Sunshine Health and Hillsborough Community College Foundation Partner to Provide Scholarships for Nursing Assistant Certifications

The scholarship program will support the cost of tuition, fees, examinations, books and materials for nursing students in the Tampa area

TAMPA, Fla., March 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillsborough Community College Foundation and Sunshine Health are partnering to provide Florida residents with the Sunshine Health Works Scholarship. The scholarship will cover 90% of the cost of tuition, fees, examination, books, and materials for the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program.

The certification program includes 84 hours of lecture and skills training with the option to attend 40 hours of clinical experience in a hospital or nursing home ($200 separate fee). Students will learn the skills necessary to perform basic care services for an acute care patient, long-term resident, or an individual in a home health setting. 

"At Sunshine Health, we understand how integral workforce development is to the quality of healthcare received by the community," said Nathan Landsbaum, Sunshine Health President and CEO. "We are proud to collaborate with the HCC Foundation to create pathways to prosperity for our communities and to address critical staffing shortages in healthcare." 

Once students complete the program, they can take the CNA Florida licensing exam and immediately work as a Patient Care Attendant (PCA) and/or Home Health Aide (HHA) in any Medicare-approved center.

"This innovative partnership will help HCC provide the best education to recruit and train healthcare professionals in Tampa Bay. We are grateful to Sunshine Health for their generous contribution to the Foundation and their support of our programs through use of their facilities," said Stephen Shear, Executive Director of the HCC Foundation.

The Sunshine Health Works Scholarship will run through the 2023 calendar year. People interested in enrolling in the program should visit TampaTraining.com/Sunshine-Health-Works. 

Hillsborough Community College serves more than 42,000 students annually at its five campuses located throughout Tampa Bay. The College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information, visit hccfl.edu. 

The Institute for Corporate and Continuing Education (ICCE) is Hillsborough Community College's corporate training arm that provides customized business solutions for local companies and individuals. 

About Sunshine Health
Headquartered in Broward County and with offices across the state, Sunshine Health is among the largest healthcare plans in Florida. Offering coordinated care and a network of support for our members, Sunshine Health is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. Sunshine Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise. It offers government-sponsored managed care through Medicaid, Long Term Care, the Health Insurance Marketplace (Ambetter), and Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans (Wellcare). Its specialty plans include the Child Welfare Specialty Plan serving children in or adopted from the state's Child Welfare system; the Serious Mental Illness Specialty Plan for people living with serious mental illness; and the Children's Medical Services Health Plan, operated by Sunshine Health on behalf of the Florida Department of Health for children and adolescents with special healthcare needs. For more information, visit SunshineHealth.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @SunHealthFL.

About Hillsborough Community College
Hillsborough Community College serves more than 42,000 students annually at its five campuses and three centers located throughout Tampa Bay. For more information, visit hccfl.edu. HCC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Visit hccfl.edu/accreditation for more information.

SOURCE Sunshine Health