Health, Wellness and Education Services

Educational Services

Terrebonne General Medical Center knows that the more you know about healthcare, the healthier you and your family will be. Because of that, we are committed to providing our community with various educational and support services like cancer screenings and prepared childbirth classes. Thank you for your support in these and other community service programs.

Below is a listing of some of the programs available at TGMC. For more information, please call 985-873-4616.

Classes

  • Childbirth education classes – Such as prepared childbirth, breastfeeding, sibling, infant message classes and Mommy and Me classes
  • La Leche League Support Group (breastfeeding support)

Support Groups

Support groups are a wonderful way to network and meet new people in similar situations that affect your life. TGMC offers a wide variety of support groups that meet either monthly or quarterly.

  • Bosom Buddies (breast cancer survivors)
  • In-house rehabilitation patient and caregivers support group
  • Nosotros Cancer Support Group

Screenings

  • Breast cancer screenings and breast self exam information
  • Colorectal Cancer Screenings
  • Diabetes screenings
  • Oral Cancer Screenings
  • Prostate Cancer Screening
  • Skin Cancer Screenings

Educational Events

  • Camp Bluebird
  • Cancer Survivors’ Day – held in June each year to celebrate life and survivorship.
  • Ladies Night Out, A Cancer Fundraising Gala, held annually by TGMC.
  • Additionally, TGMC provides a complimentary health and wellness magazine called Take Care. Please call 873-4617 to be added to the mailing list.

Terrebonne General Medical Center & Nicholls State University Cytotechnology School - (985) 850-6299

Nicholls State University awards a Certificate of Completion to students who successfully complete the one-year curriculum in Cytotechnology. This program is a continuous 12-month specialized practice curriculum designed to provide didactic, laboratory, and clinical education necessary to become a certified Cytotechnologist. The program is a joint academic partnership between Nicholls State University and Terrebonne General Medical Center and is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) under recommendation of the Cytotechnology Programs Review Committee of the American Society of Cytopathology. The program will prepare students to diagnose cellular samples under the microscope for early detection of infectious, pre-cancerous, and cancerous diseases. Students will demonstrate the ability to examine samples from the female reproductive tract, breast, lungs, body cavity fluids, and other sites where early cancer detection has a demonstrated effect on morbidity and mortality. The program of study is designed to produce educationally sound and clinically competent cytotechnologists employable in rural and urban health care centers, private laboratories, and research facilities. Graduates will be eligible to sit for the National Registry Examination for cytotechnologists administered by the American Society of Clinical Pathology.

Cytotechnology

The Cytotechnologist, working under the direction of a pathologist, detects cellular changes caused by different disease processes. This laboratory specialist prepares cellular samples for examination after special staining techniques and then studies the slides under a microscope for minute abnormalities in the color, size, and shape of cell substances. In many cases these findings are the first warning signs of cancer. Cytotechnologists play in important role the whole aspect of patient care. Admission Students who apply for selective admission to the professional program of study will fall primarily into two categories:

  1. Post Baccalaureate
    1. Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum grade-point average of 2.50 on all under graduate work.
    2. Successfully complete the following undergraduate course requirements as specified by the American Society of Cytopathology, the accrediting agency for cytotechnology education programs:
      1. 20 hours of biology
      2. 8 hours of chemistry
      3. 6 hours of mathematics (algebra, trigonometry)
      4. one course each in: research methodology, medical terminology, management, and histology.
  2. Enrolled in the B.S. degree program in Health Sciences (Specialized Practice Concentration-Cytotechnology-AHCT).
    1. Complete all prerequisite (pre-professional) course work.
    2. Earn a grade of C or better in all science course applied toward degree.
    3. A minimum GPS of 2.50.

Due to the nature of cytotechnology education and the requirements placed on education by the national accrediting agency, the academic, laboratory, and clinical experience hours may exceed those expected for credit awarded that course. Enrollment in the program is limited and the program admits only one professional class per year. Class size is limited to four (4) students per year and is governed by the number of faculty and available clinical slots in each of the affiliated laboratories and clinic settings.

For additional information
  1. Visit the Nicholls State University Website at http://www.nicholls.edu/ahs/cyto/default.htm
  2. Contact the Cytology Department at Terrebonne General at (985) 850-6299.
  3. Contact the Department of Allied Health Sciences at Nicholls State University at (985) 876-8855.
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