JCC, Upstate Medical sign partnership agreement

Jefferson Community College and Upstate Medical University officials signed a partnership deal Thursday to attract more health professionals to the north country and help meet the health care needs of the community.

"We've really been pushing for more medical providers in the area," JCC President Carole A. McCoy said. "We need something that really satisfies crucial needs of this community, especially those of Fort Drum."

The goals of the partnership are to give north country residents a local institution where they can study medicine and to provide the community with more medical practitioners. This is a particular concern because Fort Drum doesn't have its own hospital, as many other military installations do, Mrs. McCoy said.

Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, already does some work with Fort Drum. Psychiatrists from the university travel to Fort Drum almost every day to work with soldiers and their families. But university officials want to get closer to the base.

"I think it's best for warriors to stay as close to their family as possible," Upstate Medical University President David R. Smith said. "That's one reason we want to have a presence that's a lot closer to Fort Drum than we are now."

One of the ultimate goals of the partnership is to have a medical school in Watertown, Mr. Smith said. The program would be modeled after a similar program in Binghamton.

Another health care issue facing the north country is the need to keep young people who are interested in medicine in the area, Mr. Smith said.

"What we really need to do is grow our own," he said.

The new degree programs that will be offered include a master's degree in family health nurse practitioner, a master's degree in family mental health nurse practitioner, a bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy and a bachelor's degree in medical technology.

Students will be able to do internships at Carthage Area Hospital and Samaritan Medical Center.

The partnership is part of JCC's higher education initiative, aimed at bringing more degree programs to the college. JCC has signed partnership contracts for degree programs with Paul Smith's College, Keuka College and SUNY Potsdam.

This partnership in particular is important to JCC because of the implications for north country health care, and because of the quality of education Upstate Medical University will bring with partnership programs, Mrs. McCoy said.

"The people at Upstate just get community colleges," she said. "And the education is top notch. I couldn't ask for anything better."