Originally posted by SunHerald by Mary Perez | Updated August 15, 2025
Ocean Springs
Students were in class Thursday, training for jobs in the medical field, while the ribbon was cut at Singing River Healthcare Academy.
The first medical apprenticeship program in the state occupies a shiny new building at 3401 Bienville Blvd. The modern architecture suggests the type of high-tech equipment and training inside.
“Programs here are tuition-free and offer paid hands-on training,” said Jackson County Supervisor Barry Cumbest.
Students come out of the program debt-free, receiving a computer to use during the program and all the materials they need for their classes.
“We pay for everything,” said instructor Carmen Potts, RN.
Students will train at Singing River Health System hospitals and clinics and have jobs once they graduate and pass their certification exams.
AI Alex is a mannequin at the new Singing River Healthcare Academy in Ocean Springs that “breathes,” talks and uses artificial intelligence to teach students with the latest technology. Instructor Richr’D Moore demonstrates how Alex works. Mary Perez meperez@sunherald.com
The academy offers hands-on training in several healthcare fields to address staffing shortages throughout the region, said Laurin St. Pe, CEO of Singing River Health System.
The new facilities will allow 250 students to train at a time, said Blaise Kin, director of workforce innovation at Accelerate Mississippi. Some of the classes are already booked through 2026, he said.
Before the ribbon cutting, the John Reed Classroom was named after the long-time state representative and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee for his dedication to the project.
The academy and medical training is much-needed, Reed said. Community colleges offer nursing programs throughout the state, “and we still can’t meet the demand,” he said.
Singing River Healthcare Academy in Ocean Springs is training students ranging from just out of high school to adult learners, and providing free tuition and pay during training. Mary Perez Sun Herald
How the academy works
The academy opens with six training programs and plans for more to be added. Current programs are:
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Medical Assistant (MA)
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
- Phlebotomy Tech
- Pharmacy Tech
- Surgical Tech
The instructor
Carmen Potts, RN, of Gautier, teaches students to become certified nursing assistants. Classes are held in the building, with five weeks of classroom and skills lab training, she said. Students spend the last three weeks of the program in a hospital, she said, where they are often hired upon completion.
“So the management is happy to get the help, and we are happy to find them the positions and get their journey started,” she said.
The phlebotomy program takes 18 weeks, with students earning two certifications, she said.
A clinical laboratory at the new Singing River Healthcare Academy teaches students before they work on actual patients. Standing at left is Carmen Potts, RN, an instructor and Jamelia Lawrence, an LPN apprentice. Mary Perez meperez@sunherald.com
Students undergo clinical rotations in various hospitals and clinics in the Singing River Health System while they learn. For those who don’t know which program is for them, she encourages them to stop in to apply and the staff at the academy will help them decide which program of study is the best fit.
The student
Jamelia Lawrence of Lucedale is almost done with her program to become a Licensed Practical Nurse apprentice.
“I thought this would be the best way to go back to school,” said Lawrence, who worked as a medical assistant for 17 years.
“We got paid to go to class,” she said, and her fellow classmates are all ages, from right out of high school to adult learners in their 50s.
Students are required to work two years in the Singing River Health System as part of the program and when she graduates, “I will have a job,” Lawrence said.