Beginning this year, Kaiser Permanente’s Richmond-based School of Allied Health Sciences will offer sonography, phlebotomy, and radiography programs at the California State University, Stanislaus Stockton Center.

The joint venture will allow both colleges to pool resources for the greater good, addressing both educational and health care needs in the Central Valley, CSU Stanislaus President Hamid Shirvani said.

“The collaboration between CSU Stanislaus and the Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences significantly improves access to health care education for Central Valley students and addresses critical workforce shortages facing Stockton and surrounding cities,” Shirvani said.

The phlebotomy program will begin July 25. The 18-month general sonography program and two-year radiography program will begin later this year.

The programs were chosen due to demand seen locally, according to Connie Wilson, vice president of Human Resources for The Permanente Medical Group, which operates the school.

“We have seen a significant increase in the number of students who come from the Central Valley to our Richmond campus,” Wilson said. “By expanding our class offerings to the Central Valley, we will increase access for local students and ultimately help increase the number of allied health professionals in the area.”

Clinical training will be provided by both Kaiser Permanente and others. Graduates are not required to work for Kaiser Permanente.

Shirvani expressed hope that the venture will lead to additional partnership opportunities in the future, such as an accelerated bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences. He theorized that graduates of the Kaiser Permanente Allied School could apply course work toward a CSU Stanislaus bachelor’s degree.

The programs will complement existing CSU Stanislaus programs at the Stockton Center, which will be transformed into a health care hub in the heart of Stockton’s historic Magnolia District.

The university will also offer a new, Accelerated Second Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the Stockton Center this fall for students who hold a bachelor’s degree, but desire a bachelor’s in nursing. Other programs may be added, including a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, Master of Arts in Speech Pathology, and a Master of Arts in Health Informatics.

For more information about the classes and information sessions, visit www.kpsahs.org.

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.