A.O. Fox Hospital and ONC BOCES Host Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony to Celebrate First Class of LPN Students

ONC BOCES LPN students Jade Hull, Kimberly Siegenthale, and Jaylynn Garelick; Dr. Catherine Huber, District Superintendent at ONC BOCES; Assemblyman Brian Miller (R-C-New Hartford); ONC BOCES LPN student Tasha Kelly; Margaret Kiss, MSN, CNE, RN, Clinical Program Director of the ONC BOCES LPN Program; Mark E. Drnek, Mayor of the City of Oneonta; Antoinette Hull, President of the ONC BOCES Board of Directors; Dr. Joan R. MacDonald, DNP, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Operations at A.O. Fox Hospital; Staci Thompson, MHA, FACMPE, President & CEO of Bassett Healthcare Network; Dr. Angela Belmont, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive at Bassett Healthcare Network; Marion Mossman, ONC BOCES Board Member; and ONC BOCES LPN students Cassie Bailey and Audrey Gilmore cut the ribbon to inaugurate A.O. Fox Hospital's first class of ONC BOCES LPN students.

ONC BOCES' incoming class of 34 LPN students poses with leadership from Bassett Healthcare Network and ONC BOCES, Assemblyman Brian Miller (R-C-New Hartford), and other community leaders.

ONEONTA — Bassett Healthcare Network’s A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta and Otsego Northern Catskills Board of Cooperative Educational Services (ONC BOCES) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 29 to celebrate the first class of LPN students beginning their studies at the hospital.

The ribbon-cutting featured remarks from Assemblyman Brian Miller (R-C-New Hartford), Dr. Joan R. MacDonald, DNP, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Operations at A.O. Fox Hospital, Dr. Catherine Huber, District Superintendent at ONC BOCES, and Margaret Kiss, MSN, CNE, RN, Clinical Program Director of the ONC BOCES LPN Program. Speakers were joined by ONC BOCES board members, Mark Drnek, Mayor of Oneonta, the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce, as well as ONC BOCES LPN students, to commemorate the beginning of a new educational partnership.

“There is no better place to learn the necessary skills for a career in nursing and become immersed in a clinical environment than in a hospital setting,” said MacDonald. “On behalf of A.O. Fox Hospital and the greater Bassett Healthcare Network, we are ecstatic to welcome our first class of LPN students – who are now an important part of our hospital community – and provide the essential resources, experience, and support to help them pursue rewarding careers in healthcare.”

ONC BOCES held orientation at A.O. Fox Hospital for the incoming class of students on August 28. Classes officially begin on September 3. The 10-month program’s inaugural class has 34 students. In the first few months, students will undertake intensive classroom study in the areas of nursing fundamentals, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, growth and development, maternity and pediatrics, ethics, and other clinical disciplines. The class will begin observing and rotating in clinical areas at A.O. Fox Hospital, Fox Nursing Home, and across Bassett Healthcare Network as soon as November, providing essential hands-on experience to accompany the program’s academic components. Students will also engage in clinical simulation laboratories to apply practical skills along their learning journey.

"This program, with a history spanning over 60 years, has long been a cornerstone of our community. Today, as we cut this ribbon, we mark the continuation of that legacy and the beginning of a new chapter that promises to be even more impactful, thanks to incredible partnerships and support,” said Dr. Catherine Huber, District Superintendent at ONC BOCES. "I want to extend our deepest gratitude to Bassett Healthcare Network and A.O. Fox Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Joan MacDonald. They have truly gone above and beyond, and we are incredibly grateful.”

“Re-establishing the Practical Nurse Program is more than an educational initiative – it is a vital contribution to our nursing community and embodies our dedication to advancing healthcare,” remarked Margaret Kiss, who, as the Clinical Program Director at ONC BOCES, serves as the class’s course instructor and coordinates all clinical site rotations. “This program will equip aspiring nurses with the skills and knowledge needed to make a profound impact in our local hospitals, clinics, and beyond.”

Bassett Healthcare Network is hiring for many clinical positions, including nurses, in locations across its eight-county network, including A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta, A.O. Fox Nursing Home, A.O. Fox Hospital – Tri-Town Campus in Sidney, Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, Cobleskill Regional Hospital, Little Falls Hospital, O’Connor Hospital in Delhi, Valley Health Services and Valley Residential Services in Herkimer, clinics, and school-based health centers.

“This partnership is a natural community collaboration,” said Dr. Angela Belmont, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive at Bassett Healthcare Network. “As we support LPN students through their educational journeys, they will graduate with many career opportunities before them. Our goal is to provide a pipeline of employment candidates for Bassett Healthcare Network, where newly trained nurses can pursue rewarding clinical careers with robust pathways for advancement.”