To your good health: Medical programs at Tarrant County College

Dr. Leblanc meets with students in the mock surgery center. They are dressed in scrubs and medical gowns.

Part Two: The Faculty — Tough Love

By Dr Bill Lace

This is the second part in a three-part series that shows how Tarrant County College partners with local hospitals to meet the county’s growing demand for top-quality, accessible healthcare. These robust collaborations are closing the gap for health sciences professionals ready for work on day one. Click here for Part One.

It didn’t matter whether these first-year Tarrant County College Health Sciences students sweltering through the August heat were prepared for what they would face. This was a case of here they come, ready or not.

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No one seemed to lack confidence, even considering the reputation for difficult courses. “I’m a very determined and driven person,” said Scarlett Abata, a future RN. “I’m hard-headed. If you tell me I can’t do it, I’m going to do it 10 times better than if you said nothing at all.”

Still, there were nagging worries. “I have some doubts that I can keep up and do what the program requires,” said Joy Nettleton in TCC’s Vocational Nursing program. “But if you’re asking can I complete this program, of course I can. Am I going to struggle? Probably. I may find myself waking up in the middle of the night, but I have faith in myself.”

Health Sciences is one of the largest areas of study at Tarrant County College. It is managed by three deans (Nursing, Imaging Programs, Therapeutics) at TCC Trinity River and one (Radiologic Technology, Health and Business) at TCC Northeast.

Trinity River President Sean Madison sees Health Sciences as a driving force for the Tarrant County economy as well as a worthy component of a quality education.

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“TCC plays a pivotal role in ensuring this industry has access to the skilled talent it needs,” he said. “To meet this demand, we offer a diverse range of programs, many of which have launched recently, demonstrating our commitment to staying ahead of the curve.”

To stay relevant, TCC prioritizes innovation and adaptability, Madison said, using advanced technologies and apprenticeships with employer partners. “By embracing such strategies, TCC is maintaining its position as a leader in healthcare education. We’re preparing our students for successful careers while also contributing to the economic prosperity of our community.”

The 28 TCC Health Sciences programs employed 223 faculty and staff during the fall 2024 semester and conducted 3,909 classes. Seasoned practitioners teach many of the classes on a part-time basis. Administrators are keenly aware that their instructors’ ability largely determines the success of graduates after they enter the workforce.

Before coming to TCC as nursing dean, Dr. Nikolaos Moraros knew all about the College’s stellar reputation in professional circles. “TCC’s program was frequently mentioned as a benchmark for community college nursing education. It is constantly recognized for its rigorous academic standards, impressive NCLEX (nursing’s licensing exam) pass rates and robust clinical training.”

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To maintain that reputation and ensure the sustained high caliber of graduates, Moraros pays close attention to his new faculty hires. “We are committed to recruiting and retaining faculty members who are not only experts in their field but dedicated educators and mentors.”

Dr. Stephanie Holden, TCC’s Radiologic Technology interim dean, wants to make sure that the excellence of her faculty is recognized. “We have to advocate, and that’s for all of our programs,” she said. “Faculty are scholars, and that is my message.”

She’s tired of the image of some professionals as “invisible healthcare heroes,” and she urges her faculty to participate in conferences and publish articles. “I have 32 full-time faculty, and I’m so proud when they’re invited to make presentations to their peers.”

Holden herself recently presented at the national conference of the Association of Healthcare Internal Auditors. Her topic, “Maximizing the Experience for New Graduates,” goes to the heart of TCC Health Sciences. Regardless of the elements at play, the faculty message to students is that the patient always comes first.

Joy Nettleton and Scarlett Abata

Radiologic Technology, for instance, requires patient care as one of the first classes for new students. Likewise, Moraros said, the Nursing program views a commitment to patient care as among the highest criteria.

Students in TCC’s Central Sterile Processing program seldom encounter a patient, but Coordinator Theresa Steele makes sure they watch a procedure from start to finish “so they can know that there is a person there, there’s a human that these instruments they’ve been cleaning are being used for.”

Dental Clinic Manager Nancy Blinn said the students she works with at the Dallas hospital Scottish Rite for Children are told to see the entire patient, “and not just be talking about teeth the whole time.”

She added: “They have to understand complex medical histories and how that relates to oral health. The students are exposed to working with special needs patients in wheelchairs, people with developmental delays and autism just to name a few.”

First-year Nuclear Medicine student Alexa Oatman put it concisely. Patients, she said, “need to know they’re not alone.”

TCC students encounter the importance of patient care firsthand when they leave the classroom and start their clinicals, fanning out to hospitals, doctors’ offices, long-term care and outpatient therapy centers, emergency medicine sites — wherever people need care.

The transition can be a shock. “Going to the clinic for the first time as a student was eye-opening,” said Lana Cihacek, a 2023 graduate who’s now lead radiologic technician at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth. “No matter how much you practice in lab or read textbooks, a hospital setting is going to be different if you’re not used to that environment.”

The relationship between TCC and its clinical locales is symbiotic. The sites supplement classroom work with hands-on experience. “Book smarts are great,” said Jon Darnell, director of radiology at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance and chair of the system’s Radiology Advisory Council, “but then you must actually apply them.”

The payoff for the sites is extended observation time of potential future employees. “What we tell our students is to act like it’s a six-week job interview,” said TCC physical therapy Associate Professor Holly Dickson.

Nursing Dean Moraros considers the relationship a matter of trust. “These partnerships are built on mutual respect and a shared commitment to patient care. Continuous feedback from students and our clinical partners allows us to refine and enhance the clinical training experience.”

Students on site work with TCC clinical instructors, many of whom have very definite expectations. “I was looking for students who were not afraid to ask questions and who represented themselves well. In other words, they weren’t wrinkled and looking like they just rolled out of bed,” said Blinn, a 1987 graduate of TCC’s Dental Hygiene program. “The TCC students were extremely professional. Introduced themselves. Wore name tags. Had the proper attire. It was truly a real world experience for them because we were teaching them to speed up just as would be expected in private practice.”

Training lasts from nine months to two years, then the newly minted holders of degrees or certificates are ready to enter the field. The experience has been exacting, with many late nights studying before days that came far too soon.

The vast majority will find that there is still much to learn.

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