Archive for Nursing

CATHERINE “CATHY” KEFER NAMED YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE TEACHER OF THE YEAR

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, June 7th, 2025

Recognized as a 2025 GIFT (Great Ideas For Teaching) Fellowship winner, she held  an adjunct nursing faculty position at the College  for only two years

Catherine “Cathy” Kefer was named Yavapai Community College’s Teacher of the Year at this year’s nursing pinning ceremony. She was recognized as a 2025 GIFT (Great Ideas For Teaching) Fellowship winner. A Gift Fellowship winner is Yavapai’s equivalent of teacher of the year award.

 A nurse with 46 years of experience, Ms. Kefer came out of semi-retirement two years ago while temporarily filling in for physicians at a Prescott oncology clinic. During that time, she applied for and was appointed as an adjunct nursing faculty member at Yavapai Community College.

Despite her relatively short tenure, Ms. Kefer no doubt made a clear and lasting impact on the strength and spirit of Yavapai’s nursing program. The “tough love” approach she brought to her teaching will be missed. Reflecting on the GIFT award, she remarked, “They really did get it. They really did kind of appreciate the tough love mentality they always complained about. It makes me happy that they appreciated it.”

The Community College press release dated June 5, 2025, described the intensity of Kefer’s  return to teaching two years ago: long days in the classroom, crisscrossing Northern Arizona to support students at clinical locations, and late-night and weekend correspondence with anxious students. “I’m not one to ignore it—a text or a phone call from a student. I can’t do that,” Kefer said. “So you’re working seven days a week.”  The commitment left her with limited time with family and her favorite pastimes, such as cooking and gardening.”

“I’m ready for more free time with my husband, my kids, and grandkids. It’s time to step back a little bit,” she added. “I’d like to sleep in until maybe 6 a.m.”

You may read more about Ms. Kefer in the Community College press release at https://www.yc.edu/v6/news/2025/06/kefer.html.

Categories : Nursing

COMMUNITY COLLEGE GRADUATES 52 FUTURE RNS, PLUS FIRST GRADUATES WITH BACHELORS DEGREE IN NURSING

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, December 21st, 2024

Considered a “milestone” in the nursing program

On December 13, Yavapai Community College celebrated the graduation of 52 nursing students at traditional pinning ceremonies held at the Jim and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center on the Prescott Campus. The event also marked a milestone for the college as it recognized its first cohort of students to complete the Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.

In a press release, Yavapai Community College President Dr. Lisa Rhine described the ceremony as a “rite of passage,” honoring the nursing students for their “intense study, fortitude, diligence, and—as our graduates are well aware—sacrifice.” She also expressed gratitude to family members for “supporting and walking this journey with our students.”

The first recipients of a Yavapai College Bachelor’s degree in nursing are: Sirena Alvarez, Karen Black, Rhyann Davies, Michelle Diaz, Jennifer Doerksen, Amber Ewart, Shailee Hamm, Nicole M. Johnson, Starlett Morales, Aimee Olum, Emma Pundt, Aidan Raute, Gabriel Roybal, Jennifer Santoyo, Julia St. Pierre, Annalicia Stann, Nicole Welker and Clark White.

Following are the 52 student nurses and future RNs (following a national licensing exam) who earned associate of applied science degree in nursing at Yavapai Community College during the  fall semester: Alexandra Alvarado, Katie Anderson, Gianmarco Anzelmo, Emily Armijo, Courtney Bauer, Sheron Brown, Karissa Buchanan, Morgan Castillo, Katelyn Chapman, Clay Crane, Jordyn Cromer, Caitlynn Dickinson, Madison Dowell, Joey Farley, Raechel Ferguson, Jenna Fields, Holly Forsberg, Destiny Gilpin, Sarah Gregory, Alexis Haidet, Sada Hendricks, Cheyenne Hull, Noi Jackson, Adam Johnson, Ronnie Kohlhauer, Kendall Kunick, Jennifer Leibin, Matthew Mabbitt, Nicolette Maestas, Hailey Mayhan, Aiden McCarter, Haydee Mesta, Brad Milan, Justin Miller, Geri Mills, Audrey Norman, Alejandro Ocampo, David Podkowa, Chloe Polacek, AJ Purinton, Kaylee Rhodes, Patricia Robinson, Kyla Rolfes, Eric Ross, Alister Rothrock, Katelyn Schield, Anna Sharp, Christine Teague, Jennifer Thomas, Alyssa Wasil, Christopher Wengerd, James Youngblood.

 

Categories : Nursing

YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE DECEMBER GRADUATION CEREMONIES SET FOR NARTA AND NURSING PROGRAM

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, December 5th, 2024

Thursday, December 12 at 11 a.m. for NARTA and Friday, December 13 at 1 p.m. for Nursing Pinning Ceremony at Jim and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center on the Prescott Campus

Yavapai Community College will hold graduation ceremonies for students in the NARTA and Nursing programs in December.  The Northern Arizona Regional Training Academy (NARTA) Graduation is scheduled for 11 a.m. and will be held at the Jim and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center on the Prescott Campus.  The Nursing Pinning ceremony will be held December 13 at the Center beginning at  1 p.m.

The Community College described the NARTA graduation as a ceremony celebrating the completion of training programs for law enforcement officers in Northern Arizona. NARTA provides specialized training for new recruits and current officers to enhance their skills and knowledge in various aspects of law enforcement.

During the graduation ceremony, participants who have successfully completed their training programs are formally recognized and awarded certificates or badges. The event typically includes speeches from key figures in law enforcement, presentations of awards, and sometimes demonstrations of skills learned during training.

The Community College describes the nursing pinning ceremony as a symbolic event that marks the transition of nursing students from their academic training to becoming registered nurses. It typically takes place near the end of their nursing program and is a rite of passage that celebrates their hard work and dedication.

During the ceremony, each graduate is presented with a nursing pin, often by a family member or mentor, which represents their accomplishment and entry into the nursing profession. The pin usually features the insignia of the nursing school or organization and sometimes includes symbols related to nursing, like a lamp or a caduceus.

The ceremony often includes speeches, the recitation of the Nightingale Pledge (a commitment to ethical practice), and sometimes the presentation of awards. It’s a meaningful tradition that honors the students’ achievements and their commitment to caring for others.

Categories : NARTA, Nursing

PRESCOTT VALLEY CENTER HOLDS OPEN HOUSE FOR HEALTHCARE CAREERS FROM 3 -5 P.M. JULY 10

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, June 27th, 2024

Yavapai Community College says that “it has become the county hub for Healthcare careers and vocational training”

On Wednesday afternoon, July 10, Yavapai Community College will hold an open house at its Prescott Valley Center for learning about healthcare careers.  The Center is located at 3800 North Glassford Hill Road, Prescott Valley.  The Open House will run for two hours from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Faculty will be available to answer questions from the public about obtaining training from the Community College in a number of healthcare areas including:  

  • Assisted Living Facility Caregiver Certificate        
  • Computed Tomography (CT)
  • Medical Assistant AAS or Certificate
  • Medical Office Assistant Certificate
  • Nursing Assistant Certificate
  • Phlebotomy Technician Certificate
  • Radiologic Technology AAS
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) post-primary certificate

In addition to touring the Prescott Valley Center and sampling possible career fields, visitors can explore resources to help them embark on their healthcare education, including:

  • Meeting and speaking with YC experts who can help you get started 
  • Learning about scholarships and financial aid
  • Submitting a free admission application
  • And more!

Refreshments will be served, and prizes will be available, including a Chrome Book, Amazon gift cards and more.

The College boasts that it “has become the county hub for Healthcare careers and vocational training.”

Categories : Nursing

ESTIMATED COST FOR CONSTRUCTING COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRESCOTT VALLEY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER LEAPS IN LESS THAN 12 MONTHS FROM ESTIMATED $14.52 MILLION TO $39 MILLION; TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE JUMPED FROM SEPT ESTIMATE OF 30,000 TO OCTOBER ESTIMATE OF 56,000

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, November 9th, 2023

New plans also include an 18,000 square foot Conference Center as part of project that will compete with private resorts and public centers for business. College  already has spent $5.8 million improving Prescott Valley Center in 2017; plus unknown amounts in 2019 and 2023 to purchase land and complete phase 2 of its expansion

In November 2022, Yavapai Community College executives presented a list of priority projects to the residents of Yavapai County and the District Governing Board, one of which involved expanding the Health Sciences Center now located at the Prescott Valley Center.  At the time, the experts estimated the expansion to cost about $14.52 million. The District Governing Board approved the request in concept, except for the Third District’s representative at the time, Mr. Paul Chevalier. 

In May 2023, when the 2023-2024 budget was unanimously approved, the Prescott Valley Center Health Sciences project in concept was scheduled to begin the planning stage in 2026. However, it now appears from the timeline sketch provided by the College at the October 2023 District Governing Board meeting (see sketch below), that plans for beginning the project  from concept to reality began only a month  following the May meeting.  A huge change!

The plans, as unveiled in October, include an 18,000 square foot conference center on the third floor. The total cost of the project has increased from $14.52 million to $39 million with $9 million allocated for the third floor conference center. The College suggests that it may obtain funding assistance from the state and federal governments for the project.

When the Community College announced its $39 million project in October 2023 some County residents pondered whether they may have been intentionally misled by the November 2022 presentation and the $14.52 price tag, only to discover eleven months later that the College was now intending a $39 million dollar project. Other community members are also questioning the wisdom of adding a conference center as a part of the Health Sciences building for an estimated $9 million that may directly compete with private resorts and small cities for conference business. That idea for a conference center does not appear in the Master Plan and was not discussed in November 2022 when the concept was approved.

However, residents’ concerns will have little or no impact. Residents have learned that incredible differences in estimates and actual construction mean little to a sleepy District Governing Board dominated by west county politicos. They will essentially rubber-stamp whatever the College brings forth when it asks for final approval of a project on the west side of Mingus Mountain.

In one sense, the District Governing Board’s approval process for College projects is like a train that has already left the station. Residents’ concerns are akin to a small pebble on the tracks that the train will simply pass over. The train’s destination is predetermined, and the Board’s approval is a mere formality.  Moreover, there is never any serious follow-up by the Board on such projects.

*Note:  Since 2017 the Community College has been spending millions to upgrade the existing Prescott Valley Center.  It completed a $5.8 million dollar phase one construction project at the Center in 2017.  Between then and 2023, additional hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on phase two of renovation and improvements along with land acquisition.

Categories : Career and Technical Education, Nursing

YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE OFFERS EXPLANATION FOR MOVING CONSTRUCTION OF PRESCOTT VALLEY HEALTH CENTER AHEAD BY YEARS – CRITICS PONDER WHETHER SCRAPPING/DELAYING TWO LARGE PROJECTS IN THE VERDE VALLEY MADE FUNDS SUDDENLY AVAILABLE FOR WEST SIDE DEVELOPMENT

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, November 4th, 2023

Total cost of potential new Prescott/Prescott Valley/CTEC projects  range from $55 to $65 million. Meanwhile most projects delayed or more likely abandoned on the Sedona/Verde Valley side of Mingus Mountain

Sedona, Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Camp Verde ask:

As we approach 2024, the Community College has decided to invest potentially in total between $55 million and $65 million in capital projects at the Prescott Campus, CTEC and the Prescott Valley Center. The proposed expenditures include:

  • $15 million to renovate the Prescott Campus library. (Approved.)

  • $10 million to expand CTEC at the Prescott airport. (Approved.)

  • $3 million for workforce housing, with some portion of the funds allegedly going to the Verde Valley Campus. (Approved.)

  • $30 million to $40 million to construct the Health Science building, which may also include a conference center as a part of it, at the Prescott Valley Center. (Pending final approval; concept approved.)

Meanwhile, projects at the Sedona Center and Verde Valley Campus on the east side of Mingus Mountain have been delayed and in some cases possibly abandoned.  The only major approved development project is $3 million to renovate Building “M” on the Verde Valley Campus. 

How did the enormous disparity occur?

Read More→

Categories : Health Summit, Nursing, Residence halls, RV PARK ON VERDE CAMPUS, Sedona Campus, Verde Campus

YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE LAUNCHES ITS SECOND ALL ONLINE BACHELOR DEGREE PROGRAM

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, October 18th, 2023

Provides an opportunity to obtain a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, RN-BSN; now taking applications for the program, which begins in the spring 2024 with an anticipated 50 students

Yavapai Community College has launched its latest all online academic offering in four-year degrees, the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, RN-BSN. The offering was officially unveiled during a press conference held October 16, 2023 at the Yavapai Community College Prescott Campus. Present for the news conference were Community College faculty, staff, students, healthcare figures from Yavapai County, and healthcare industry partners.

Copyright © Robert E. Oliphant

Students can now submit their applications and register for classes. This marks the second online baccalaureate degree program introduced by Yavapai College. It follows the launch of the Bachelor of Science in Business Degree that began in the fall 2023 semester on August 12. 

The RN-BSN program is designed for RN professionals who are eager to elevate their careers by obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree, which should help them in gaining leadership roles in the healthcare industry.

The details about the program, as described by the College in its press release,  include the following:

This will be the second baccalaureate degree offered by Yavapai College

The first classes will begin this spring 2024 semester with 50 students. For the fall 2024 semester, YC will have a cohort of 100 students.

Registration for classes opens today, October 16.

The degree is designed for RN professionals ready to complete their Bachelor of Science Nursing degree for career advancement in leadership roles.

It is offered entirely online, and students can attend full-time or part-time.

Phenomenal student support with immediate access to student advisors and computer help after hours when you need assistance.

No guesswork classes designed with consistent due dates, Instructor feedback, and weekly posted grades.

No prerequisites or corequisites.

You can complete coursework through 8-week classes, significantly reducing completion time.

8-week classes offered in January, June, and August, allowing program completion in one year or three semesters.

Affordable and competitive tuition pricing in comparison to other baccalaureate degree options (in-state lower division $168 per credit, upper division $252 per credit).

Students can transfer up to 90 credits.

Nursing core major 30.5 credits.

Electives can include LDR 201, 202, and 203 to earn a certificate in Organizational Leadership for professional growth and career advancement.

Applications for the BSN (RN-BSN) degree open today, October 16th.  Classes begin for the spring semester on January 13. To learn more about the degree and to apply to the program, visit www.yc.edu/bsn. 

Registration for all of YC’s classes for the spring semester is now open. To register for classes, visit www.yc.edu/register.

 

Categories : B.A. DEGREES, Nursing

PLANS FOR CONSTRUCTING THE YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S THREE-STORY 30,000 SQUARE FOOT NEW HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT PRESCOTT VALLEY CENTER RAPIDLY ADVANCING

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, October 4th, 2023

Already moving into the design development phase this month

Yavapai Community College is forging ahead with plans to construct a state-of-the-art, three-story Health Science Center spanning 30,000 square feet at the Prescott Valley Center. As reported in the College’s October Facilities Management Newsletter, the project’s steering committee convened multiple times in September and has further meetings scheduled for October. In October it is anticipated that the Committee will shift from programming to design development.

The new facility is intended to host the Nursing department and will also serve as the new location for the EMS program, currently situated at the Prescott Campus.

Minimum estimates for the cost associated with this project run around $20 to $22 million.

[For more details, refer to the excerpt from the October Facilities Management Newsletter that appears below.]

Categories : Nursing, Prescott Valley Campus

COMMUNITY COLLEGE RECEIVES APPROVAL FOR SECOND BACCALAUREATE DEGREE FROM HIGHER LEARNING COMMISSION

By R. Oliphant
Sunday, September 17th, 2023

Final approval pending from IAC, which is a medical professional accreditation organization. Dr. Rhine announces she will hold press conference Monday, October 16, outside Building 1 on Prescott Campus to reveal exactly what the degree is about

Dr. Lisa Rhine announced to the Yavapai Community College faculty on Thursday, September 15 that the College has received approval from the Higher Learning Commission to offer its second baccalaureate degree.  Full approval is pending before the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). The IAC is a nonprofit, nationally recognized accrediting organization.

The IAC was founded by medical professionals to advance appropriate utilization, standardization and quality of diagnostic imaging, interventional and therapeutic procedures. The IAC programs for accreditation are dedicated to quality improvement and patient safety and all support one common company mission: Improving health care through accreditation®. Since its inception in 1991, the IAC has granted accreditation to more than 14,000 sites.

Dr. Rhine also announced that she would hold a press conference outside Building 1 on the Prescott Campus Monday,  October 16 “to reveal what it is,” referring to the new baccalaureate degree.  She did not provide a time for the conference. 

Categories : Nursing

YAVAPAI COMMUNITY COLLEGE TAKES PRELIMINARY STEPS TOWARD CONSTRUCTION OF NEW 30,000 SQUARE FOOT HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER AT PRESCOTT VALLERY CENTER

By R. Oliphant
Thursday, August 10th, 2023

Goal is to begin construction in August 2024 – (Estimated cost runs from $20 to $22  million) – This is second major project in last few months announced to expand west side Community College footprint as $10 million already allocated for  separate CTEC expansion; College will seek additional state and federal support for Science Center project

Yavapai Community College announced in its August Facilities Management Newsletter that it has begun moving forward with its plans to build  an estimated $20 to 22 million Sciences Center to be located at the College’s Prescott Center.  (Click here to take link to newsletter.)   

The College says that it is working with “SPS + Architects” and has begun programming for a new three story 30,000 square foot facility that will house Nursing and EMS training.  According to the Facilities Management Report, the College  hopes to obtain additional funding from the state and federal governments.  It is unclear whether the project is actually contingent on obtaining those funds.

It also hopes to break ground for the Center  in August 2024. If it does so without state or government aid, it will most likely turn to issuing Special Revenue Bonds of some sort because they do not  need approval from residents before they are issued.  The College has used this approach before on various projects.

The EMS program, now located on the Prescott Campus, will be moved to the new facility. The vacated Prescott Campus space will be filled by building additional  athletic offices to meet the needs of the burgeoning athletic program.

The College said it will continue the existing nursing program on the Verde Campus.

The announcement of the multi-million dollar project is notable for a couple of reasons:  First, in the May 2024 approved budget, this project was listed as beginning at the earliest in the 2026-2027 academic year.  For unexplained reasons, it has  suddenly been moved to begin two years earlier, in August 2024. 

Second, this appears to be a missing part of the Master plan originally hatched by the Prescott based College executives back in  2010 where they  received Governing Board approval for allocating $103 million or more in capital development with less than 5% going to Sedona and the Verde Valley.  At that time, it was expected that all nursing training would be centralized at the Prescott Valley Center, including the nursing program on the Verde Valley Campus. 

Fortunately, Sedona/Verde Valley advocates launched a successful campaign to save the nursing training on the Verde Valley Campus. Another factor saving the Verde Valley Campus program was that discussions with Northern Arizona University and others potentially involved in the Prescott Valley project fell apart, which brought a halt to enormous expansion plans. However, the College moved ahead with renovation of  a portion of the Prescott Valley Center for its nursing program. 

In justifying the 30,000 square foot expansion, College consultants claim that based on projected enrollment growth in the Health Sciences, and “the advantages of bringing all Health Sciences programs together into one building,” a new integrated Health Sciences center is needed, which focuses on partnerships and interdisciplinary pedagogies that provide students with an improved understanding of healthcare practices to help them secure better jobs. (Emphasis added.) 

The following is the announcement made by the College:

 

Categories : Nursing, Prescott Campus
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