Meridian Community College: MCC Phlebotomy Essentials Program Completers Celebrate

Press release from Meridian Community College:

June 18, 2021

With 100 hours of clinical experience gained and 100 sticks performed, 10 students
in Meridian Community College’s Phlebotomy Essentials Program celebrated their completion
with a ceremony held in MCC-Riley Workforce Development Center. 

The course teaches students the proper techniques for drawing blood, said Joseph Knight,
MCC vice president for workforce solutions, as he addressed the audience. MCC partners
with Anderson Regional Health Systems and Rush Health Systems and other health care
facilities to offer this five-month program. The hospitals provide the clinical experience,
and each student is assigned a location and a phlebotomist who mentors the students.
“This experience helps them toward eligibility to sit for the National ASCP Phlebotomy
Technician certifications,” Knight said. 

“Local industry recognizes the training provided as a vital asset to the community.
They look to this program for experienced and educated professionals to fill their
vacancies,” he added. Instructor Angela Cullum, an MCC alumna, is employed with Rush,
where she has worked for more than 20 years as a medical lab technician with supervisory
experience in phlebotomy. In addition, she has taught the Phlebotomy Essentials program
for more than 13 years. 

Class member and program completer Melisa “Missie” Windham said she had always thought
phlebotomy would be an interesting career and earlier tried to enroll in the program.
“But it just didn’t line up. So this time it did,” she said. “I’ve gained a lot of
confidence in myself and a desire to learn more,” she said. 

Other completers in the class include Ginger “Grace” Bowers, Emmaneisha “Emma” Brown,
Lauren Chatham, Yutaka Chess, Shelanda Curtis, D’undra Jackson, NaKesha McGill, Angel
Ross, and Ashanti Stennis. 

This press release was produced by Meridian Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.