Immediate (Thursday, November 2, 2006)

Julie A. Davis
Executive Director, Vermont HITEC
802-872-0660
 
Mike Noble
Public Relations, Fletcher Allen Health Care
802-847-2886 

Funding Secured By Senator Patrick Leahy

BURLINGTON, VT - Fletcher Allen Health Care and Williston-based non-profit Vermont HITEC announced today that they are teaming up again to provide two new health care-related training programs for unemployed and underemployed Vermonters thanks to a $325,000 workforce development grant secured by U.S. Senator Patrick J. Leahy.

In announcing the grant, Senator Leahy stated that, "Fletcher Allen Health Care is an important institution to all Vermonters. This funding to Vermont HITEC will ensure that the long term needs of Fletcher Allen's workforce are met, and it will provide the Vermonters who apply for these positions with the high-quality health care training they need."

The first Vermont HITEC training program will begin in January of 2007 and will train 15 students to fill entry-level clerical-related positions such as Registration Representatives and Practice Support Specialists. The second program will begin in the fall of 2007 and will train students to fill clinical-related positions such as Operating Room Technologists.  Successful graduates of the programs will be guaranteed full-time positions at Fletcher Allen Health Care.

"We are very excited about our partnership with Vermont HITEC, which has grown into a long-term commitment to train Vermonters for jobs in the health care industry -- not just today, but for many years to come," said Melinda L. Estes, M.D., president and chief executive officer, Fletcher Allen Health Care.  "Fletcher Allen needs a dedicated, well-trained workforce to be successful, and we are grateful to Senator Leahy for recognizing and supporting this important effort."

"At Vermont HITEC, our goal is help motivated Vermonters acquire the skills necessary to access good-paying jobs here at home," said Gerry Ghazi, President of Vermont HITEC, whose organization has employed over 250 Vermonters over the past seven years in medical transcription, information technology and high-tech manufacturing. "Health care is a wonderful place for Vermonters to put their skills to work, and so these training programs are a win-win for everyone - for Fletcher Allen, for Vermont and for Vermont HITEC."

These two new training programs follow on the heels of a program that was offered in 2004 by Vermont HITEC to train 20 medical transcriptionists for work at Fletcher Allen Health Care.  With these three programs as a foundation, Fletcher Allen and Vermont HITEC plan to create a "Workforce Development Institute" which will spawn future joint workforce development programs.

All Vermonters interested in learning more about these new programs, or in applying for the first training session, should apply on-line at the Vermont HITEC website at www.vthitec.org.  Anyone with a high school diploma or G.E.D. is encouraged to apply. The deadline for applications is January 8, 2007.

Individuals will be selected for the training programs through an extensive recruitment process, and will be required to participate in a free training program and one-year paid internship (at full wages). The first two positions -- Practice Support Specialists and Registration Representatives --will start at $11.00 per hour with the maximum salary range at $16 per hour. The positions will include a full comprehensive benefits package.

About Vermont HITEC

Vermont HITEC has held "boot-camp" type training sessions in areas all over the state in a variety of employment fields. They have partnered with over 20 Vermont businesses including Fletcher Allen Health Care, Husky Molding, Hazelett Strip Casting Corporation, and Dealer.com.

About Fletcher Allen Health Care

Fletcher Allen Health Care, in alliance with the University of Vermont College of Medicine, is Vermont's only academic health center and is one of 125 in the country. Fletcher Allen also serves as the community hospital for the greater Burlington area. Fletcher Allen has more than 6,000 employees and serves one million people in Vermont and northern New York through more than 40 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics.