LSC Foundation

LSC Foundation and Help Surge Tech Purchase New Operating Table

Lake Superior College’s Surgical Technology program will soon have the latest in operating theater table equipment, thanks to a creative public/private sector funding collaboration.

LSC is one of 15 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) members to benefit from a one-time state appropriation of $457,000 to MnSCU for the “leveraged” acquisition of equipment for instructional programs that produce graduates with skills in high demand occupations such as healthcare, automotive, engineering, machine technology, information technology and the sciences.

To receive these state funds, participating MnSCU colleges and universities were required to leverage the state dollars by securing matching cash or in-kind contributions from non-state sources such as local businesses, vendors or foundations.

LSC will receive $4,450 in state funds; $2,000 from St. Luke’s and $2,450 from the Lake Superior College Foundation. The $8,900 in total funding will replace an outdated operating room table in LSC’s Surgical Technology program with a state-of-the-art AMSCO 2080 SP operating theater table. “Our students continue to receive tremendous support from St. Luke’s and their Surgical Services staff in onsite clinical learning,” said Candy Melde, LSC Surgical Technology program instructor. “We appreciate their contribution to this purchase of new equipment.”

“Providing industry-current equipment in our classrooms is extremely important as this allows our students to learn in a state of the art surgical suite which mimics our clinical sites, improving the job readiness for our graduates,” said Pam Elstad, LSC dean of allied health and nursing. “We are thrilled to receive this new surgical operating table.”

LSC plans to install the new equipment in the Surgical Technology operating suite in LSC’s new Health and Sciences building for use starting spring semester 2014.

St. Luke’s, the private sector funder, employs many LSC allied health program graduates as well as providing critical clinical learning sites for students enrolled in LSC’s many healthcare programs, including the Surgical Technology program. “Collaborative processes like this allow us all to leverage greater good for the communities we serve,” said John Strange, president and CEO, St. Luke’s. “LSC’s commitment to improve the Surgical Technology program ensures that students are trained on the same equipment we use in our facilities.”