LSUE, LSUA Launch Surgical Technology Program Partnership in Alexandria
November 22, 2024
ALEXANDRIA, La. – LSU Eunice and LSU Alexandria officially unveiled its Surgical Technology partnership with a ribbon cutting ceremony in downtown Alexandria on Friday. The two universities welcomed several local dignitaries and organizations with a tour of the LSUE satellite facility in central Louisiana.
The collaboration was spurred after a recent survey conducted by the Department of Allied Health at LSUA highlighted a critical need for Surgical Technologists and other allied health professionals in central Louisiana. With no local training program available for Surgical Technologists, area healthcare providers face significant challenges in filling these vital roles and supporting the region’s healthcare system.
In response, LSUA and LSUE have partnered to bring LSUE’s Surgical Technology program to LSU’s downtown campus. This innovative approach combines LSUE’s teaching expertise with LSUA’s financial support in a newly renovated health education facility to provide students in central Louisiana with the training necessary to pursue careers in Surgical Technology. The synergy also allows each institution to conserve costs by consolidation programmatic efforts.
“Our system-wide mission is to help educate Louisiana and strengthen our workforce – regardless of where they are,” LSU Eunice Chancellor Dr. Nancee Sorenson said. “We are proud to stand together as a unified LSU system to provide solutions for the entire state in our pursuit of improving the lives of all citizens.”
“The walls have come down between campuses in the LSU system. When any of us identify a need in our community, we are happy to reach out across the state to find a solution,” LSU Eunice Alexandria Chancellor Paul Coreil, Ph.D., added. “LSUE has been a willing partner to bring Surgical Technology to central Louisiana and we are grateful for their long-standing support of our community.”
The Surgical Technology program in Alexandria officially kicked off this academic year. Interested students begin taking prerequisite courses on the LSUA campus before applying to the LSUE program, made possible by the Health Professions Collaborative Agreement. Graduates will earn a degree from LSUE while completing their coursework locally in Alexandria.
“We are thrilled to bring this much-needed surgical technology program to central Louisiana,” LSU Eunice interim Dean of Business Technology and Health Sciences Kristie Broussard-Leger said. “This collaboration allows students to pursue a fulfilling career in healthcare right at home, while addressing a major need for local healthcare providers. This program represents a significant investment in not only central Louisiana, but the entire state’s future in the healthcare field.”
The Alexandria program is funded in part by a Healthcare Occupations Program Grant from The Rapides Foundation. Through its Healthcare Occupations Program Grant, the Foundation seeks to expand or develop healthcare programs to increase the number of graduates in the high-demand occupational fields of nursing, behavioral health and allied health.
For more information, contact LSUE Surgical Technology Program Director, Renee Guillory, at kguillor@lsue.edu or visit www.lsue.edu/academics/surgtech.