Plymouth Place CNA Academy celebrates historic graduation

At Plymouth Place, we’ve always been ahead of the curve, continually driving new solutions to improve the lives of our residents and employees. We recently accomplished both important goals with the celebration of the first graduating class of our newly formed CNA Academy.

As the nation faces healthcare staffing challenges, it only made sense that Plymouth Place established its very own CNA program. This enables us to continually provide exemplary care and services to our residents while empowering our employees to advance their careers.

Available to all Plymouth Place employees at no cost, the CNA Academy was initiated two years ago by the Plymouth Place Office of Philanthropy in collaboration with a resident’s generous family. The CNA Academy is fully donor-funded and supported by the Elvira Teuffer Scholarship Fund.

Congratulations to the first graduating class of the new Plymouth Place CNA Academy: Mariana Santana, Arileny Chavarry, Carmen Mateo and Carmel Saurel.

Creating a CNA program is no easy task. The Plymouth Place team applied to the Illinois Department of Public Health, underwent an on-site survey, and selected staff members who were then trained and certified to teach. The CNA Academy consists of 123 hours of training that includes theory (classroom), lab, and clinical hours. After completing the CNA Academy, graduates must pass their State of Illinois Certification Exam.

Once all steps are completed, these graduates can work in skilled nursing, helping residents perform tasks of daily living like dressing, eating, and bathing. Often, CNAs continue their education to become nurses.

The CNA Academy is an important steppingstone for Plymouth Place employees. It’s exciting for our team to watch staff from other departments gain the courage and knowledge to join the medical field. This is truly an empowering time at Plymouth Place.

To learn more about the CNA Academy, contact Michelle Hart-Carlson, VP of Operations and Senior Director of Clinical Services, at (708) 796-8500.