Contact: Melissa Reifert
February 2, 2007

Successful MECC Phlebotomy Program Produces Well-Trained Employees

They say that practice makes perfect, and this is especially true for Mountain Empire Community College phlebotomy students. “Our students are so confident by the time they leave here,” states Kim Dorton, Health Sciences Trainer and Instructor at the college. “They do so many practice tests and ‘sticks’ until they get past any leeriness they may feel in the beginning.” This confidence is evident in the 99% pass rate for MECC students who took the National Certification Test, administered by the National Phlebotomy Association (NPA) based in Landover, Maryland.
Today, phlebotomy is one of the fastest growing healthcare occupations. The primary responsibility of a phlebotomist is to collect blood for laboratory analysis, which is necessary for the diagnosis and care of a patient. Graduates of MECC’s successful Phlebotomy Program are finding work in the area with healthcare organizations such as Bristol Regional Medical Center, Holston Medical Group, Holston Valley Medical Center, Indian Path Medical Center, and Lonesome Pine Hospital hiring former students.

According to Dorton, two of the major influences on phlebotomy student success at MECC are Instructors Jakkae Jackson and Julie Sutherland. “Our instructors are very committed and interested in individualizing the program for each student,” she says. “Whatever it takes for the student, they do. They just have a knack for figuring out what each student needs to get them to the next level.”

Sutherland credits the students’ desire to learn as a reason why they generally find success in the program. “Our students are hungry to learn a new trade,” she states. “Many are older students who may have never attended college, while several have worked in hospital settings and want to move up the pay scale. Many are on the way to another calling, such as respiratory therapy, nursing, or medical technology. They see the prize and are especially willing to do the work to attain it.”

The job outlook is bright for graduates of the program at MECC. “All of our students who want jobs are finding jobs,” states Dorton. She references the spring 2006 class of phlebotomy students at the college, who were all working in the industry even before they graduated.

There are also other options for individuals who graduate with a degree in phlebotomy. “A natural progression for a phlebotomist would be to enroll in MECC’s Medical Laboratory Technician Program,” says Dorton.
The Phlebotomy Program at MECC has been in place since 1997. Typically, 30 to 40 students are accepted into the program each year. Due to the large number of students going through the program at MECC, the NPA visits twice a year to administer the National Certification exam, which includes both written and skills tests.

MECC Instructor Jakkae Jackson demonstrates techniques in phlebotomy. MECC students who took the National Certification Test, administered by the National Phlebotomy Association, achieved a 99% pass rate on the exam.

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