Most people don’t know that long time teacher and Care Center RN Mark Abrahamson had a room named in his honor at Cook County Higher Education. The honor came for his many years of dedicated instruction to people entering into the health field. Mark is shown here with Dr. Paula Sundet Wolf, who is retired from her position as executive director of Cook County Higher Education. Photo courtesy of Gary Latz
We recently caught up with Mark Abrahamson to talk about the health career professional training that he and Cook County Higher Education provide.
Mark began training nursing assistants for the Care Center in the 1990s, as he continued with the program that Skip Joynes and Joan Hall had started. Over time, in order for students to receive college credits for this training, he began working for Minnesota State College and Universities (MnSCU). Thus the partnership between Mark’s work and Cook County Higher Education developed.
According to Mark, Cook County has an enormous and growing need for nurses and health care professionals. The hospital and care center operates 24/7/365. Sawtooth Mountain Clinic and Grand Portage Health Services have additional needs. Overall there is a need for nurses, nurse assistants, X-ray and lab technicians, to name a few.
Historically it has been challenging to recruit a sufficient number of health care professionals from outside the county. Housing is often an issue, and not everyone wants to live in a small town. And as our current health care professionals retire, new professionals will be needed. Cook County has been fortunate to have resources to develop some of our health care staff.
Mark has a dedicated space to conduct training and store teaching equipment on the ground floor of the Cook County Higher Education building. Classes range in size from a few individuals to one enormous RN class with 16 students. Some classes for ISD 166 students— Introduction to Health Care and Emergency Response— have had 15-16 students.
When asked how many people he has trained over the years, Mark responded, “It is almost hopeless to try to answer that question. Probably between 300- 400 people in various roles including RNs, LPNs, nurse assistants, home health aides, trained medical assistants, feeding assistants, ski patrol and emergency responders.”
Mark’s former students have landed in a wide variety of places. With pride, he elaborated, “First of all, I am surrounded by my students. They are at the hospital and clinic. Some of the RNs are in management positions. Three students became doctors. And there are students all over the county and overseas.”
Teaching and learning remotely can present challenges as Mark outlined. “First, we cannot offer all the clinical experiences such as surgery, obstetrics and psychiatric. Realistically, students can study here in Cook County ‘most of the time.’
“Second, online and interactive TV learning is not easy for some students who prefer or need more engaged interaction with peers and instructors.
“Third, nearly all students have to work while studying. Historically, many have been adult students with families and jobs. Recently we have seen a shift to a more traditional student. We are now teaching ISD 166 high school students who can receive college credits in emergency services, nursing and health careers towards their desired studies.
“After graduation from high school, they leave Cook County and attend more traditional schools. Finally, for me, I have had to learn to work without an environment of relatable peers.”
Asked to share memories, accomplishments, and satisfaction from his many years of teaching Mark beamed, “When I bring my parents to the clinic or ER, it is my former RN and LPN students who take care of them. That is a profound experience, for which I am truly grateful. I tell my students that, ‘I am trusting you to take care of me.’ We want kind, caring people to be working in these positions. That is totally satisfying for me.”
For someone interested in pursuing a career in health care, Mark offers strong advice. “Call me and Cook County Higher Education. Health care professions are the most marketable jobs in the country today. Jobs are plentiful, pay is good, and skills are portable to almost anywhere. CCHE will help you understand all the different programs, provide guidance and even assist with the paperwork. That allows me to focus on teaching you the needed skills.”
A little-publicized fact is that CCHE has named a room in the building in Mark’s honor. When asked how he feels about that, Mark demurely answered, “The best thing is that I don’t have to move all my teaching equipment from place to place. Sincerely, I am pleased to have this honor during my lifetime, and to enjoy the ‘quiet recognition’ for this room that most people don’t even know about.”
For additional information on training programs, contact Cook County Higher Education at 218- 387-3411 or highered@northshorecampus.org.
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