CGCC receives donation from Google for hands-on training for new healthcare workers
The Dalles, Ore. Oct. 3, 2024 — Healthcare students at Columbia Gorge Community College will soon benefit from enhanced simulated learning opportunities designed to mirror real-world healthcare settings.
This is thanks in part to a $50,000 contribution from Google to expand its nursing simulation lab, which will help students refine their clinical skills and decision-making abilities in a low-stakes environment. The lab expansion has been in the works since 2022, and Google’s contribution will help close the remaining funding gap. The lab is expected to be completed by January 2025.
The lab expansion comes as the greater Columbia Gorge region sees an urgent demand for more highly-trained healthcare professionals including registered nurses, medical assistants, and paramedics. The new and improved lab will help bolster the region’s healthcare industry, provide more well-trained nursing staff, and support students who are studying and preparing to work in the industry.
The expanded lab will allow students to care for twice as many simulated patients. The modernized space will have four beds, a dedicated training area for the CGCC Emergency Medical Services training program, and access to the most current tools and practices. It will feature state-of-the-art mannequins, a nursing station, a central control room and a situation debriefing room. The lab can also be a venue for regional partners to host their own in-service training, including local hospitals like Adventist Health Columbia Gorge, as well as the Columbia Gorge Health Council and the Gorge Training Association.
“Columbia Gorge Community College is proud to be preparing the next generation of rural healthcare workers,” said Dr. Kenneth Lawson, President of Columbia Gorge Community College. “We’re grateful for Google’s support as we work to expand our simulation lab, which will help our students enter the workforce with the confidence and tools they need to best serve our growing community.”
In 2022, CGCC received $1.2 million in federal CARES Act Recovery funding intended to expand healthcare workforce training across the region. This funding is helping the college upgrade its healthcare training equipment and facilities, including the simulation lab. As part of this grant award, CGCC is required to raise an additional $300,000. Google’s contribution will help meet this total.
“We’re inspired by Columbia Gorge Community College’s dedication to improving the region’s healthcare system to meet a critical community need,” said Kate Franko, Google’s Regional Head of Data Center Public Affairs. “We’re pleased to support such an important initiative that will help improve health outcomes in our region for generations to come.”
Google has supported schools and organizations in The Dalles since 2006 when it opened its very first U.S. data center. Over the years, Google has provided more than $2 million in grants to Wasco County K-12 schools, workforce training groups, higher education institutions, and nonprofits.
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