For immediate release — Nov. 22, 2011

(DALLAS) — Eastfield College, part of the Dallas County Community College District, has received a $97,698 Skills Development Fund grant from the Texas Workforce Commission. Eastfield, in turn, is partnering with a medical office consortium to provide job training for those employees.

Businesses that are partnering with Eastfield College in the grant include ACRC Trials; the North Texas Institute of Neurology and Headache; Syzygy Fort Worth, LLC; Lynne Gerlach, DDS; Lone Star Vision; EpiCentre Legacy; Tarpon, PA; and Village Health Partners.

The grant will be used to custom-train 127 new and incumbent workers, according to TWC, and it will provide training to increase the skills levels of employees in electronic medical records. The training will help participating medical practices keep pace so that they can offer excellent care and create a successful conversion to the new EMR system. People who will participate in the training include medical assistants, front office clerks and billing clerks. When they complete their training, workers are expected to earn an average hourly wage of $18.09.

Dr. Jean Conway, president of Eastfield College, said during a Nov. 17 grant presentation, “We know how important job training is to our community and the businesses that support it. We are excited to receive this grant, and we look forward to working with our partners and their employees.”

“Our Skills Development Fund grants serve everyone well,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Ronny Congleton during the ceremony. “Workers get the specialized training they need, and the communities benefit from a more highly skilled workforce.”

For more information, contact Sharon Cook, director of college communications and community outreach, at (972) 860-7629 or at scook@dcccd.edu.

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Press contact: Ann Hatch
214-378-1819; ahatch@dcccd.edu