Join Doug Bryant as he talks with his two friends, Brandi Miller (Executive Director of The Mason Center) and Lavonda Cantrell (Vice President of The Hillcrest Foundation) to discuss what The Mason Center is and how it can help kickstart your healthcare career.

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You’re listening to Certify It the podcast for advancing your career in care. Powered by the Mason Center for Health Care Education. Hear news updates and discussions from thought leaders in health care around advancing your career through continuing education. Brought to you by Propel Insurance. Find innovative insurance solutions in the toughest risk management environments. Over 500 senior care providers nationwide trust propel to keep their business thriving. Find your momentum with Propel Insurance. And now, here’s your host, Doug Bryant from the Mason Center.

Doug 00:33
Welcome to Certify It the podcast for advancing your career and care. Brought to you by the Mason Center for Health Care Education. I’m your host, Doug Bryant, and I’ve got with me today two friends that I’m so excited to have here today. Lavonda Cantrell, the Vice President of The Hillcrest Foundation, and Brandi Miller, the executive director of the Mason Center for Health Care Education. Guys, can you believe that we’ve actually made it and we’re here?

Lavonda 00:57
It’s unbelievable, Doug, to be honest with you. Just to think, we’re sitting right here at the Mason Center in this beautiful space and think about where we came from and the idea of the Mason Center and just all the hard work. You know, especially Brandi, you and Doug. It’s just been an amazing journey.

Doug 01:16
Brandi, talk about a journey.

Brandi 01:18
Journey. Yes, it has been a journey. A lot of hard work, a lot of dedication, and a lot of help from some great, great community leaders – and here we are.

Doug 01:30
How many places, Lavonda, did we look at?

Lavonda 01:34
Oh, wow. As far as actual location. Oh, it was a lot. Doug, I want to feel like 25 plus, maybe. And then when we walked into this space, we knew that this was going to be it. This was going to be not only the perfect location in Knoxville, easily accessible to people that may not have, that may need public transportation, and just the space was perfect with the classrooms. It’s just gorgeous. I just think about that and just again, I look around and I go, wow, we’re here.

Doug 02:07
Yeah. Brandi, do you remember the first time you came into the building?

Brandi 02:11
Yes I do. We walked in the door, and we all just kinda looked at each other as soon as we walked in the door. Nobody said anything – we just looked at each other, and we were all like, yeah, you know, we’ve got to look around first. But I think.

Doug 02:25
It was almost like the cliche of there’s no perfect house, but then we looked long enough, and there was a perfect house. I mean, being on a bus line in Knoxville, being in the area we wanted to be in – the layout even in the building has hardly been changed. It was like it was created especially for us. And 18 months later – here we are.

Brandi 02:46
It’s not very institutional. It’s very welcoming – very home-like. With the student center and the couches. With the kitchen we give them access to put their lunches – and whatever they need is in there. We try to supply snacks as much as we can, and we’ve created such a home-like environment for a school. A lot of the students who have walked through here have said this is a very nice space – a very nice space.

Doug 03:16
It has been so exhausting but it has been so rewarding.

Doug 03:19
So Brandi, explain to everyone that’s listening today what the Mason Center is.

Brandi 03:19
So the Mason Center is a healthcare education center, and we don’t just want to build a job. We want to build you a career path. We want to give you stepping stones to where you can come into healthcare as a Laundry Aide – as a Kitchen Aide, and you can advance yourself all the way to a nurse. And we help you build those steps in that path.

Doug 03:53
That sounds incredible. That would have been so nice to have when we were all starting out. To have someone who would help us see what opportunities were out there. You know, we had to really go search for those on our own. I know, Lavonda, your story about getting into healthcare is kind of that way. Can you share a little bit about how you got involved in healthcare and how this would have really helped you?

Lavonda 04:18
Absolutely. I knew in high school that I wanted to do something in health care. I Wasn’t exactly sure what that was going to be. So instead of doing anything like Home Ec or taking study hall, I was in every health occupations class that I could be in to kind of learn and just immerse myself in that. And so again, I really thought, I was like, I don’t think I want to be a nurse, but I don’t know what opportunities are out there, even though I think that the educators at the time thought that they were giving us all the tools that we needed.

So I ended up getting my degree in early childhood education. Well, and then that led me to going on to get my master’s degree in social work. And then from there, thank goodness I was connected to the right people in health care and worked, again, immerse myself with Baptist Hospital at the time, which is, you know, no longer there on the hill, as we all know.

But, just again, connecting myself to the right people, working in the hospital as a hospital case manager, which led me to where I am today, and it’s just been, an amazing pathway. It was a long way around, Doug. It was a long way around. And had I had something again, like the Mason Center and folks like, you know, Brandy and yourself just to kind of guide me and steer me in the right path. You know, things may have turned out differently. I don’t regret anything, but the Mason Center is going to serve so many people in a great way.

Doug 05:59
I think that’s exactly right. And, you know, the way that we even came about developing the Mason Center was really, you know, part of the mission of the Mason Center for Health Care Education is creating, I guess, as you will, your path was really long. One day you all will probably hear my path and it was much the same.

It was really long. And part of the mission of the Mason Center is really providing a shortcut to people, to connect them to the right people, to get them the certifications that they want, and that they may not even know are out there that are available. And not only that, but the barriers that some people have with even funding that education, coming up with creative ways through health care partnerships like Hillcrest, to be able to help these students get the education that they want.

So, Brandi, I know that there’s lots of different courses and classes that are being offered at the Mason Center for Health Care Education. Can you go over those?

Brandi 06:50
So we offer several courses. BLS CPR to healthcare providers, CPR to the general public, IV skills class for LPN’s, and RN’s, and a certified nursing assistant course and a Medication Aide program.

Doug 07:06
Okay, that sounds awesome. Now, if I sign up for one of those, am I like committing to a year-long process? What is the length of the majority of those? How quickly could I advance my career in care?

Brandi 07:18
The CNA classes are a seven week course. You have five weeks in class, and then you have two weeks where you’re doing clinicals and the Medication Aide program is going to be four weeks. You are three weeks in class and one week in clinicals.

Doug 07:32
Well, Lavonda, I know that medication aids are something new in Tennessee. How would a Medication Aide, if I was an operator, how would I use a Medication Aide, possibly in a building?

Lavonda 07:48
Because it is new. I think that, a lot of operators are still trying to understand exactly how to utilize a Medication Aide, but I really feel like, you know, for CNAs that have been assigned a requirement, I think Brandy, correct me if I’m wrong, they have to be a CNA for at least a year, have to be in good standing and all of that. And then to get their certification. I mean, I feel like that it can really help. Staffing has been a crisis across the board, not just in long term care, but for hospitals and assisted living, and you name it. It is a crisis. So I think by giving CNAs the opportunity to advance their career and become a Medication Aide, then that really helps alleviate some of the crisis.

When it comes to LPN’s and RN’s. They can help pass medications in a skilled nursing community and let LPN’s and nurses get back to some of the critical thinking skills and assessment skills that’s really what they went to school to do. So I really think that one of the biggest ways is to help with the staffing crisis that we are experiencing across the board.

And then again, just another way is just to help CNAs advance their education level. I mean, it’s a wonderful thing for them to be able to become Medication Aide certified and just, you know, add that to their tools in their tool shed. I mean, it’s just a wonderful thing for them to be able to advance in that way.

Brandi 09:03
I have noticed as we are starting to look at candidates for the program, that a lot of the CNAs who are applying for the program, want something different. They don’t want to get out of CNA work because you have to maintain your CNA as your Medication Aide as well, and they just want something different.

they’re also CNA is coming into the program who are looking at being nurses. And so this is a really good step between a nurse and CNA. And it kind of gets your foot in the door. it helps you with the LPN program should you decide to continue on. So it’s part of those stepping stones that we were talking about that we want to create and build.

Doug 09:48
So Brandy, as a nurse yourself, imagine that if you, when you were working on the floor, I’m not going to say back in the day because that makes you, you know, when you’re not old. But, when you were working in the beginning of your career, working on the floor, I’d say that you can see tons of value.

If you had been able to have a Medication Aide, would that in my mind, I’m thinking that allows you to do some of those things in nursing that a lot of nurses miss the one on one more, one on one interaction. More, more things that allow you to actually care for the patient instead of just being so busy getting all the medications passed for all the residents that you’re caring for. Would that be a correct statement? You think?

Brandi 10:30
Yeah. That would be correct. When I started out, I was a CNA – 18 years old, and I had no idea of any other thing that I could do other than being a nurse. And, of course, there were patient techs back then. but no medication aids. This would have been a very helpful step, I think, for myself to have, to help me advance and to help me better understand nursing.

Being a nurse on the floor, not very many moons ago, this would have been helpful to me because I could have focused on those critical skills. I could have had more patient care. I could have focused more on patient care, versus trying to get my med pass done, and then having to hurry up and focus and go back and do a med pass.

The Medication Aide is there strictly to focus on that med pass. That is their sole job, when they are on the schedule for a medication aid.

Doug 11:26
It’s a great opportunity that we have to be able to add that level of care within our senior communities and within the community as well to, to be able to help with the staffing crisis in that way. You also said that we have CPR classes. is that mainly for people that are already in health care being medical providers, or is that for like – my daughter wants to start being a nanny and babysitting. Is that something that she could benefit from by coming to take a CPR class, or is it mainly for the people that are already providing care in health care?

Brandi 12:00
We have two different classes. We have the American Heart Association BLS instructor led classes, and those are for health care providers who have to renew every two years. It’s a 4.5 hour course, very thorough, very good. And then we also have a course that is for the general public. We have had some interest from companies for us to come in and provide CPR. Manufacturing companies are usually required to have just basic CPR. So that is a course that we have for the public.

Doug 12:36
Awesome. And both of those are through the American Heart Association?

Brandi 12:40
Yes. Both are American Heart Association.

Doug 12:42
Well, Lavonda, I know that we are very fortunate at the Mason Center for Healthcare Education to be funded and supported by the Hillcrest Foundation. Can you tell us a little bit about what the mission of the Hillcrest Foundation has been and how we came to fall under the Foundation?

Lavonda 13:01
So historically, the foundation has primarily supported residents that are in one of our three skilled nursing communities or our own employees. that are advancing their careers in education. But we are so excited to be in partnership with the Mason center right now, because we are so grateful for the opportunity to support you, Brandi and you, Doug, in the efforts to help expand opportunities for people, our future health care professionals.

I mean, that’s what this is all about. We are so thrilled. So ways that we’re going to help support the Mason center. Top priority really is through grants, financial support, scholarships, tuition reimbursement. The Hillcrest Foundation will continue to have community events and fundraisers. We want to secure private donors, create endowments to give students opportunities. We want to really eliminate the barrier, and financial impact or burdens that they may have. And we don’t want them to not come to school here and learn because of a financial barrier. so we’re excited about that. Outside of scholarships, you know, the programs that you all are developing. This is a beautiful campus and school that you have here.

So the foundation will help you advance your programs and develop new programs. You may need specialty equipment to make the classrooms state of the art. And so the foundation will help support the Mason center and those efforts and, and then community engagement is huge for us, as we know, just being embedded in our community, helping spread the message about what we are doing here. You know, we have great relationship tips already with South College and Pellissippi, and 865 Academy through Knox County schools. So just getting back in front of those individuals, expanding those programs, helping students understand that we are here to support you. I love the fact that opportunity is at the top of the mission statement, at the Mason Center, because that’s what we’re all about. We have the ability to provide pathways for people to get where they want to be. And I think it’s just a wonderful thing. I couldn’t be more excited about this and can’t wait to see where we take it.

Doug 15:21
So for those people that are listening today that are as passionate about education and passionate about health care as we three are, how could I, as someone in the community, get involved to help fund or sponsor to make sure that this mission can be carried out?

Lavonda 15:29
Very easily. I am available by phone or email at all times. We have four major fundraising events every year. Again, we can accept private donations directly through the foundation, either online. at Hillcrest, SI.com, we have an online ability to donate easily through that. again or they can contact me on the Lavonda Cantrell, and I can help navigate that for them.

So 100% of the proceeds that come back to the foundation stay right here in the community of Knoxville. We know where every dollar goes. And I can assure anyone that makes a donation that it is going to a great cause. and every dollar counts, so no donation is too small. and we just would love for anyone that’s interested to support us. We are doing great things here, and it’s just an exciting opportunity to be a part of it.

Doug 16:35
It is exciting and I keep saying that, but I can’t say it enough.

Lavnoda 16:36
Because I know I think I’ve said it 25 times, but yeah.

Doug 16:40
18 Months in the making, I mean, it’s exciting when it happens.

Lavonda 16:44
We have the right to be excited a thousand times today. Right.

Doug 16:48
So Brandi, if I wanted to benefit from some of the support that the foundation is graciously giving, and I wanted to take some of the classes, where do I find out how those when those classes start and how to apply for those.

Brandi 17:01
Our website, the Masoncenterknox.com has all that information available. We do Medication Aide classes every five weeks. We do certified nursing assistant classes every eight weeks. IV skills class 2 or 3 times a month and our CPR is generally about four times a month. If we get more interest in that, we will gladly add classes. That’s no problem. when you want to meet the needs of the community.

Doug 7:27
Now you’ve made me excited and tired. Because that is a lot of opportunity for people to take advantage of that. Well, I thank you all for coming today and being on the podcast and explaining what we’re trying to do here. I look forward to having some of y’all back. It sounds like we could do an entire podcast on just medication Aids, and how those could be used in the building. and explain how we’ve been able to do that even at Hillcrest.

It’s exciting to be able to offer this to the entire community and not just the Hillcrest facilities, and make this really something that. In your community, If your health care services are great, that just means we get to benefit from that when we may need those services too.

Thank you for joining us today. Thank you, Lavonda, for being here. Thank you, Brandi, for being here. This has been a great conversation. And listeners, you all are in for a treat because on the next episode of Certify It the podcast for advancing your career in care. We’re going to be talking about how the Mason Center got its name and a very special guest that’s going to tell us how much that name actually means to him.

18:33
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Certify It by the Mason Center for Health Care Education. Get connected with us on social media and at themasoncenterknox.com. If you haven’t yet, subscribe to this podcast on YouTube and anywhere you get your podcast. And if you’re interested in sponsorship or donations to help further our cause of providing affordable, flexible health care certification programs for individuals seeking career mobility in skilled nursing, senior living, and long term care fields visit themasoncenterknox.com.

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