Griffin Health campus provides resources to former Stone Academy students

In Naugatuck, a brand-new school campus for nursing students is focusing on helping former Stone Academy students get back on track.

Griffin Hospital's School of Allied Health is being praised by some former Stone Academy students whose education was put on hold when their school abruptly closed in February.

Anna Jarjura said her goal of becoming a nurse now seems like a reality after faculty at Griffin Health stepped in to help, saying they've been there right from the beginning.

Hundreds of Stone Academy students, like herself, were left to figure out what comes next.

“They kept telling us we’ll graduate, we'll be fine, but we just didn’t feel ready," Jarjura said. “It felt so overwhelming before, but they made the process of starting here and everything as easy as it could be.”

Now, Jarjura said she can breathe a sigh of relief as she joined others for the grand opening of Griffin Hospital's School of Allied Health's second location in Naugatuck.

“The community is so excited to have us, they’ve embraced us, we’re ready to make a difference," Amanda Bell, dean of the Griffin School of Allied Health careers, said.

The new 6,000-square-foot facility can now expand several health programs and accept more students.

“There are probably about 150 students that started at Stone Academy, but didn't finish their clinical experience. And we're going to be able to help make that up in what's called the teach-out program," Patrick Charmel, president and CEO of Griffin Health, said.

The teach-out program was developed in collaboration with the state's Office of Higher Education. So for those former Stone Academy students who completed class education hours but have limited to no clinical hours, they'll now be able to get that here.

Nursing students are required to complete 800 clinical hours through the program in order to take their certification exam.

“We also have here clinical laboratories with high fidelity and medium fidelity mannequins, where students can do hands-on clinical training, before they go into the true clinical setting like a hospital, a physician office or a skilled nursing facility,"

Jarjura wants her fellow classmates to know there is hope after all.

"I just want my fellow Stone Academy students to know you can do this!" she said.

The state is paying for the teach-out program, so there is no cost to students. Leaders say many graduate students have gone on to work permanently at Griffin Hospital. For more information, click here.