OAKLAND, Calif., January 16, 2024 – Merritt College in the Peralta Community College District is hosting a press conference at 11am on Friday, January 19, 2024, to announce a unique training program for the local community in collaboration with the Bay Area Business Roundtable (BABRT), a local non-profit, and iRhythm Technologies, a leading digital health care company.

Aspiring cardiac technicians can participate in this innovative program to learn, with the potential to ultimately secure a better future for themselves and their loved ones. The program takes a holistic approach to education with a rounded curriculum addressing personal and professional development. 

Join us to learn more about this first-of-its-kind program in the community and share the news with local job seekers.

The Merritt College course “102B Clinical Medical Assisting II” taught by Dr. Muwafaqu Al Asad, the Program Director for Medical Assisting Certificates of Achievement, includes content specifically designed to help students prepare for the iRhythm Technologies assessment and qualify for interviews for jobs that pay a competitive living wage. To make this opportunity even more compelling, Spring is Free at Merritt College for California residents who enroll in at least 6 credits and apply for financial aid. Prospective students can find out more about free college and begin the enrollment process at www.peralta.edu/enroll. 

This is an unprecedented opportunity, particularly for historically marginalized people from underserved communities in the East Bay, to start a career path for well-paying jobs in healthcare.

Update

The Press Conference was a major success!  You can watch a video of the event on Peralta's YouTube channel here. 

The conference was well attended with dignitaries including 

• Linda Handy, PCCD Trustee Emeritus
• Bernard Ashcraft, Founder and CEO, Bay Area Business Roundtable
• Ken Baker, Head of Talent Acquisition, iRhythm Technologies
• Dr. Kimberly Mayfield, City of Oakland Deputy Mayor
• Fred Simon, Vice-Mayor of San Leandro
• Rowena Brown, District Director for Asseblymember Mia Bonta's office
• Dr. Muwafaqu Al Asad, Merritt College faculty member
• Dr. David Johnson, Merritt College President
• Dr. Tammeil Gilkerson, Peralta Community College Chancellor

And many others.  The goal was to raise awareness for the program and fill the seats in Professor Al Asad's class, which we did.  His class this semester has a waiting list.  We encourage prospective students to reach out to Dr. Al at Merritt College for more information: https://www.merritt.edu/medas/