Get Started on a New, Rewarding Career!
The School of Allied Health Careers provides exceptional healthcare education with knowledgeable and experienced teachers who are nationally certified or master’s prepared nurses. Students get ample hands-on training in patient care at Griffin Hospital and an extended care facility. Accredited by the Connecticut Department of Higher Education and approved by the State of Connecticut Department of Health, the school offers one-on-one teaching that has helped its graduates achieve a high rate of success on certification tests. Also, the school boasts a strong job placement rate with most graduates quickly finding positions at Griffin or other area hospitals.
A Special Message for Former Stone Academy Students
We recognize that you must be anxious about continuing your education, and we want to assure you that the faculty and staff at the Griffin Hospital School of Allied Health Careers understand your circumstances and are committed to assisting you in identifying pathways to continue your Practical Nursing (PN) education.
As we receive additional information from the Connecticut Office of Higher Education (OHE), we are actively evaluating all options for your application and enrollment. The OHE informed former Stone Academy students that you will receive a letter detailing your eligibility for the Teachout option and the available financial assistance from the Student Protection Account at OHE. In the meantime, we recommend that you take proactive measures to ensure your educational future. We encourage you to apply to the Griffin School of Allied Health Careers and submit your OHE transcripts. By doing so, we will be able to review your transcripts and evaluate all potential entry routes into our PN program. This way, even while you wait for notification from OHE, you will be aware of the alternatives available to you if you do not qualify for the Teachout option.
Please click here to download the Teachout application. Once complete, please email your application along with your OHE transcript to pnprogram@griffinhealth.org. If you have any questions, please call us at 203-732-7147.
We look forward to working with you and watching you succeed.

Nikki
“This school was the absolute best! It was very thorough and informative and we learned so much in our time there. The material covered was perfect and the staff is so amazing and supportive.”

Trina
“BEST INSTRUCTORS EVER!!!!”

Luke
“Griffin School of Allied Health is the best Phlebotomy program in the state. After looking at multiple schools, I decided I wanted to go to an accredited school that was backed by a hospital.”
Application Requirements
Students include those seeking second careers, recent high school graduates, and everything in between. The Phlebotomy and Patient Care Technician Course is open to anyone 18 years or older with a High School Diploma or GED or 17 years of age with a high school diploma. A pre-admission interview and application fee are required prior to enrollment in the class. Requirements for the Certified Nursing Assistant Program you must currently be a high school senior or have already obtained your diploma or GED.
Request an Application or Additional Information
School Loans Available Through Meritize
Meritize looks beyond FICO scores and uses your previous academic, military and work achievements to enhance your credit evaluation and improve your loan options.You can improve your borrowing potential with Meritize by sharing your transcript from high school, college or trade school lets you take what you’ve learned inside the class room to improve your loan options outside the classroom. If you are a veteran, you can share your military record when you apply to get financial credit for your military merit, and if you share details of your work history, you may further improve your credit evaluation and loan terms. Additional benefits include:
- Competitive fixed and variable rates
- Ability to finance full tuition
- Affordable payment options, including deferring payment until you complete your training
- No pre-payment penalty
- Borrower assistance that protects you in the event of unemployment or underemployment
Practical Nursing Program
Train for immediate career opportunities at the only hospital-based Practical Nurse (PN) program in the state of Connecticut! Griffin Hospital is at the forefront of re-integrating PNs into acute care settings to provide critically needed patient care support due to the shortages of Registered Nurses across the country. Our innovative program combines virtual and in-person classes for greater flexibility and a 14-month schedule. Graduates will be ready to start in acute care settings after receiving invaluable hands-on training and confidence with skills labs, state-of-the-art simulations and the state’s only real-world clinical rotations in a hospital-based inpatient nursing unit. Additionally, students can train and receive a Planetree Fellowship in Person-Centered Care certification to bolster their resumes with demonstrated knowledge, experience and leadership in person-centered care. Please call 203-732-7147 to speak to an administrator specifically about the Practical Nursing Program.
To apply click here and download the application; please email completed form to PNProgram@griffinhealth.org
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
Griffin Hospital School of Allied Health Careers now offers an Accelerated Certified Nursing Assistant Program. With a total of 104 hours, you can become a state-certified CNA in just five weeks!
- Day and evening classes will be available based on enrollment and interest.
- Day classes are available and the first four weeks of the program will be with classroom education and skills Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- The final (5th) week will include clinical experience at an extended care facility and Griffin Hospital, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. for the required 40 hours for CNA certification completion.
- Course content includes infection control, legal and ethical responsibilities, communications, body mechanics, moving and positioning residents, personal care skills, nutrition, measuring vital signs, and restorative care.
- Successful completion of the course and clinical experience qualifies a student to take the state exam for certification as a Nursing Assistant in Connecticut.
- Tuition includes the course book, Heart Saver CPR class, and malpractice insurance coverage for clinical rotations.
- Anyone 18 years of age or older with a high school diploma or GED may apply for admission.
Patient Care Technician (PCT)
Become a PCT in just 16 weeks!
- Patient Care Technician courses are offered three times a year, beginning in January, May, and September.
- 16-week course (12 weeks of classes, 4 weeks of clinical – 160 hours)
- Classes are held Monday and Friday from 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday;
- morning section (9:00 AM – Noon) or
- evening section (6:00 PM – 9:00 PM)
- Hands-on training
- State-of-the-art simulation equipment
- Four-week practical rotation at Griffin Hospital (M-F, 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM)
- Tuition includes books, malpractice insurance, CPR certification, and national certification exam fee
- Eligible to register for CT CNA exam
- Upon successful completion of the program, students are eligible to sit for both a national Patient Care Technician Exam and a National Phlebotomy Exam.
Phlebotomy
Become a phlebotomist in just 13 weeks!
- Phlebotomy courses are held three times a year, beginning in January, May, and September.
- 13-week course, offered Tuesday – Thursday
- Day and evening sessions (9 AM – Noon or 6 PM-9 PM)
- Hands-on training
- 40-hour externship
- Tuition includes lab coats, books, malpractice insurance, CPR certification and a national certification exam fee.
Certified Clinical Medical Assistant
Become a Certified Medical Assistant in 28 weeks!
- Griffin Hospital’s Certified Clinical Medical Assistant training program prepares students to become healthcare professionals that specialize in commonly performed procedures. Medical assistants perform both clinical and administrative duties and assist a variety of providers including physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants in a variety of settings, including medical offices, clinics, urgent care centers and general medicine or specialty practices. This program also provides the diversity of other job options in the hospital or laboratory settings.
- Hands-on training
- The Medical Assistant course consists of 600 hours of classroom time held over a period of 24 weeks with an additional 160 hour clinical rotation of 40 hours per week for 4 weeks.
- The class will be held Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with a 30 minute break each class.
- Topics covered in this course include: Medical Terminology; Anatomy/Physiology; Pathology; Pharmacology/CPR/First Aid; Medical Law; Ethics; Patient Communications; Medical Office Keeping; Insurance and Finance; Clinical Procedures; Cardiology and Radiology Procedures; Phlebotomy; and IT/EHR/EMR
- Upon successful completion of the program, students will sit for a national clinical medical assistant certification exam , given at the school. Students will also be eligible to sit for the national Phlebotomy Exam , as well as the National Clinical Administrative Medical Assistant Exam.
- The clinical externship consists of practical application using skills learned in a clinical setting with a rotation of medical specialties.
Supporters
Funding to help launch the Griffin Hospital School of Allied Health Careers was provided by the following:
- The Valley Community Foundation
- The AT&T Foundation
- The Ferriday Fund Charitable Trust
- The NewAlliance Foundation