When compassion meets opportunity, CNA care begins.
In a time when healthcare organizations everywhere are facing staff shortages, RVNAhealth is investing in the next generation of caregivers by creating opportunities from the ground up.
This fall, a new group of students began their training at the RVNAhealth CNA School, on the path to becoming Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs). What brought them here varies. Some are entering the healthcare field for the first time, while others are returning to work or changing direction, but what they share is a commitment to caring for others in a hands-on, meaningful way.
Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of donor Linda Reddy, each of these students is receiving full tuition support. For many, this removes a significant barrier and opens the door to a career that can begin quickly and make an immediate impact.
The CNA School at RVNAhealth isn’t just about job training.
It’s about readiness. Students are taught by experienced nurse educators and learn in a simulated care environment designed to reflect the real-life scenarios they’ll face in patient homes. It’s practical, focused, and built for the home healthcare setting.
This year’s program was intensive, beginning in early September and concluding with certification on October 3. It’s a fast-paced, hands-on experience that prepares students for the realities of in-home care.
RVNAhealth is proud to partner with Training Direct, a highly respected CNA education provider that typically conducts training at their own locations.
For this program, however, they brought their expertise directly to RVNAhealth and delivered classes on-site in our own training room in Ridgefield. It’s a rare and valuable collaboration that allowed students to learn in the same environment where many of them will soon begin their careers.
RVNAhealth No Shortage of Heart: The Power of a CNA, The Gift of a Donor CNA Training School 2025
CNA Students in the RVNAhealth Clinical Training Lab in Ridgefield, honing their skills before moving on to their hands-on clinical training.
Certified Nursing Assistants support patients in the most essential ways. They help them bathe, get dressed, move safely, and maintain dignity in their daily routines. They assist with hygiene needs, and ensure patients are comfortable and cared for. They also take vital signs like blood pressure and temperature, observe and report changes in health or behavior, and offer a reassuring presence that patients and families come to rely on.
It’s a role that requires attention to detail, emotional intelligence, physical strength, and a steady presence. CNAs are often the first to notice when something’s not quite right, and their communication with nurses and care teams can directly impact patient outcomes.
RVNAhealth created this program to meet a growing need. More and more people are choosing to receive care at home, whether they’re recovering from surgery, managing a chronic illness, or aging in place. This shift means the demand for trained, reliable CNAs has never been greater.
Instead of waiting for those professionals to come from elsewhere, RVNAhealth is helping to grow them right here in the community.
The students in this year’s class are already gaining the skills and confidence needed to step into the field. And with RVNAhealth’s support, many will begin working shortly after certification, serving patients across the region with care that is respectful, consistent, and deeply personal.
Donor support makes this possible. Linda Reddy’s decision to fund the program, made in honor of her father, has ripple effects that reach far beyond the classroom. It allows students to focus on learning, not logistics. It creates a steady pipeline of trained professionals at a time when the system urgently needs them. And it strengthens the care RVNAhealth is able to provide every day.
This kind of investment doesn’t just support individual students. It supports families, patients, and the entire continuum of care. It creates forward motion in a field that can’t afford to stand still.
Celebrating our second RVNAhealth CNA Training Class of 2025! Another amazing group of caregivers ready to make a difference.
If you believe in practical, people-powered solutions to real challenges in healthcare, this is one of them. RVNAhealth’s CNA School is growing the future… one caregiver at a time.
RVNAhealth is a private, 501c(3) non-profit organization. Donor generosity allows us to bring these programs and services to the communities we serve. YOU can make a difference. If you would like to support RVNAhealth’s mission to deliver unmatched, compassionate healthcare when and where it is needed and help us build stronger, healthier communities, please click here or visit RVNAhealth.org to support our mission.