Blue Mt. Hospital District awarded over $20K for CNA Program
By Logan Bagett on Monday, March 9th, 2026 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News Eastern/Southeast Oregon Top Stories
JOHN DAY – An Oregon Community Foundation grant will directly benefit the Blue Mountain Hospital District’s Certified Nursing Assistant Program. The district recently announced that $19,308 was awarded from the foundation’s 2026 Better Nursing Home Care Fund.
BMHD Public Relations Director Jena Knowles was in KJDY Studios recently and explained the program:
“Our CNA Program is an opportunity for students to not only get certified as a Certified Nursing Assistant, but they get paid for it while they are doing it. They don’t have to worry about having a job on the side while they are getting their education because they are getting paid to get their education. That program…we can only take ten students into it, so we have ten students who just started…”
In a news release, Blue Mountain Hospital District stated, “Recruitment and retention of Certified Nursing Assistants remains one of the most significant challenges facing rural long-term care providers. Grants like this allow us to invest in training without placing additional strain on operational budgets while ensuring residents receive consistent, high-quality care.”
Listen to the full Coffee Time podcast with Jena Knowles below:
