Ringgold County Hospital Selected For Health Careers Funding Program

The Iowa Governor’s Office announced funding awards for apprenticeship programs to help expand health careers across Iowa. It is part of the Iowa Health Careers Registered Apprenticeship Program. The program was started last year in an effort to support programs for high demand occupations in health care.

The $13.5 million in new funding will award 21 RA programs, which are estimated to support a total of 1,463 apprentices. Awardees include hospitals, community colleges, school districts, and assisted living facilities.

Ringgold County Hospital in Mount Ayr received an award of just over $600,000 to serve 46 apprentices through a partnership with the Mount Ayr and Diagonal Schools to provide a new CNA registered apprenticeship program which focuses on providing instruction and training. The program is intended to provide an alternate pathway for graduating students to complete education while earning on-the-job experience and addressing a critical workforce need in the area.

The state awarded $2.45 million in Health Care Registered Apprenticeship grants last June. Those grants supported 22 school districts and helped fund 450 new apprentices.