Orange Grove Center and Chattanooga State Community College announces that 25 students have graduated from the new Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training program in its first year of operation. The program, which takes place in a dedicated space on Orange Grove Center’s main campus on Derby Street, is an intensive two-week course involving classroom and experiential learning which culminates in students taking the State of Tennessee CNA Licensure Exams, which test both knowledge and skills.
“Orange Grove’s mission has always been to provide the highest quality of care possible to the people it supports.
One of the ways we do that is by constantly looking at how we train staff. The State of Tennessee provides excellent and required training materials for new staff, as well as annual refresher courses, we wanted to look for ways we could do more,” said Orange Grove CEO Tera Roberts. “We are absolutely thrilled to partner with Chattanooga State to offer this program.”
Students in the program are hired by Orange Grove Center upon completing all required background checks prior to participating in the program. The CNAs are enrolled in the program through Chattanooga State, and will receive their certification from the college upon completing the class.
This Friday is the annual Founder’s Day at Orange Grove, where staff and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) alike are celebrated and recognized for their contributions to the center. Part of this year’s event includes a pinning ceremony for the CNA school graduates, who will commemorate their achievement.
“The start-up costs for the CNA program are funded in part by the United Way of Greater Chattanooga, Southeast Tennessee Development District, as well as private funders,” said Heidi Hoffecker, Orange Grove’s director of development. “We are delighted to count on the support from our community in offering this certification program as a commitment to the people we support and our staff. Elevating our staff elevates care, and everyone benefits.”
The ceremony will be attended by representatives from Orange Grove and Chattanooga State and be held in the Orange Grove cafeteria from 1-2 p.m.
For more information about current programs, visit Orange Grove’s official website at orangegrovecenter.org.