Riverside, CA — Riverside Community Hospital has partnered with San Jose State University for Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) Training Program. The CLS Training Program is approved by Laboratory Field Services, a division of the California Health and Human Services Agency Department of Public Health. The hospital welcomed the inaugural cohort of four new Clinical Laboratory Scientists to the facility on August 27.
The 12-month program enables students to obtain a Medical Laboratory Scientist Certificate from the American Society for Clinical Pathology, as well as a California Clinical Laboratory Scientist License issued by the California Department of Public Health. The program requires 52 weeks of continuous training and the students spend 32 hours a week training on site at Riverside Community Hospital and 8 hours a week taking part in formal coursework online.
Riverside Community Hospital met rigorous criteria to achieve CLS Training Program licensing. “As we continue to grow our services and become the premier healthcare destination in the region, adding educational opportunities, such as the CLS training program, enables us to identify and retain talent so we can continue to offer world-class services,” said Peter Hemstead, chief executive officer at Riverside Community Hospital. “San Jose State University currently has 30 clinical affiliates partnering in the CLS Training Program. Riverside Community Hospital is San Jose State University's largest clinical affiliate in Southern California and the only clinical affiliate in the greater Inland Empire region.”
San Jose State University receives approximately 200 applications for the 35 training spots every Fall and again in Spring. Only 17.5% of applicants will earn a training spot. This reflects the caliber of the trainees who make it into the program. The Program is also accredited by the National Accreditation Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science, reflecting the high standards that trainees are held to.