Twelve staff members at Vanderbilt Health Clarksville are the most recent graduates of Vanderbilt Health's Center for Programs in Allied Health program in partnership with Nashville State Community College. (photo by Susan Urmy)
Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital graduated its first group of medical assistants through Vanderbilt Health’s cohort model at no cost to the employees or hospital via a Nashville State Community College program with a Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development grant.
The effort was coordinated by Vanderbilt Health’s Center for Programs in Allied Health (CPiAH), which has trained medical assistants since 2022 alongside Nashville State. The rural workforce grant, awarded to Nashville State, covered the costs of coursework and clinical preparation — a benefit CPiAH leaders moved quickly to secure for their 12 new colleagues, said Kaylee Skidmore, Vice President of Allied Health at VH.
“This cohort represents more than a certification. It gave dedicated team members the opportunity to validate the skills they were already using every day while opening doors for future career growth,” said LaQuana (Q) Pollard, MBA, Program Director of the Medical Assistant Program. “For Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital, it strengthens the workforce with nationally certified medical assistants who can support providers, improve patient flow, and help ensure the community continues to receive high-quality care close to home.”
Since launching in 2022, the CPiAH Medical Assistant Program has run 17 cohorts and graduated 186 individuals — with 73% still working at Vanderbilt Health, a retention rate Skidmore calls “unusually strong” for a role that traditionally sees high turnover.
Pollard said she’s proud of the 100% certification pass rate for the Clarksville cohort, and that “the success reflects the commitment of the students, the support of their leaders, and the strength of our cohort model.”
The Clarksville partnership previews what more coordinated workforce development can look like across the region, Skidmore said.
“Nashville State is proud to work with Vanderbilt’s Center for Programs in Allied Health as a workforce solution partner to provide Clarksville team members with the support, experience and opportunities we have developed together through 17 successful medical assistant cohorts in the Nashville area. We look forward to continuing this strong partnership and expanding access to these opportunities for the Clarksville/Montgomery County community and beyond,” said John Cunningham, Director of Healthcare Partnership Solutions at the Center for Workforce Development and Continuing Education at Nashville State.
