HARRIS, NY — Officials from Sullivan County BOCES and Catskill Regional Medical Center (CRMC) gathered on October 29 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the Sullivan BOCES Health Occupations Suite.

Here, BOCES students will take part in a variety of health occupational-training programs, including, according to a CRMC press release, “geriatrics, emergency services, home health care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy tech,” and more. There is also a new program that prepares students for pre-med.

BOCES Superintendent Robert Dufor said moving the program from a classroom in Monticello to the hospital was logical step for BOCES. He said, “Our students have always done part of their clinical rotations at Catskill Medical; now they will spend their entire instructional day here. Our goal was to provide our students with authentic learning experiences.”

Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, who worked at the hospital as a nurse, said, “I’m really proud that we’re doing this in Sullivan County to keep our children here and also to improve the quality of health here in Sullivan County.”

Rolland “Boomer” Bojo, vice president of patient care services for CRMC, said, “The energy this has brought to the hospital from staff and the kids as they interact and become part of the healthcare services here has been has become amazing. It just goes to show what community partnerships can do.”