SWOK ARPA Regional Alliance - Coalition

PROJECT PURPOSE

The purpose is to create educational programs to expand the healthcare workforce in Southwest Oklahoma. This could be for Medical Assistants, CNA, LPN, RN, RT, and paramedics. To train and develop the essential work force with in Comanche county and surrounding areas.

EVIDENCE

Skill workforce is a must to continue to go grow the economy. We will partner with proven entities to assist in these efforts to include, but not inclusive, Healthcare Institute, Cameron University, and Lawton Public Schools.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

While SWOK continues to work very hard to improve conditions for our citizens, we continue to struggle with poverty and decline. With 18.5% of our population in poverty and only 45% of our households in owner occupied homes. Our median household income of just less than $48,000 is more than 10% below the state. Lawton is a diverse, inclusive, and progressive community, but we lack the resources to create the kind of community improvement projects that can move us economically to the next level. SWOK has felt impact of the pandemic through stagnant municipal revenues and significantly increasing costs due to supply delays and labor shortage. Somewhat isolated from the region?s larger metropolitan communities, Lawton has seen our labor force slowly eroded through relocation to the larger cities that can provide more quality-of-life amenities. This project puts Lawton on equal footing with Bricktown in OKC and the Gathering Place in Tulsa. Quality of life should be for all communities.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Those individuals that enter training will be tracked for both completion and job placement. There will be additional data collected on the retention of these individuals with companies and in the career of their training.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

One-time project will not need continued funding