Archive for Allied Health Campus

POOR BUILDING “L” WITH ITS CHECKERED HISTORY UP AGAIN FOR DISCUSSION IN JANUARY

Has it become the Rodney Dangerfield of Yavapai Community College? 

Poor building “L.” Has it become the Rodney Dangerfield of Yavapai Community College? Rodney once joked:  “I get no respect at all – When I was a kid, I lost my parents at the beach. I asked a lifeguard to help me find them. He said, `I don’t know kid, there are so many places they could hide'”. 

The year 2000: It seems that nobody has respect for Building “L”  and the future of Building “L” is hiding.  Recall that in 2000 County voters in approved a $69.5 million bond to improve community College facilities in the district.  Among those improvements was construction of Building “L” as a Career and Technical Education (CTE) building on the Verde campus in Clarkdale.  Voters approved spending about $1.3 million of their tax money the Federal Conference Department Workforce Development Center added another $1.2 million. 

Eighteen years ago plan. Eighteen years ago the College plan was to aggressively develop a CTE facility on the Clarkdale Campus to serve at least three counties in northern Arizona.  At the time the College staff said that “[T]he (Center) will provide much-needed educational space and resources to further develop job training programs to benefit residents of northern Arizona.” It was intended to provide an opportunity for northern Arizona residents to gain specific work related skills that would allow them to seek immediate employment or increase their level of income in their current positions.

The year 2004: By 2004 the building “L”was completed and  the College launched an aggressive effort at developing the CTE  program. The staff explained that “the basic vision was to not only provide livable wages for the jobs currently available in Northern Arizona but also to identify new opportunities, such as higher technology, to upgrade job-skills training.” Staff also said that the CTE program was intended to improve skills training for the jobs that are already here. “We’re going to get more involved in the building and construction trades.”

According to staff, “the bottom line of the project is to help rural Arizonans find good jobs.”

But things did not go well for the development of the program.  Hardly had it got off the ground when the Prescott dominated Governing Board began exploring creation of a sophisticated and forward-looking CTE campus for the west side of the County. 

The year 2007:  With little serious consultation with the east County residents, the College Governing Board purchased the huge 105,000 square-foot facility at the Prescott airport. It  opened a CTE campus that serves almost exclusively residents and high school students on that side of Mingus mountain.

Unfortunately, the vision of a major CTE program on the East side of the County began to fade as soon as the new CTE campus on the west side of the County was opened.  Classes on the East side of the County were closed.  Over the past twenty years, the college has invested in taxes, grants and contributions something around $20 million in the Prescott CTE campus.  Meanwhile, it has essentially ignored the problems of access to sophisticated, advanced CTE training on the East side of the County. 

The years 2007-08: In 2007 and 2008 the College indicated it had expanded the nursing facilities in Building “L” by spending about $1.4 million on renovation during a two-year fiscal time period (using College expenditure reports).

The year 2013:  In December 2013 the College announced its ten-year Master Development Plan and said the nursing program was leaving building “L” and labs for agricultural classes were going to be installed. Here is what the College wrote in its Master Plan:  “Building L currently houses the Nursing program. As the program migrates to the Prescott Valley campus, the master plan recommends renovating this building for use by the agriculture programs relocating from the Chino center. As laboratories already exist in Building L, the addition of the agricultural classes will virtually recreate the Chino Valley Center’s main building.” Page 67 2014 Master Plan.  https://masterplan.yc.edu/files/2014/01/Final-Report-RPT-2014-0218-WEB_UPDATED.pdf.

“Following construction of the new center (sic), the existing Prescott Valley programs and the Nursing and Allied Health programs from Prescott and Verde Valley would migrate to the new location. This, in turn, would free up space on the Prescott campus for NARTA/AJS to move to the second floor of Building 2 and for agriculture to move from Chino to Verde Valley.”   Page 89 2014 Master Plan. https://masterplan.yc.edu/files/2014/01/Final-Report-RPT-2014-0218-WEB_UPDATED.pdf

Interim 2013-17: Nursing program apparently has not moved from the east side of the County.  The idea of closing and selling the Chino Valley campus has apparently been tabled.

March 2, 2017.   On March 2, 2017 the Community College Governing Board received an updated Master Plan report from Vice President Clint Ewell stating that Building “L” would undergo another renovation for Career and Technical Education facilities somewhat similar to some of those at the Prescott airport.  That report as written by the College read:  “Verde Valley: Building L has now been scheduled for a major renovation to enhance its ability to offer Career Technical Education (CTE) programming. We plan to do this work in FY19, giving VACTE a year to conduct their planning and to provide input to YC. Verde Valley Campus will continue to offer Nursing, as well as other CTE programming such as Viticulture, Enology, and Film & Media Arts. This represents an increase of roughly $3.8M.”  https://www.yc.edu/v5content/district-governing-board/sub/2017/03/agenda_full.pdf

November 28, 2017 Sedona City Council meeting:  Verde Campus Executive Dean James Perey told the Sedona City Council that Building “L” would most likely be renovated for nursing.

January 10, 2019: A hand-picked group (invitation only) is being assembled by the Community College to once again discuss the future of Building “L.”


 

YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE GRADUATES 39 STUDENTS IN NURSING PROGRAM DECEMBER 14

Ceremony held on Prescott Campus, Performing Arts Center; unclear number from Verde Valley program

CONGRATULATIONS!

Yavapai Community College graduated 39 student nurses December 14, 2018 at a traditional pinning ceremony held on the Prescott Campus at the Performing Arts Center. The College did not indicate in its press release the number of nursing graduates from the Verde Campus.

Departing Verde Valley Nursing Professor, Sandra Johnson,  recounted some of her fondest memories and the significant technological changes during her 15-year tenure. She said:  “I found something special here at Yavapai College. Coming to work every day to these students, to this campus, has been exhilarating … I will miss my colleagues, but most of all I will miss the students. They were the reason I woke up in the morning.”

She also said that the winter 2018 group of graduates had “a profound effect on her” from the first day of their journeys two years ago. “My heart is touched by these students’ openness and commitment to make a difference.”


 

ASU TO RENT SPACE AT PRESCOTT VALLEY CENTER TO BEGIN FIRST OF THREE COORDINATED BACHELOR’S DEGREE PROGRAMS; REMAINING TWO PROGRAMS TO BE LOCATED AT PRESCOTT CAMPUS (TOO BAD VERDE VALLEY)

Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Health Sciences begins January 2019 taught by adjuncts, students may receive reduced ASU tuition; ASU pays  $51 as rent for each student enrolled in third and fourth year; Mountain Institute already setting up its programs to be consistent with ASU and Community College; nothing to be set up for east side of County yet

It was announced at the November Governing Board meeting that Arizona State University (ASU), has rented space from Yavapai Community College on the second floor of the newly remodeled and improved ($4.5 million or more invested) building at the Prescott Valley Community College Center. This will allow ASU to offer completion of a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Health Sciences degree at that site.

In an agreement approved by the Governing Board with ASU, the University has agreed to offer three bachelor programs on the west side of Yavapai County. The first starts in January and allows students to enroll in courses leading to a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree in Health Sciences. 

Two more degree programs will launch in August 2019 — Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Organizational Leadership and Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Applied Leadership. Both programs will be offered only at the Prescott campus.

No similar programs will be offered on the east side of the County.  Students there will have to drive to the Prescott Valley Center or Prescott (the College runs no intercampus buses) to take advantage of the bachelor’s degree program. The drive from some areas around Sedona is about 120 miles round trip.

As landlord, the Community College will provide space, lights, heating, parking, etc. for ASU.  It will coordinate its first and second years with ASU.

According to information supplied by the Community College, it is anticipated that the Community College will staff its two-year effort at the site with adjunct faculty.  It is also anticipated that ASU will staff the site with its own adjunct faculty.

ASU will pay the Community College as rent $51 per student enrolled in the ASU degree programs.

It was mentioned during the presentation by the College in November that the Mountain Institute, located on the west side of the County, had already begun to set up its health training programs to be consistent with the ASU offerings.  There was no mention of the east side Valley Academy of Career and Technical Education during the presentation to the Governing Board.

The video below (edited slightly) provides the substance of the November presentation to the Governing Board.  The entire discussion can be accessed at the College website.

 

PEREY TELLS SEDONA COUNCIL BUILDING “L” ON VERDE CAMPUS TO BE RENOVATED AGAIN FOR NURSING/ RELATED ALLIED HEALTH PROGRAMS

Confusion reigns as Building “L” possible uses shift over past 17 years from major CTE facility, to agriculture, to nursing, to once again possible CTE and then most recently back to nursing/allied health

The College has been  confused for the past 17 years over how to use Building “L” on the Verde Campus. That confusion appears to continue.

While confusion reigns, taxpayer money continues to be spent on various renovations.  The following is a historical summary you will only find on this Blog. It  details the confusing history of Building “L” on the Verde Campus and an indication of how much revenue taxpayers have paid into it.

[2004] Recall that Building “L”  was constructed and opened in 2004 because of $1.3 million from the 2000 voter approved bond and a $1.2 million federal Commerce Department workforce development center.  It was to offer a wide range of Career and Technical education training needed in Northern Arizona.  Because of government involvement, the College is restricted for another seven or more years on how it may us it.

The vision of the CTE Center that was sold to voters in order to approve the million dollar expenditure on it in the 2000 bond changed dramatically when the Board decided to build the major CTE College facility at the Prescott airport in 2007.  Most of the ambitious plans for Building “L” and Career and Technical Education facilities and training were scrapped on the Verde Campus Center (low enrollment was an excuse used by the administration) and gobbled up by the new College facility at the Prescott airport.

[2007-08] In 2007 and 2008 the College expanded the nursing facilities in Building “L” by spending about $1.4 million on renovation during a two-year fiscal time period (using College expenditure reports). 

[2013 Master Plan]  Quoting the College, its Master Plan announced in December 2013 said the nursing plan was leaving and labs for agricultural classes were going to be installed. Here is what it said:  “Building L currently houses the Nursing program. As the program migrates to the Prescott Valley campus, the master plan recommends renovating this building for use by the agriculture programs relocating from the Chino center. As laboratories already exist in Building L, the addition of the agricultural classes will virtually recreate the Chino Valley Center’s main building.” Page 67 of 2014 Master Plan.  https://masterplan.yc.edu/files/2014/01/Final-Report-RPT-2014-0218-WEB_UPDATED.pdf

Quoting the College:  “Following construction of the new center (sic), the existing Prescott Valley programs and the Nursing and Allied Health programs from Prescott and Verde Valley would migrate to the new location. This, in turn, would free up space on the Prescott campus or NARTA/AJS to move to the second floor of Building 2 and for agriculture to move from Chino to Verde Valley.”   Page 89 of 2014 Master Plan. https://masterplan.yc.edu/files/2014/01/Final-Report-RPT-2014-0218-WEB_UPDATED.pdf

[March 2, 2017]  On March 2, 2017 the Board received an updated Master Plan report from Vice President Clint Ewell stating that Building “L” would undergo another renovation for Career and Technical Education facilities somewhat similar to some of those at the Prescott airport.  That report read:

Quoting the College:  “Verde Valley: Building L has now been scheduled for a major renovation to enhance its ability to offer Career Technical Education (CTE) programming. We plan to do this work in FY19, giving VACTE a year to conduct their planning and to provide input to YC. Verde Valley Campus will continue to offer Nursing, as well as other CTE programming such as Viticulture, Enology, and Film & Media Arts. This represents an increase of roughly $3.8M.”  https://www.yc.edu/v5content/district-governing-board/sub/2017/03/agenda_full.pdf

[November 2017] Now, at the November 28, 2017 Sedona City Council meeting Verde Campus Excutive Dean says Building L will be renovated for nursing/allied health facilities. You may view a video of his statement about Building L to the Sedona City Council below. 

You may view the entire Sedona City Council meeting by clicking here.   http://sedonaaz.swagit.com/play/11282017-832

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY TUESDAY OCTOBER 24 CELEBRATING $4 MILLION PLUS RENOVATION/NEW CONSTRUCTION AT ALLIED HEALTH CENTER IN PRESCOTT VALLEY

 

Ceremony at 11:00 a.m. at   Prescott Valley Center, 6955 Panther Path Prescott Valley, AZ 86314; five new Allied Health programs added to curriculum and partnership solidified with Mountain Institute JTED to use facility

There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony that celebrates the opening of  the newly renovated  Yavapai Community College Prescott Valley Allied Health Center. The event will occur at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 24.  The Center is located at 6955 Panther Path Prescott Valley, Arizona  86314. The ceremony is open to the public and will be followed by tours.  

The Community College has spent over $4 million in new construction and renovation on this project, most of which came from property taxes paid by all taxpayers in Yavapai County.  It has also partnered  with the West County Mountain Institute JTED to offer high school students courses at the Center.  The believes that this will jump-start in their health careers.  The Mountain Institute did not provide funding for the facilities or the equipment that was placed in those facilities.

The Community College also added five new allied health credits programs at the Center this year.  They are Phlebotomy, Nursing Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Medical Assistant and Health Information Technology. 

Community College and JTED students from the Mountain Institute will be using new fully-equipped medical assistant exam rooms, phlebotomy blood draw lab, hospital rooms and classrooms.

The College also offers non-credit Allied Health offerings are Caregiver and Certified Nursing Assistant Bridge to Caregiver Training.

The following are three of the many photos supplied the District Governing Board  in its September agenda. These photos show only a small part of the renovation at the Prescott Valley Center. You may view all the photos contained in the Governing Board agenda by clicking here.

PHOTOS SHOW PRESCOTT VALLEY CENTER $4 MILLION ADDITION PRETTY SPECTACULAR

Skills labs and examining rooms are superior learning facilities

The Prescott Valley Center allied health program facility photos shown to the District Governing Board at its August 8, 2017 meeting  were spectacular.  The $4 million plus facility will be opening in August and boasts superior skills labs and examining facilities. The Board is anticipated to hold a Governing Board meeting at the facility in the next couple of months.

The photos, which were taken by College facilities management, can be found in the August 2017 Governing Board agenda by clicking here.  Some of them are reproduced below. 

College saves $30 million or more by reducing size of Prescott Valley construction project

Reduces building program from 136,000 square feet to 50,000 feet; is the “primary hub” of Allied Health Care

The District Governing Board was told by the College Administrators at the April 18, 2017 Board meeting that it was definitely reducing construction on the Prescott Valley Center from 136,000 square feet to 50,000 feet.  It informed the Board in writing that “The Prescott Valley Center will provide needed space to accommodate the Allied Health programs and Mountain Institute JTED health occupation programs. This investment will extend the useful life of the facility and delay our need to build a new campus. As the youngest and fastest growing community in Yavapai County, YC still believes additional space is needed in PV; however, we have reduced the scope of the expansion to 50,000 ft rather than 136,000 ft as originally envisioned. Prescott Valley is still envisioned as the primary hub of Allied Health programs (except Nursing).”  You may find this statement in the agenda, which can be accessed by clicking here

The original $103.5 million capital development plan is now at $76 million. This is a savings of $27.5 million, all of which resulted from changing construction at the Prescott Valley Center. There was an additional $3 or more million saved but that money was reallocated to the Sedona Center.

 

 

 

Wills’ responds to Prescott Valley politicos to get going on Allied Health Campus

College doubles construction investment in one month; move is nice but not necessary; third major campus on West side of County underway

Commentary

Commentary

President Penelope Wills’ is following through on the lobbying pressure from the Prescott Valley (PV) politicians that she get going on developing the Allied Health Campus. As have others in the past, the PV folks have found Wills’ and the Community College an easy target for their lobby.
The following timeline illustrates how effective the local lobbying effort is at the College. As far as one can determine objectively, there is no great necessity for the moves or the construction the College is undertaking. It claims it is meeting all of its Allied Health objectives. The moves are nice but hardly essential to programming. But there is just too much easy money in the budget available to Wills’ and her administration to spend pretty much as they see fit.
1. Original Master Plan. In the College Master Plan, announced December, 2013 the College stated the following: “In addition to maintaining the two existing campuses, the Master Plan recommends a larger, consolidated facility in Prescott Valley to accommodate the new Nursing and Allied Health Center of Excellence. Consolidating the programs from Prescott and Verde Valley, while still offering pre-nursing classes at each campus, will allow the college to leverage the resources allocated to an advanced program. Moving the EMS/EMT program to the new campus will build on the synergies these programs have with the Nursing and Allied Health program further reinforcing the focus of the new campus.” (P. 52, Master Plan.)
The Master Plan also stated that: “The Phase 1 development will focus on the academic core with classrooms, laboratories and simulation labs to serve these focus programs and general education. Office and support space would be required as well as student services, student life, learning center and common space to create a functioning center.”
Phase 1 of the Plan was estimated to cost $30 million. (P. 82, Master Plan.) That was later raised to $45 million and at the May 2016 Governing Board meeting that figure had been raised to $50 million.
In 2015 the College announced it was moving the Prescott Valley Allied Health Campus development into the third phase and extending the time period to 14 years. That will turn out to be a little misleading.
2. January, 2016 an entire PV lobbying group appears at the Governing Board meeting. The lobbying was led by the CEO of the Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce, who applauded the College for all of its work with Prescott Valley. She was followed by Mike R. Paredes, Executive Director of the Prescott Valley Economic Foundation. He expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the College and its work with his Foundation. Prescott Valley mayor Harvey Skoog poured gallons of political syrup on the Governing Board in a two minute speech. He began by congratulating the Board on the “super job [it] was doing” and declaring that “the best community college in the state is Yavapai College.”
Skoog slipped in a comment about the Allied Health Center stating that he felt like “we’re making good progress in that direction.” (He must know more about the project than the Board or County citizens to be able to make this statement.) In closing he reiterated how much he appreciated the Governing Board’s “good work.”
Skoog was followed by Larry Tarkowski as the cleanup hitter on the local lobby effort. He reminded the Board that the Prescott Valley was the largest community, was growing younger, and was the fastest growing community in Yavapai County.
He also said that the Board should make good use of the ten-year-plan and “move heaven and earth to accelerate” the plan. “We really hope you will move heaven and earth to move forward with your Master Plan that does have an Allied Health element growing here in Prescott Valley,” he said.
3. February, 2016 tentative budget responds to lobby. In the February, 2016 tentative budget (PowerPoint presentation) the Wills’ administration responded to the PV lobby. It included in the budget the renovation and expansion of the PV Center. It decided to keep YC facility adjacent to Bradshaw High School and consolidate the Yavapai College and Mountain Institute Joint Technical Education Allied Health program there.
4. Initial investment. In the February, 2016 tentative budget the College announced it was going to invest $1.5 million in the PV project in 2016-17 and $225,000 in 2017-18 (total $1.725 million).
5. No change in investment. In the April, 2016 draft budget those tentative figures remained.
6. Blindsiding the public. In the final budget rolled out in May, 2016, which was shown on PowerPoint slides with copies not provided to the public either before the meeting as a part of the College agenda or during it, the College doubled its investment in PV. It recommended and received Governing Board approval to spend $2 million in 2016-17 and another 2 million in 2017-18 (total $4 million). No one on the Board asked why the figure had suddenly doubled in one month. I suspect everyone knew why.
7. $14 million on the shelf. The College also announced at the May meeting that it may be putting an additional $14 million into possible future construction but not right now. It appears at this point that the $50 million dollar PV Campus is no longer on the table. But as one can see, the PV lobby is strong and the College is willing to respond to it quickly. Furthermore, mystery surrounds what NAU may do as a part of this scheme.

Hang on to your pocketbooks property taxpayers of Yavapai County.

College rolls out surprise allied health construction and consolidation on Prescott Valley Campus

Setting up foundation for later Prescott Valley Regional Allied Health Campus

The first step in moving toward creating the $45 million Regional Allied Health Campus came with the Administration’s surprise announcement at the February 9 Governing Board meeting that it was renovating and expanding the Prescott Valley Campus to accommodate a variety of allied health programs now scattered in the Prescott and Prescott Valley area.

first steps taken to create allied health campusIt also announced that the Mountain Institute JTED allied health programs would move from their present location to the new facility at Prescott Valley.  This further cements the relationship between the College and the high school students and residents on the West side of the County.

Classrooms will be retooled at the present Prescott Valley Campus toward teaching allied health programs rather than EMS.  The footprint of the building to be expanded is estimated at at 5,000 feet and there will be additional parking facilities constructed for the EMS vehicles on the campus.

The College has already hired the Smith Group to complete a Master Plan for the Prescott Valley site and costs are currently estimated at slightly below $2 million.

The College said it was unclear how far this new facility would go in terms of affecting its goal of creating a $45 million regional health center.  But it is a first step.

Curtain of secrecy over Allied Health Center Campus slightly pierced

Future, need, YC involvement, and exact plans remain obscure and confusing

President Penelope Wills’ tightly drawn curtain of secrecy  about the future $45 million Allied Health Campus to be built in Prescott Valley was lifted slightly at the February 3, 2015 meeting of the Verde Valley Governing Board Advisory Committee. The information came from Wills’ who responded to a query from Committee Chair Mr. Paul Chevalier about the extent to which the College had looked at the East side of the County as a possible site for such a facility.  {You may listen to the full six minute response given by Wills’ by clicking here.}

Hiding dataWills’ said that she has been meeting about the Center for the past two years and that the last summit meeting was to be held that afternoon (February 3).  She stated the Allied Health Center Campus will stay in the College Master Plan while also stating that there appear little or no need for the College to be involved. She said that Yavapai College was doing just fine as is.  This was confusing to some listeners.

Wills’ disclaimed the Allied Health Center idea came from her or her administration.  According to her, it was a part of a former Master Plan and former Yavapai College President Jim Horton’s idea–sort of.  She also said that the experts she hired to look into future development came up with the idea as a part of the ten-year-plan.

To the extent her comments can be understood, it appears that Northern Arizona University is the prime mover behind the Center.  An announcement of some sort, according to Wills’, is expected shortly about adding a new medial offering at its site in Prescott Valley.

Wills’ seemed insistent that the College had looked into where to locate the campus and the data (3 studies) pointed to Prescott Valley.  The West side was selected because of the large concentration of population, three hospitals located over there, and NAU’s current involvement on that side of the Mountain.

The Carver Model of Governance, used by the College Board, has allowed Wills’ to tinker with the idea of a $45 million dollar Allied HealthCampus, hold five summit meetings with executives, hospital workers, NAU and others, for two years while failing to provide a single detailed report of any kind either to the Governing Board or to the residents of Yavapai County about her activities.  One suspects that she has intentionally kept almost everyone in the dark because of the potential adverse political response to the expenditure of millions of dollars for an unneeded new campus  by residents outside Prescott Valley/Prescott.

While the curtain of secrecy has been pieced, unfortunately, only a small amount of helpful insight has been shed on the future $45 million Allied Health Campus.