Students interested in health care careers will have a new option after Oakton College and Endeavor Health announced they will partner to create associate degree programs offered at an Evanston location.
The Health Careers Education Center will be located in Evanston Hospital’s COS Building at 2500 Ridge Road in Evanston, marking the college’s first direct presence in the city. The first floor will house office spaces with class and lab spaces on the second floor.
“We are excited to increase our capacity to meet the critical workforce needs of the healthcare industry by expanding our quality training programs,” Oakton College President Joianne L. Smith said in a news release on Monday. “We’re grateful for our partnership with Endeavor Health, allowing Oakton to better serve students in Evanston and the eastern portion of our district.”
The partnership began in 2021 when Endeavor identified five areas of need in their healthcare system. Three new Associate of Applied Science degree programs in cardiac sonography, radiography and surgical technology evolved from these needs.
Each associate degree program can take anywhere from five to six semesters with some pre-requisite courses required. Once complete, each program also has a certification exam students will have to complete to finish their training.
These programs deal with direct patient care with graduates going on to work in a hospital or doctor’s office setting performing x-rays, cardiac ultrasounds, also known as heart ECHOs, and assisting in surgeries.
The other two areas, patient care technicians and sterile processing technicians, had programs begin in spring 2023 at Oakton, according to the college.
“This collaboration represents a pivotal step forward in our community-connected care, allowing us to train students directly within our hospital environment,” President of Endeavor Health Skokie Hospital and North Region Procedural Services Gus Granchalek said. “It’s more than just an educational advancement; it’s an investment in our community’s health and future.”
Oakton College Dean of Health Careers Maribel Alimboyoguen said students often receive job offers from where they are placed during clinicals as they work towards their degree.
“When they’re coming through, they know that that connection is there and the job is there with it,” she said. “It’s somewhat seamless actually.”
In-district students should expect to pay anywhere from $12,000 to $14,000 per program, including books.
Applications for the program will open once a year with 24 students accepted per program.
Renovations for the building are expected to cost about $4.3 million and will be split between Endeavor and Oakton College, according to a news release. Federal funding of $800,000 has been acquired to offset the cost of up to date equipment for the new lab.
Those interested in the programs can apply beginning in summer 2024, with the programs beginning the following summer. Alimboyoguen said this buffer gives students time to complete any pre-requisites ahead of time.
“There’s definitely interest from the community, which is really exciting,” she said.
