Northwest Technology Center developed its Business and Industry Services program to assist local business and industry owners, managers and new entrepreneurs find an affordable resource for training, marketing, increasing productivity and for developing new business strategies. Northwest Technology Center has an uncompromising commitment to providing a broad range of resources needed to promote business and industry growth.

Fairview Campus Has Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

On Thursday, April 19, Northwest Technology Center celebrated the opening of its new Business and Industry Services Addition with an Open House and Ribbon Cutting. 

The Open House was held from 4 pm until 6 pm with the Ribbon Cutting taking place at 6 pm.  Oklahoma’s Lt. Governor, Jari Askins was on hand for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.  Cake and punch was served.  Members of the Fairview, Ringwood, Aline-Cleo and Canton communities as well as other friends of the technology center and the general public were invited to attend. 

The facility which was completed in February houses four classrooms, a board room, kitchen facilities, an expanded student break area and office space.   The addition was started in 2005 and will allow more flexibility in class offerings and an inviting atmosphere for students and community groups who utilize the facility. 

View the Photo Gallery of the Open House and Ribbon Cutting!

Quality Training for Fairview Hospital

Earlier this month, the Fairview campus of Northwest Technology Center had the honor of hosting Darlene D. Bainbridge and coordinating a two-day training seminar at the Fairview Regional Medical Center.

Bainbridge is President and CEO of Darlene D. Bainbridge & Associates, a healthcare consulting firm based in Cuba, New York.

During the training session held March 8-9, Bainbridge counseled healthcare center staff members on a number of subjects, focusing mostly on how to strengthen the organization’s quality program in way that will help it in better serving its community and securing its long term future.

Bainbridge explained that building quality programs makes hospitals strong. They help our hospitals make sure that they are delivering services that meet the needs and expectations of our patient and communities while strengthening their role in supporting the economies of our rural communities. She outlined steps to achieve a higher level of service as a part of her “quality continuum” plan. The continuum begins with quality assurance, moves to quality improvement, and ends with overall program improvement.

According to Medical Center CEO Roger Knak, the long term vision for the medical center is to approach quality in a more structured way. Approaching quality in more structured ways and achieving a greater focus on quality throughout the hospital would improve the services the hospital offers and allow the hospital to remain proactively responsive to the changing needs of our communities and a very dynamic healthcare environment. That, in turn, would draw people to the hospital from a much larger surrounding area and be the kind of healthcare provider that our communities deserve.

Knak said that if more people begin to utilize the medical center, it could have a very real and positive economic impact for the community.

We are thrilled to have been able to coordinate in the training for our local hospital, stated Steve Kliewer, Business and Industry Services Coordinator at NWTC. The entire project will add value to our local economy and helps keep our hospital strong.

Funding for the training was provided by a grant NWTC received from Existing Industry Funding FY07 to upgrade facilities in their processes.

Bainbridge is pictured working with hospital department chairs during one of the sessions in the two day seminar held at Fairview Regional Medical Center.

Key Energy Participates in Training Program

Safety in the workplace is an important aspect for employees and employers. Having a safe workplace is a high priority item for Ron Calaway and his team at the Key Energy facility at Fairview.

Key Energy has partnered with Northwest Technology Center in many areas of safety and other areas of training. Twice each month, Key Energy sends employees to training on Northwest Technology Center’s Fairview campus. The employees have participated in the new Bullex fire training on different types of fires and intensity levels. This hands on training meets OSHA requirements as well as those guidelines provided by Key Energy.

Key Energy employees have also participated in a Hazwoper Safety course. This course included Fairview area employees as well as several from Texas and New Mexico.

“We have had over 100 people go through the OSHA and Safety and First Aid training.” said Kurt Mendel, District Safety Coordinator for Key Energy.  “Our full-time employees must attend annually and then we have had lots of contract employees go through.  The First Aid/CPR training can actually be utilized in the field, and I know of situations where it has been used.  It is a complete and hands on course that has three days of OSHA training and one full day of First Aid/CPR.”

According to Ron Calaway, Manager of the local Key Energy office, Northwest Technology Center is also providing training for the “soft” skill areas such as computer skills and relationship skills.

Several employees were involved in an Excel class and several other employees attended a course on supervisory training entitled “Managing the Real Time Workplace--On Your Feet and Face to Face”. The training is very interactive and incorporates work related issues into each session.

“We have had three groups of employees go through this training-approximately 25 employees.  There have been two major comments that have come out of the training. First, our employees have been made aware of their personal management styles.  Second, our supervisors have been taught how to deal with employees and their differing personalities, especially in crucial conversations. It really helped them to become aware of their interpersonal and communication skills.” said Calaway.

“Northwest Technology Center is appreciative to Key Energy for the working partnership and the trust that has been developed between the two organizations.  We look forward to building a comprehensive training program to enhance future growth.” stated Steve Kliewer, Business and Industry Services Director at Northwest Technology Center in Fairview.

Len Haight (far left) works with Key Energy employees during a recent fire safety training at Northwest Technology Center in Fairview.

Share Medical Center & Northwest Technology Center Partner for Training Initiative

Healthcare facilities are faced with a multitude of challenges each day. The leadership and staff work hard to keep patient satisfaction high and look for more efficient ways to make the facility run more smoothly. Share Medical Center works hard to accomplish these goals.

Northwest Technology Center has partnered with Share Medical Center as it entered into a three-year training agreement that will focus on strategic planning, customer service, leadership and employee accountability. The training is entitled “Service Excellence Initiative” and it is a part of the Brian Lee Healthcare Service Excellence Initiative, also called the Custom Learning Process. A portion of the training for year one will be paid for with a $13,500 from the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education with possible renewal for year two and year three activities. Share Medical Center is also required to match a portion of the training grant.

According to Guy Forell, Northwest Technology Center's Business and Industry Services Director, “Around sixty Share Medical Center employees will be trained during year one of the agreement. The training will upgrade skills for supervisors and front line managers and will also train existing workers who move to new positions.”

According to Share Medical Center's CEO, Barb Oestmann, “Having Northwest Technology Center partner with us has allowed Share Medical Center to take full advantage of the opportunity offered by the Custom Learning process. The Custom Learning process will allow Share Medical Center to compete with other healthcare facilities for many years to come.”

The Service Excellence Initiative is a three-year transformational training and implementation process that educates and empowers hospitals and healthcare organizations to achieve significant improvements in patient, employee and physician satisfaction. The Service Excellence Initiative hosts an annual conference on healthcare customer service and professional development.

Five Share Medical Center employees attended this introductory portion of the training the Program Leadership College held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in May. Those attending included Kristi Moorman, Melissa Headlee, Barb Oestmann, Christy Willyard and Regina Wilson. Also, the group will attend the annual Service Excellence Initiative held in San Diego in November. Other training sessions will be held for Share Medical Center employees either on site or at Northwest Technology Center.

Front Row (L to R): Kristi Moorman, Share Medical Center Director of Human Resources; Christy Willyard, RN, Share Memorial Hospital Director of Nurses; and Diana Waldschmidt, Northwest Technology Center Business and Industry Health Services Coordinator. Back Row (L to R) Guy Forell, Northwest Technology Center Business and Industry Services Director; Barbara Oestmann, Share Medical Center CEO, Regina Wilson, RN, Director of Home Health/Hospice; Melissa Headlee, RN, Share Convalescent Home Director of Nurses.

For further information on Business and Industry Services, contact the following Guy Forell, Alva Campus, at 580.327.0344 or Steve Kliewer, Fairview Campus, at 580.227.3708.

Northwest Technology Center now offers on-line classes through Ed2go. For information about the online classes, please visit http://www.ed2go.com/nwtech.