Health care facility representatives join with Chamber, CUKC administration for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Two new degree programs received a warm welcome on a cold wintry morning on the Overland Park, Kan., campus of Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC).
The January 18 celebration revealed lab and classroom areas for the new CUKC degree programs: Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Occupational Therapy Assistant and Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Radiologic Technology.
Representatives of the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce, area hospital systems and key CUKC staff and faculty attended the event, which included introductions of the program directors.
Dr. Carl S. Cleveland III, President of CUKC, said he was excited to see this day because it was the fulfillment of a long-planned process to expand degree offerings at CUKC.
“This is another milestone for CUKC,” Cleveland said. “The Radiologic Technology and Occupational Therapy Assistant programs help us fulfill the mission of the University.”
Jason Elliott, M.H.A, CRA, R.T.( R) (CT), Rad Tech program director, joined Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Cheryl Carpenter-Davis in emphasizing the two degree programs were developed because of an expanding need for health care support jobs. Both OTA and Rad Tech were ranked in the top 10 of “best health care support jobs” for 2018 by US News and World Report.
In her opening remarks, Carpenter-Davis emphasized the uniqueness of the CUKC programs which admit students three times per year and were designed in close cooperation with health care partners who employ Rad Techs and OTAs.
The OTA coursework is tightly integrated with the extensive fieldwork experiences students must succeed in before being eligible for professional certification. Rad Tech Program Director Elliott said that CUKC “has patient care integrated into every aspect of the two programs.”
More information about the two new A.A.S. degree programs here.
