Monroe County and local health care representatives joined MCC yesterday in recognizing the Louis S. and Molly B. Wolk Foundation’s most recent gift of $1 million to the MCC Foundation that made the Wolk Surgical Technology and Nursing Collaborative Learning Laboratory possible. The new lab within the Wolk Center for Excellence in Nursing comprises two simulated hospital operating rooms, a surgical scrub area and classroom. The gift also funded supplies and equipment for the lab, including an autoclave for sterilization of instruments.
David Wolk, chairman of the Wolk Foundation, said “The Wolk Foundation strives to make a difference and improve the quality of life for Rochesterians. Providing the funding to fulfill the vision of this new learning laboratory enabled us to make a difference on two fronts that are vitally important to our community: health care and education.”
The Wolk Foundation gift and the launch of MCC’s surgical technology program was prompted by a 2015 change in state law requiring surgical technologists to graduate from an accredited program. Accreditation of MCC’s surgical technology associate degree program is expected in 2017. Following program accreditation, MCC graduates will be qualified to sit for the national certification exam. MCC is one of seven colleges in New York state to offer a surgical technology degree program.
According to
MCC Career Coach, surgical technologists assist surgeons and registered nurses with operations, operating room setup, lighting and equipment needs as well as help patients prepare for surgery. Surgical technologists hand instruments and supplies to surgeons, nurses and surgical assistants while maintaining a proper sterile field.
The Wolk Lab celebration complements Monroe County and MCC’s celebration of National Surgical Technologists Week, September 18-24, 2016.
According to MCC President Anne Kress, the MCC family, including alumni and students, is very grateful for our longstanding relationship with the Louis S. and Molly B. Wolk Foundation. The Wolk Lab symbolizes the high level of trust the Wolk Foundation places in MCC to produce well-prepared, and ultimately certified and successful, surgical technologists for our community and local employers.
Through their gift of $1 million, the Wolk Foundation trustees have empowered MCC to respond quickly to the needs of local health care employers. Next spring, surgical technology program graduates will proudly wear the patch that shows they received an excellent higher education in a facility made possible by the Wolk Foundation.
In Greater Rochester, annual pay for surgical technologists ranges from $39,269 to $49,133, based on experience. The career field is expected to grow by 13 percent over the next 10 years (source: MCC Career Coach).
The Wolk Foundation’s support of MCC dates back to 1962. The Louis S. and Molly B. Wolk Center for Excellence in Nursing was dedicated in 2006—the result of a $2 million gift in response to a local shortage of registered nurses. The Wolk Lab is housed in the Wolk Center for Excellence in Nursing. The Wolk Foundation also funds a Faces of the Future Scholarship through the MCC Foundation.
More information on MCC’s surgical technology program is available at
www.monroecc.edu under the majors and programs section.