly that will aid them in their nursing careers or provide them with a skill to get into the healthcare profession immediately while they wait.
“CGCC cares about giving our students an opportunity to learn a skill that will not only help them advance in their chosen profession, but also allows them to have an immediate impact on the Valley,” said Dr. Greg Peterson, president of CGCC.
And the timing for this expansion is critical, especially now, according to Gabriela Rosu, dean of instruction at CGCC.
“In this time of a global pandemic, the need for trained phlebotomists has never been more apparent,” said Rosu. “Providing an opportunity for more students in the East Valley is an important step to keeping our entire community healthy.”
The MCC Red Mountain Campus is the current site for other healthcare professional training, including emergency medical technician (EMT) and nurse assisting, making the addition of phlebotomy training a benefit for students interested in obtaining another career building credential. Students choosing to combine phlebotomy training with EMT and/or nurse assisting open additional pathways such as working as a patient care technician in a hospital setting.
For details on all Maricopa Community Colleges Phlebotomy programs, visit Maricopa.edu/phlebotomy.