Carolinas College of Health Sciences (CCHS) is a public 2-year college located near downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. A subsidiary of Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) and owned by Carolinas HealthCare System, the college offers educational programs leading to entry-level employment in health care. Programs offered include nursing, radiologic technology, radiation therapy, surgical technology, and medical laboratory sciences. The continuing education department offers non-credit education in nurse aide, healing touch, phlebotomy, CPR of various levels, cancer massage, IV therapy, and other focused areas of health care.[1][2]
CCHS was ranked the number three 2-year college in the country by Washington Monthly in 2010, based on the college's high graduation rate and responses on a national, standardized survey of student engagement.[3] CCHS is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award the Associate of Applied Science degree.[4]
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In the late 1980s, Carolinas HealthCare System administration established the CMHA School of Nursing after a feasibility study showed the need for nurses at the local and statewide level. Degree granting authority was obtained through the Hospital Authority Act [NC General Stat 113E-23 (a)(31)], and was delegated to the school by the Board of Commissioners. The North Carolina Board of Nursing gave initial approval to the school in May 1990, with the first students admitted in the fall of that year. Full approval status was granted by the North Carolina Board of Nursing, and the first class graduated in 1992. In December 1993, CMHA's Board of Commissioners passed a resolution to incorporate the CMHA School of Nursing and to appoint a board of directors for the school. Degree granting authority was delegated to the board of directors.
In July 1996, the board of directors approved the school to do business as Carolinas College of Health Sciences. The existing Schools of Radiologic Technology and Surgical Technology joined CCHS in August 1996, and the School of Medical Technology joined in January 1997. In 1999, the first students were admitted to the Nurse Aide I and Phlebotomy programs and in 2003, the School of Emergency Medical Sciences was added. Nurse Aide II was offered for the first time in 2006.[5]
A high-technology feature of the college is its simulation center, which uses patient simulators and task trainers to educate medical residents, nursing and allied health students. The Simulation Center is the only facility in the region to be both an American College of Surgeons accredited Level I Education Institute, and a Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) accredited (Assessment, Research, and Teaching/Education) simulation center.[6][7]
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