Reading, PA – Reading Area Community College (RACC) has been awarded $125,000 from Truist Bank to support nursing student scholarships.

Over the next two years, the award will be used to fund scholarships to students enrolled in the nursing (RN) and practical nursing (LPN) programs in the most impactful way possible.

In Pennsylvania, employment growth in the healthcare sector is projected to be 2.5 times the average for all other occupations over the next ten years. While the Commonwealth faced an identified healthcare worker crisis before the COVID-19, the shortage was compounded by workers leaving the profession during the pandemic. 

“Truist is proud to partner with Reading Area Community College in helping their nursing students prepare for the next step in life. Our company’s purpose is to ‘Inspire and build better lives and communities’ and funding these scholarships gives us the opportunity to help fulfill that purpose here in Berks County” said Truist Market President David Roland.

Pennsylvania would need 50,000 more employees in the healthcare sector by 2026, not including the replacement needs of those who left the field for other work or retirement. In Berks County, the sector is comprised of 25,146 workers, or 13.6% of the workforce. While the two top in-demand professions are Registered and Licensed Practical Nurses, there are many current openings for lab technicians and other healthcare related positions as well.

RACC President Dr. Susan Looney, says, “This grant will immediately benefit our nursing students who are highly prepared and ready to enter the regional healthcare workforce.”

The Weitz Hall at RACC is being transformed into the Weitz Healthcare Pavilion. RACC is completely redesigning its Weitz Hall, merging classrooms currently scattered between two buildings into one cohesive building specifically tailored to the needs of a competitive Health Sciences program. The renovation will allow RACC to address the current healthcare crisis by increasing the graduates of its Health Sciences programs by 80%. This renovation will last eighteen months and has started this May 2023, and will be completed in the late fall 2024.

RACC President Dr. Susan Looney, says, “This grant will immediately benefit our nursing students who are highly prepared and ready to enter the regional healthcare workforce.”

To learn more about health professions programs at RACC, contact admissions@racc.edu, 610.607.6224 or 800.626.1665.

About Truist
Truist Financial Corporation (NYSE: TFC) is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. Truist has leading market share in many high-growth markets in the country and offers a wide range of products and services through our retail and small business banking, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, insurance, wealth management, and specialized lending businesses. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Truist is a top 10 U.S. commercial bank with total assets of $543 billion as of September 30, 2023. Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at Truist.com.

Reading, PA, January 4, 2024 – Tompkins Community Bank today announced that it has donated $10,000 to the Foundation at Reading Area Community College under the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program.

A check presentation ceremony was held at the Tompkins corporate office with Tompkins Senior Vice President Laurie Grube, RACC President, Dr. Susan Looney, Tompkins Senior Vice President Peter Rowley, Executive Director of the Foundation for RACC Tony DeMarco and Tompkins Vice President Amy Vaughan.

Dr. Susan Looney, president of RACC commended Tompkins for their EITC gift said, “Tompkins gift to the Foundation for RACC for the EITC program is inspirational for high school students looking to find the funding to continue their education or enter the workforce after high school.”

Laurie Grube and the Tompkins leadership were excited to help Berks County students start their college education through RACC’s Dual Enrollment program. She noted, “Tompkins believes in giving back to Berks County, a region that means so much to our bank.”

“RACC hopes that other business leaders follow the lead of Tompkins by supporting the RACC EITC Dual Enrollment program”, said Tony DeMarco, Executive Director of the Foundation. “The cost of higher education remains the greatest obstacle for thousands of families. EITC gifts provides high school students with an affordable path to a college degree.”

Reading Area Community College is an accredited, comprehensive, open enrollment education institution that provides the following: Associate degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs; career-focused training; transitional coursework; skills training for business and industry; personal enrichment programs and public service activities. Sponsored by Berks County, the College provides affordable access to meet identified community educational needs.

About Tompkins
Founded in 1836, Tompkins Community Bank serves the Central, Western, and Hudson Valley regions of New York, and the Southeastern region of Pennsylvania. As a community-based financial institution, we consider it our duty to provide innovative financial solutions for local families and businesses as they navigate their financial journeys. Through our unique local decision-making model, Tompkins offers personalized service and exceptional responsiveness, while delivering a broad range of products and services for consumers and businesses. Insurance services are offered through Tompkins Insurance Agencies, and wealth management services are available through Tompkins Financial Advisors. Further information is available at tompkinsbank.com.

RACC Earns Prestigious Histotechnician Program Accreditation

October 19, 2023 — Reading Area Community College (RACC) has achieved accreditation status for their Histotechnician program. Following a rigorous evaluation process, the program has been granted accreditation by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) for five years.

Accreditation by NAACLS is a testament to the exceptional quality and standards maintained by RACC's Histotechnician program. This achievement is a result of the dedicated efforts of faculty, staff and students who have consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence in education and training.

The Histotechnician (HT) is a medical lab worker responsible for processing surgical tissues, biopsies, and autopsy specimens for microscopic review by pathologists. Illnesses such as cancer or serious infections can often be detected by the arrangement of cells in a tissue sample.

“We are thrilled to have achieved this significant milestone for our Histotechnician program. This accreditation affirms our commitment to providing exceptional education in healthcare and further validates the efforts of our faculty and staff in maintaining the highest standards of excellence,” says RACC Dean of Health Professions, Dr. Stacia Visgarda.

RACC’s state-of-the-art facilities, experienced faculty, and hands-on learning opportunities ensure that graduates are well-prepared to meet the demands of the industry.

The employment prospects for the field of Histotechnology are projected to be high due to a growing demand for medical and diagnostic services, as well as advances in medical research that require the use of histologic techniques.

To learn more about health professions programs at Reading Area Community College, contact admissions@racc.edu or 610.607.6224.

The three-year award provides support for renovations to the current Weitz Hall facility.

September 27, 2023 — Reading Area Community College (RACC) received a $300,000 grant from the Wyomissing Foundation to kick off the Capital Campaign to renovate and redesign Weitz Hall to the Weitz Healthcare Pavilion. The Weitz Healthcare Pavilion will dramatically increase classroom and lab spaces for the 14 healthcare programs currently at RACC and to allow capacity to bring on nine new healthcare programs. Currently, the college offers associate degree programs in Registered Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, Medical Laboratory Technician and a new Histotechnician program, as well as for-credit certificate practical nursing program and several short-term training programs such as Phlebotomy and Nurse’s Aide.

“With increased space, we will increase the number of applicants seeking admission to our healthcare programs by as much as 80%. These students will then work here in Berks County since over 90% of our graduates stay in our region after graduation,” says RACC President, Dr. Susan Looney. “As a Hispanic Serving Institution, we graduate students of diverse backgrounds, resulting in equitable representation in the local healthcare industry which is critical as our local population reflects our student body.”

“The Wyomissing Foundation is proud to make the first major gift to this essential campaign which will directly address the healthcare workforce crisis here in our region. We are also proud to honor RACC President Emerita, Dr. Anna Weitz, who has long been a champion of the training our local workforce,” says Wyomissing Foundation President Pat Giles.

There are significant healthcare workforce vacancies throughout Eastern Pennsylvania and throughout the Commonwealth. While the two top in-demand professions are Registered and Licensed Practical Nurses, there are many current openings for lab technicians and other laboratory-based positions. Local employers also note increased demand for entry-level workers such as nurse’s aides and phlebotomists.

“Having the highly respected Wyomissing Foundation make this phenomenal award to the Weitz Healthcare Pavilion signals to our business and philanthropic community that the Weitz Healthcare Pavilion is a project that merits serious consideration. We are so grateful to the Board of the Wyomissing Foundation for their support,” says Tony DeMarco, executive director of the Foundation for RACC and the vice president of advancement.

About the Wyomissing Foundation
The Wyomissing Foundation is a private Foundation established in Berks County, Pennsylvania and formed for the promotion of such charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities as the Trustees of the Foundation in their discretion may select.

About Reading Area Community College
Reading Area Community College builds communities of learning committed to educational growth and to the economic vitality in our region.

Learn more about programs at RACC.

Reading, PA – On Tuesday, September 19, Vice President Kamala Harris marked National Voter Registration Day by participating in a moderated conversation with actress Annie Gonzalez at Reading Area Community College (RACC), a Hispanic-serving institution in Reading, PA. This campus event will be the third stop on the Vice President’s month-long college tour.

Vice President Harris’s “Fight for Our Freedoms" College Tour is a high-energy national swing to mobilize thousands of young people in the ongoing fight for fundamental freedoms and rights. She is set to visit around a dozen campuses including HBCUs, community colleges, apprenticeship programs, state schools, and additional Hispanic-serving institutions. At each stop, the Vice President will focus on key issues that disproportionately impact young people across America – from reproductive freedom and gun safety to climate action, voting rights, LGBTQ+ equality, mental health, and book bans.

 “It is truly an honor to have Vice President Harris visit our beautiful campus. I am very proud to have such an opportunity to showcase the great work that our faculty and staff do for our students and the Berks County community,” says RACC President Dr. Susan Looney. 
  
The Vice President’s college tour officially kicked off this week with stops at Hampton University and North Carolina A&T State University. It is a continuation of her dedicated work to energize, engage, and partner with young people throughout the country. She has already been to 13 college campuses this year after visiting 14 schools in 2022. Vice President Harris also regularly meets with young leaders wherever she goes – from climate leaders in Colorado to gun safety advocates in Virginia.