Three Rivers College to expand healthcare programs in Poplar Bluff

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (KBSI) – New programs and onsite training opportunities have begun for the healthcare students in Poplar Bluff.

Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center (PBRMC) partners with the Three Rivers College (TRC) healthcare programs. The partnership is expanding.

This expansion allows students to get a more hands-on experience with clinical training. The students will have clinical experience more often which will prepare students for the hospital.

Multiple job opportunities will arise for the students who want to prepare for more than just nursing. The new programs will also allow students to travel shorter distances to work on their clinicals.

“Really, us expanding the partnership with the hospital allows us to put our local community needs first and so it allows us to train people in healthcare field that actually can stay in the community and support the community and we get real time feedback for what those needs are as they progress and as we move from year to year.”

“Right now, we already partner with Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center where our nursing students get to go into the facility, and they do have a clinical experience,” said Dr. Leslie Gragg, department chair at TRC. We’re expanding that partnership which provides even more opportunity for the students so that they get more of a clinical hands-on experience than what we currently are offering.”

“I mean COVID obviously, People have been watching the news about that. Put a giant strain on healthcare staffing and with the national shortage of all the different types of modalities through healthcare,” said Rick Naegler, CEO of Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. “We got back together and said you know what let’s just go ahead and make this relationship a lot stronger with what we’re going to do. Let’s get out in public and really see what we can do for southeast Missouri.”

The hope is to develop well trained and experienced workers.

“They’ll be in the clinical more often which I think is something that we all need to prepare really strong graduates,” said Laura McElroy, nursing program director.

For more information, you can contact:

Carrie Franklin (TRC) – (573) 840-9660

Nicole Neidenberg (PBRMC) – (573) 776-9356