Phlebotomy students receive completion certificates
Phlebotomy Essentials Program completers on the front row are Casandra Altman, JoAnn Lake, Kelsey Miles, Haley Coody, and Isabella Lamb. Alexis Lee, Oliver Mosley, Kayla Shelton, Ivy Black, Shelia Rouleau, Shawanda Harris,
and Mary Murray are in the back row.
Twelve of Meridian Community College's Phlebotomy Essentials Program students studied, drew, and collected blood samples for four months and performed at least successful 100 sticks. Now, they're ready to prepare for their national certification examination.
Phlebotomy students Cassandra Altman, Ivy Black, Haley Coody, Shawanda Harris, JoAnn Lake, Isabelle Lamb, Alexis Lee, Kelsey Miles, Oliver Mosley, Mary Murray, Shelia Rouleau, and Kayla Shelton were celebrated during a completion ceremony at the College's Workforce Development Center.
The students learned medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, blood collection techniques, and safety procedures during their studies, which also included 100 hours of clinical training. To offer this program, MCC partners with Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center, Neshoba General, Ochsner Rush Health, Lackey Memorial, and other healthcare facilities. The hospitals provide the clinical experience, and each student is assigned a location and a phlebotomist who mentors the students.
MCC Clinical Education Coordinator and Instructor for the Medical Laboratory Technology Program Krystal Holifield is the Phlebotomy Essentials Program instructor. An alumna of MCC, Holifield has worked at the College for 11 years and maintained a medical laboratory position for over a decade.
Holifield admired the students and noted they underwent rigorous training with impressive results. "These students completed their hours, and they did that with families and another job. We had a baby born during this time in this program, and the mom still did it. We have a student who graduated from high school on May 23, and she still finished."
"I'm super proud of them. They are an amazing group of individuals. Some of them already have jobs in their fields," Holifield added.
Student Kelsey Miles, who spoke to the audience, said the ceremony marked a significant milestone, and she encouraged her classmates by offering this advice: "Let us never lose sight of the impact we can have on others, and let us approach our work with humility, empathy, and dedication."
To learn more about the Phlebotomy Essentials Program, contact Mallory Hardy, MCC workforce project manager, at mhardy8@meridiancc.edu, 601.484.8653.