For the fourth time in five years, a consortium promoting the industry that employs the most workers in Butler County will honor students excelling in Butler County Community College’s most-popular career program.

The Butler County Health Care Consortium will recognize Hostensia Fotoh and Connor Francis, enrolled in BC3’s nursing, R.N. program, during its health care worker recognition event at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22, at The Atrium in Prospect.

Fotoh, Francis and Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School’s Kayla Brooks and Rebeccah Rodgers will be lauded as health care students of the year. Nineteen Butler County health care workers also will be recognized at the event. Nick Neupauer, president of BC3, is scheduled as the guest speaker.

Fotoh and Francis exhibit student-learning outcomes that the school expects, said Dr. Patty Annear, dean of BC3’s Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health.

As of the start of the 2022-23 academic year, nursing, R.N. was BC3’s most-popular career program with an enrollment of 230 students, according to Sharla Anke, the college’s assistant dean of institutional research and planning.

As of January, health care and social assistance organizations employed 13,856 workers in Butler County, more than any other industry, according to the state Department of Labor & Industry’s Center for Workforce Information & Analysis.

Fotoh and Francis follow Marissa Marsh, Philip Green, Olivia Girdwood and Marcie Delaney as BC3 nursing, R.N., students to be honored by the consortium.

Marsh is a registered nurse with Butler Medical Oncology in partnership with the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and was recognized by the consortium in 2019, the year she graduated from BC3.

Green is a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at ACMH Hospital in Kittanning and was honored in 2020, the year he graduated from BC3.

Girdwood and Delaney were recognized in 2021. Girdwood is a registered nurse with the state Department of Health in Butler County. Delaney, a registered nurse at Butler Memorial Hospital, Girdwood graduated from BC3 in 2021 and Delaney, in 2022.

More than 500 of the 1,600 registered nurses in Butler County are age 55 or older, according to Lightcast, an Idaho research company that conducts economic impact analyses for educational institutions.

“There are a lot of opportunities, and we have a shortage of workers in this county,” said Paul Weifenbaugh, assistant director of the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board and secretary of the consortium. “It’s important to keep those people here to help take care of our residents and also help the economy.”

Fotoh, 37, of Butler, and Francis, 20, of Meridian, each plan to pursue employment in Butler County following their graduation from BC3. Fotoh expects to graduate in May and Francis, in May 2024.

“We are the community’s college, and our community has a need for nurses,” Annear said. “And we are fulfilling that need. Those nursing students staying in this area is an amazing testament to why we’re here and to what we do.”

Fotoh is a married mother of four who works at an agency that assists those with developmental delays or disabilities; she is a member of BC3’s nursing club.

Fotoh is a graduate of Government Bilingual High School in Tiko, Cameroon. She moved to Butler in June 2019 and enrolled in the college’s nursing, R.N., program because she “heard from a friend that the instructors were really good at BC3.”

“They help the students to achieve their goals and dreams. BC3 nursing students are really good when it comes to taking care of patients,” she said.

Student-learning outcomes in BC3’s selective-admissions nursing, R.N., program include accountability, care, communication skills, problem-solving, health promotion and professionalism, Annear said.

“Connor and Hostensia,” Annear said, “demonstrate those competencies.”

Annear said she was meeting BC3 students in clinical training at Butler Memorial Hospital when a visitor left a patient’s room.

The visitor saw her talking to BC3 students and, unsolicited, said, “I just want to let you know the student who is taking care of my mother is amazing.” Annear asked, “Who is the student?” As soon as she said that, Hostensia came walking out of the room.

Francis graduated from Butler Senior High School in 2020. His sister, Logan, graduated from BC3’s nursing, R.N., program in 2021.

“I chose BC3’s program because I heard it was great,” Francis said. “I heard the instructors were very helpful before I chose BC3. And that has been proven to me in this past year. I’ve had great instructors. … They actually want to see you succeed and become a great nurse.”

Francis is a member of Rho Phi, BC3’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an international academic honor society; has been named to the college’s dean’s or president’s lists; works 15 hours per week at a restaurant and has volunteered at Butler Memorial Hospital.

“Connor,” Annear said, “is so accountable and communicative and professional. Certainly wise beyond his years.”

Fotoh plans to pursue employment in an intensive care unit and Francis, as a nurse practitioner.

Nursing, R.N., is among seven career or certificate programs in BC3’s Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health. The school has 569 students, according to Anke, and will be housed in the college’s state-of-the-art Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building that will open in August.

In addition to nursing, R.N., BC3’s Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health offers career programs in health care science, physical therapist assistant and technical trades-massage therapy management option. It also offers certificates massage therapy, medical coding and billing specialist and in practical nursing.

The Butler County Health Care Consortium has 28 member organizations.

Brooks is a health assistant student and Rodgers, a sports medicine student, at the vo-tech.

The consortium also will honor health care workers Kara Bartmas and Julie Grooms, LIFE Butler County; Becky Bayne and Tammy Ruediger, Newhaven Court at Clearview; Edward McDonough and Mary Williams, Quality Life Services-Sarver; Danielle Grossman and Ashley MacKinlay, Quality Life Services-Chicora; and Amanda Reese and Margie Young, Transitions Autumn Grove Care Center.

Also, Janie McFarland and Janette Hensler, Lutheran SeniorLife, VNA, Hospice; Darlene Deemer, Lutheran SeniorLife, VNA; Nicole Gulish, SeniorLife, VNA, Western Pennsylvania; Tammy Heginbotham, VNA, Western Pennsylvania; Shari Bennetti, Center for Community Resources; Kiana Johnston, Quality Staffing Solutions; Elizabeth “Libby” Mainhart, Quality Medical Services; and Sarah Tusing, Butler Memorial Hospital.