Sanford-Brown Introduces Community Link™

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Feb. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanford-Brown, a leading provider of healthcare education, today announced the launch of Sanford-Brown Community Link™ at more than 30 campuses across the United States.  Community Link is a membership based suite of on-campus and online resources giving students access to online test preparation tools and alumni access to continuing education activities and short credential-based courses.  Membership in Community Link will provide students and alumni added support toward achieving their goals of attaining long-term career opportunities in the healthcare industry.

"The healthcare industry is changing everyday and, as allied health educators, we are dedicated to providing students with a comprehensive set of tools to help them succeed both while in school and after graduation," said George Grayeb, Senior Vice President of the Health Education Strategic Business Unit of Career Education Corporation, parent company of Sanford-Brown schools.  "Sanford-Brown Community Link is another way we are demonstrating our commitment to supporting our students while they are in school and as alumni."

Community Link is a forward-thinking approach to education, intended to give students and alumni access to products and services that will help them obtain or maintain certifications or licensing credentials.  The membership fee gives students access not only while at school but also an additional six years following graduation.  These convenient tools are designed to help students prepare for continued success as a career-ready healthcare professional.  There are four key components to Community Link: Test Preparation, Continuing Education Units (CEUs), Short Courses and Refresher Courses.  

• Test Preparation is a self-paced and self-guided online test preparation tool.  Students can access the relevant interactive program at any time to help prepare for specialty exams, licensing and certification tests.  This tool includes a pretest, review materials to assist in studying and a comprehensive mock exam that can be used as an indicator for success in sitting for a state or national certification exam.
• Continuing Education Units (CEUs) help alumni maintain certification and licensing credentials and remain in good standing with regulatory agencies.  The CEUs offered through Community Link may be delivered online or on-campus, with development on-going to continue to make more videos and lectures available.
• Short Courses include a variety of relevant courses that typically lead to an industry-recognized certification.  The shorter courses are designed to expand upon an alumni's existing knowledge base and help make them more marketable.  Current short course offerings include CPR, EKG and Phlebotomy with Sanford-Brown expecting to add more courses in the future.
• Refresher Courses give alumni the opportunity to retake classes and full programs at their convenience. This refresher option can be helpful for alumni who may be changing jobs and need to refresh the skills they'll be using.

"Community Link is one more way Sanford-Brown is demonstrating its focus on delivering quality outcomes for our students, graduates and community partners," said Karl Petersen, Vice President of Online Operations, Health Education Strategic Business Unit of Career Education Corporation.  "Students have the ability to track their progress and see results that help them attain their goals."

About Sanford-Brown

The Sanford-Brown name dates back to 1866 when Rufus C. Crampton, a professor at Illinois College, established a school to meet the growing educational demands of post-Civil War America.  Today, there are 21 campuses bearing the name Sanford-Brown College (SBC) and there are 14 other affiliated campuses operating under the names of Sanford-Brown Institute (SBI) and SBI Campus-an affiliate of Sanford-Brown.  Sanford-Brown is a career training and non-degree and degree-granting institution. Programs vary by location.  Sanford-Brown Colleges and Institutes are part of the Career Education Corporation (Nasdaq: CECO) network of universities, colleges and schools.  Most Sanford-Brown Colleges and Institutes are accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS).  SBI - Monroeville and Pittsburgh are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). Sanford-Brown does not guarantee employment or salary.  For more information about the Sanford-Brown schools please visit http://www.sanfordbrown.edu/.

SOURCE Sanford-Brown