Registered Nursing is MATC’s top program, enrolling the most students, and Practical Nursing is the college’s fourth most popular program. The numbers demonstrate the deep roots nursing has in the college.
For decades, MATC has met the region’s growing demand for healthcare professionals. In response to the rising healthcare needs of the 1980s and ‘90s, MATC expanded its programs by opening the state-of-the-art Health Sciences Building (H Building) at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus in 1996. This facility was designed to train future healthcare professionals using advanced technology, ensuring they were well-prepared to meet the growing demand. Today, MATC stands as one of Wisconsin’s leading providers of entry level bedside nurses, a growth fueled by a generous grant from the United Health Foundation in 2017.
According to the MATC Healthcare Pathway Dean, Eric Gass (PhD), the nursing program has the highest enrollment of any program in the Healthcare Pathway. “I cannot think of a time when it didn’t,” Gass recalled. He also provided a brief summary of changes in the last few years:
- “The creation of a Health Promotion department within the Pathway, not only is a level of healthcare in which a patient is treated important, but the growing emphasis on prevention and wellness requires us to add programs that are not always hospital or clinic-based. We are still growing in that area.”
- “Due to the COVID Pandemic, there is an increasing need for Respiratory Therapists. To meet the need, we have built a second lab at the Mequon campus and will be admitting a cohort of students every semester, as opposed to once per year.”
- “As healthcare becomes more complex, and technologically advanced, we are trying to stay current. Thus, we are currently exploring more simulation and virtual reality training opportunities for our students.”
As healthcare continues to evolve, MATC’s commitment to training the next generation of healthcare professionals remains constant. With advanced facilities, expanding programs, and a focus on both treatment and prevention, the college is positioning its students to excel in a rapidly changing field. Whether it’s preparing nurses for careers or incorporating new technologies like virtual reality in the classroom, MATC is ensuring its graduates are ready to meet the demands of today and tomorrow. With all-time high enrollment and a growing emphasis to add programs to the Pathway, the future of healthcare education at MATC looks brighter than ever.
