Staff Writer

Vera Wolfe’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Nursing School of Calhoun has been offering quality health education at an affordable price for more than a year now.

Providing day and night classes, the school attracts students from Calhoun, Rome, Cartersville, Dalton, Summerville, Chatsworth and many more. The students range in age from 17 to 68, allowing them to learn from not only the teachers, but each other, too.

Wolfe worked in teaching with the Gordon County school system for approximately 14 years. Be-fore and after teaching, Wolfe traveled often while working in accounting. After traveling constantly for five years, she was ready to remain at home in Calhoun and start something new with her career.

Having discussed with her husband a senior care center for her father-in-law to be placed in, the couple realized that not many close locations had certified and trained individuals who were work-ing in these facilities. Wolfe then created the idea to start a program within the city to train indi-viduals to gain their CNA.

After working on the approval of the program for more a year, Wolfe ambitions were realized. The first day class took place May 12, 2008 with 11 students, and the night class contained five.

Classes now average 20 students, Wolfe said.

The state requires those obtaining CAN licenses to complete 85 hours of training. The Nursing School’s program provides a total of 112 hours or four weeks. The school has a passing rate of ap-proximately 94 percent, Wolfe said.

Georgia Department of Labor Rehabilitation Services Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors Ei-leen Marden and Ronnie Hudson commented about the school.

“The school has provided a very necessary resource for this agency, not only to assist our clients to achieve a professional work outcome, but also to have an environment within the school that takes a ‘special needs’ approach in tutoring and assisting on a one-to-one basis with our clientele,” they said. “Most of our referrals have not had an opportunity to succeed in a traditional educational facility.”

After Wolfe’s son, Dustin Coates, was tragically killed as a sophomore at Gordon Central High School, she began offering an annual scholarship in appreciation of the generosity the Calhoun community showed to her family during that difficult time.

Another motivation to create the school was Wolfe’s nephew, Saul Raisin, who was also in an ac-cident that caused him permanent brain damage. Through the tragedy, though, he has been able to travel numerous places to speak to students and he wrote a book, “Tour de Life,” about his passion for cycling.

It was when he was in terrible condition at Shepherd Center in Atlanta while recovering that he was truly taken care of, not only by the surgeons and doctors, but the CNA’s who cared for him daily, Wolfe said. She took note this care and how CNAs are needed everywhere and everyday.

Yvonne Walcott, the State Evaluator for the school, said, “Mrs. Wolfe is passionate about the work she does and takes interest in the progress and welfare of each of her students. Her staff is certified, competent in the fields that they teach and takes similar interest the welfare of the students as first demonstrated by Mrs. Wolfe.”

Wolfe said her ultimate goal for the school is to teach the basic skills needed to become a CNA, but in an environment that is relaxed and comfortable. She said she and the rest of her staff want to become closely acquainted with their students and still educate with quality.

Along with The CNA also offering CPR/First Aid/AED classes, the staff hopes to expand its cur-rent location and open another school called the Medical Training Institute of North Georgia, which will offer classes of postsecondary education.