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HCC and Harris Health join forces to develop patient care technicians

Nov 9, 2023

Margaret Ford Fisher, Ed.D., and Esmaeil Porsa, M.D., formalize the partnership between Houston Community College and Harris Health System.

Houston Community College and Harris Health System entered into a groundbreaking partnership on Nov. 8 at HCC Coleman College for Health Sciences.

Margaret Ford Fisher, Ed.D., HCC interim chancellor, and Esmaeil Porsa, M.D., Harris Health president and chief executive officer, formalized the collaboration with a Memorandum of Understanding for the REACH Apprenticeship program.

Starting January 2024, the program will pave the way to develop more patient care technicians for the region and enable the students to “earn as they learn." Apprentice and future patient care technician Demicee Hall of Houston attended the event and was recognized before the audience.

Several educational, workforce, and healthcare leaders attended the event, including: Cynthia Lenton-Gary, Ph.D., HCC Board of Trustees chair; Madeline Burrillo-Hopkins, Ed.D., HCC Workforce vice chancellor and HCC Southwest College president; Phillip Nicotera, M.D., HCC Coleman College president; James Carnes, U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship representative; Annica Gorham, Capital IDEA Houston operations director; Omar Reid, MBA, Harris Health executive vice president and chief people officer; Maureen Padilla, DNP, Harris Health senior vice president of nursing affairs and support services; and Alicia Hernandez, DNP, Harris Health administrative director. 

For more information on the REACH Apprenticeship Program, visit hccs.edu/Apprenticeship. To see the event photos, view the album.