LaGuardia Community College Partners with Leading NYC Hospitals to Train New Yorkers for Entry-Level Jobs
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (August 8, 2024) — LaGuardia Community College/CUNY is partnering with leading New York City hospitals, including Northwell Health, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York University Langone, and Montefiore Medical Center, to train and place New Yorkers with a high school diploma or equivalency in entry-level jobs in healthcare with good starting salaries and advancement opportunities. The positions are for Central Service Technicians (CSTs), whose responsibilities include sterilizing tools used in medical and surgical care. LaGuardia is helping these major New York hospitals fill job openings in CSTs, which are critical to preventing infection in patients.
“We are proud to be partnering with Northwell Health, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York University Langone, and Montefiore Medical Center, to train tomorrow’s CSTs serving their healthcare systems,” said Sunil B. Gupta, Vice President of Continuing Education at LaGuardia Community College. “The CST training program is ideal for someone with a high school diploma or equivalency who wants to get to work quickly in health care.”
Alyssa Cugini, Director of Quality & Process Improvement, Northwell Sterile Processing in Bethpage, Long Island, says that the Northwell and LaGuardia partnership has created a concrete pipeline to employment where otherwise a shortage exists. “The partnership between Northwell and LaGuardia provides students with a seamless transition from didactic education to hands-on learning. The outcome is confident, experienced well rounded central sterile technicians. As a result, 100% of LaGuardia interns who have completed their hours at the Off-Site Reprocessing Center have secured their CST certification and 85% have joined the Northwell health system.”
LaGuardia’s CST program, which launched a decade ago, has expanded significantly over the past two years, thanks to initiatives helping low-income individuals train for jobs with family-sustaining salaries and growth potential. The NYC Accelerated Workforce Recovery Hub and the Jobs Direct Initiative were launched in 2022 as part of LaGuardia’s effort to help New York City communities recover from economic loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Recovery Hub is supported in part by a $1.65 million grant from the New York Community Trust, the City’s community foundation. Jobs Direct was launched with support from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, the Siegel Family Endowment, the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation, Amazon, the Pinkerton Foundation, and the TD Charitable Foundation.
“Funding from the NYC Accelerated Workforce Recovery Hub and Jobs Direct Initiative enables us to provide CST students with scholarships covering 80–100% of tuition, paid hands-on internships, job placement assistance, soft skills training, and more,” said Vice President Gupta. “We’re grateful for the philanthropies and non-profit organizations supporting these initiatives.”
Central Service Technicians Are Vital to Patient Safety
Central Service Technicians (CSTs), also called Certified Central Service or Sterile Technicians, sterilize medical equipment for hospitals or companies. Primary responsibilities include decontaminating, sterilizing, cleaning, assembling, storing and distributing medical devices and equipment needed for patient care, especially during surgery.
As a non-clinical role, CSTs often work in off-site reprocessing facilities. The name comes from the central service department of a health care facility—a hub of activity surrounding supplies and equipment needed for surgery and patient care. Other titles for CSTs include Sterile Processing Technicians or Central Service Professionals.
“Surgical procedures are performed daily to improve the quality and save the lives of our community members. Central Sterile Technicians are an integral part of the perioperative process as they prepare and sterilize instruments for our patients,” said Ms. Cugini. “The ideal candidate is detail oriented, meticulous, understands the mission and purpose of the role and its impact on patient care. In this role you must be comfortable in an ever-changing environment. You will continuously learn about new technological and medical instrumentation advancements. When new instrumentation processes are adopted, we must educate ourselves to support our surgical team.”
Jobs in medical equipment sterilization are in high demand, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In New York City, the average salary of a central service technician is $58,244.
Edwin Fontanez, 48, has plans to advance in his career as a CST with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “I like everything about the job—the people are great, and the work is interesting because every day I do something different. One day I might be working on sterilizing machines; the next day I might be assembling instruments; another day I might be selecting instruments going to the OR. I’m learning something new every day. There’s always something to learn—especially as technology evolves.”
Edwin learned about the CST field from someone he met at a medical facility while doing needle (sharps) pickup. He’d been looking for a new career that paid well and he’d enjoy doing. He spent the first few decades of his career as a truck driver, but he had to leave in 2020 after needing surgery for a hernia. He needed a job that would no longer involve living heavy items.
As a CST, Edwin, the father of three boys who lives in The Bronx with his wife, is making more money than he did as a truck driver. Currently, he’s studying to become a certified instrument specialist, and then plans to get certified for management opportunities.
LaGuardia’s Central Service Technician (CST) Program Offers Accelerated Training
A high school diploma or GED is the minimum education requirement for CST candidates.
“There is a large demand for CST training—both from students and employers. This spring, we served 120 students in four cohorts. And our employer-partners are eager to interview and hire CSTs,” said Chandana Mahadeswaraswamy, who oversees LaGuardia’s CST training program as Senior Director of Career and Professional Programs for LaGuardia’s Continuing Education Division.
The four-month program involves 18 weeks of classroom learning, with classes on weekday evenings and weekends, to accommodate students who are working or juggle family responsibilities. Classes run in a hybrid modality, taught both online and in-person. Following the classroom section, students complete a 400-hour internship (25-35 hours/week), which they can do part-time or full-time, on day shifts, night shifts, overnights, weekends, etc.
After completing their internships, students get provisional certification from LAGCC and then take the national Certified Registered Central Service Technician exam.
The LaGuardia CST program is currently recruiting for the Fall 2024 cohort. Those interested in applying should fill out this online form to find out about upcoming information sessions. With questions, please contact Karini Rodriguez at krodriguez@lagcc.cuny.edu or aceprofessional@lagcc.cuny.edu.
• • • •
LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 associate degrees and academic certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to prepare New Yorkers for transfer to senior colleges and rewarding jobs and careers. An institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of the underserved. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students from Queens, NYC and beyond.
####