Blue Ridge Hospice and Laurel Ridge Community College Announce Partnership To Strengthen Local Healthcare Workforce

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For Immediate Release:
February 4, 2025

Primary Media Contact:
Sally Voth
Public Relations Specialist
[email protected]
Phone: 540-868-7134

Laurel Ridge nursing student
A nursing student during the May 2024 nursing pinning ceremony.

Winchester, VA, February 4, 2025 – Blue Ridge Care Hospice, the leading provider of aging care in the region, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Laurel Ridge Community College through a clinical affiliation agreement. This collaboration is designed to provide valuable clinical experience for students enrolled in the College’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Nursing Programs, ensuring a more skilled healthcare workforce for the future.

The partnership will allow students to gain hands-on clinical experience under the supervision of Blue Ridge Hospice, providing a meaningful learning opportunity that directly benefits both organizations and the community. Through this initiative, students will have access to Blue Ridge Hospice’s Inpatient Care Center and expert clinical team, while Blue Ridge Hospice will benefit from fostering the development of future healthcare professionals within hospice care.

“By partnering with Laurel Ridge Community College, we are investing in the future of healthcare in our region. As a caregiver teaching organization, Blue Ridge Hospice is committed to ensuring the highest quality of care and experience for our patients, families, and caregivers. This agreement will not only enhance the educational experience for students but strengthen our ability to provide exceptional care. We are excited to collaborate to cultivate the next generation of healthcare professionals, who will play a key role in meeting the growing healthcare needs of our community,” said Altonia Garrett, Chief Operating Officer of Blue Ridge Hospice.

The agreement, effective January 1, 2025, will support Blue Ridge Hospice’s mission to provide high quality and compassionate patient care while simultaneously enriching the educational experiences of Laurel Ridge Community College’s nursing and EMS students. This collaboration also reflects the shared commitment of both organizations to advance healthcare education and meet the community’s needs for care, demonstrating how, as a community we come together to care for our neighbors.

“The collaboration with Blue Ridge Hospice is an incredible opportunity for our students. This agreement allows us to provide our students with practical, real-world experience that is crucial for their professional development. It also strengthens the bond between our college and our local experts in aging care, ultimately benefiting the entire community by ensuring we have highly trained professionals ready to provide exceptional care,” said Scott Vanderkooi, Dean of Health Professions at Laurel Ridge Community College.

About Blue Ridge Hospice
Blue Ridge Hospice is a community-based, not-for-profit serious illness and end-of-life care provider that has been serving friends and neighbors across the northern Shenandoah Valley and northwestern Virginia since 1981. With a mission of “brightening life’s journey with quality and compassionate care for all whom we are privileged to serve,” Blue Ridge Hospice serves Winchester City and the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah, and Warren. Accredited by The Joint Commission, Blue Ridge Hospice consistently exceeds the national averages for quality as reported on Medicare’s Hospice Compare website. To learn more about Blue Ridge Hospice visit brhospice.org, or call 540-313-9200.

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Founded in 1970, Laurel Ridge Community College is a multi-campus public institution of higher education. With three locations — Middletown, Warrenton, and Luray-Page County — the College serves eight localities in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Piedmont regions. The localities are the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren and the city of Winchester. Laurel Ridge offers more than 75 associate degree and certificate programs in a wide variety of disciplines, in addition to providing access to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs offered on site by a four-year institution. Laurel Ridge also serves the business community by offering workforce preparation programs for employees and employers. Laurel Ridge serves more than 9,000 unduplicated credit students and more than 11,000 individuals in professional development and business and industry courses annually.

Laurel Ridge Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Laurel Ridge Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Laurel Ridge Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

Laurel Ridge Community College is an equal opportunity institution providing educational and employment opportunities, programs, services, and activities. Laurel Ridge shall promote and maintain equal employment and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions including lactation, age (except when age is a bona fide occupational qualification), status as a veteran, national origin, or other non-merit factors. Laurel Ridge also prohibits sexual misconduct including sexual violence or harassment. Inquiries may be directed to the Associate Vice President, Human Resources, [email protected]173 Skirmisher Lane, Middletown, VA 22645, 540-868-7226.

Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.

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