Open house set for dental and nursing at CLC
The Central Lakes College Dental Assisting and Nursing programs will host an open house from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday to showcase new facilities on the Brainerd campus.
A short program is planned for 5:30 p.m. in the open house on the second floor of the west wing. Two recent remodeling projects created space for a community dental clinic and classroom and lab areas.
The newest Central Lakes College nursing lab is a site for hospital simulation training to prepare students for real patients. It will be open for public viewing Wednesday.
The improvements feature dental diagnostic and patient management software to enhance the dental assisting skills of CLC students. The Department of Human Services operates a community clinic co-located with the college Dental Assisting program.
Nursing program space was improved with the addition of a fourth training lab. The campus now has 16 bed stations for Nursing Assistant, Practical Nursing and Associate Degree students. New simulation tools replicating patient medical situations are among the latest improvements.
Since 2006, CLC and DHS have collaborated to provide a community clinic for an underserved population, which also provides a supervised dental experience for CLC students. Last fall the new clinic opened as part of the $525,000 renovation, providing three treatment areas in a clinic designed to serve about 1,000 patients per year.
The Dental Assisting program at CLC is the longest-operating educational provider of its type in the state, having opened in 1964.
The college's practical and registered nursing graduates are perennially at the top of state licensure candidates with first-try passing rates.
The health and human services programs at CLC are professionally accredited and supported by regional partners. Practitioners serve on career program advisory boards that guide college curriculum.