Professional Development

Medical knowledge and breakthroughs can come quickly, and Cottage Health wants to help you stay ahead of the curve to ensure your highest level of success.

That’s why, after one year of employment as a regular full-time or part-time benefited employee, we will reimburse you for the cost of classes and books required for approved educational courses, conferences, CEs and degree programs – up to $1,000 a year for full-time and up to $750 a year for part-time.

In addition, Cottage Health will provide bonuses of up to $1,000 for each nationally-recognized certification you receive, and $500 for re-certification. Certifications that are a minimum requirement for the job or are required by regulation aren’t eligible for the bonus.

Cottage Health Education Assistance Program

Cottage Health offers its employees an Education Assistance program to provide financial support for the following education:

  • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certificate
  • Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN)
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (BSN)
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Respiratory Therapy/Care (BSRT).
  • Master’s Degree in Nursing (MSN) or other related field, based on organizational need
  • Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS)

For non-employees, the Health Care Education Loan program provides support for full-time students who live in the Tri-County area to pursue one of these degrees:

You May Qualify for a Loan and Loan Relief

You may qualify to have 100 percent of your loan canceled if, upon graduation, you are employed in a Full or Part Time benefit eligible position, in the field of their academic study at CH.

It works like this: Each year you are employed in a qualified benefited position after receiving your diploma, you will not be required to repay $2,500/$1,500 per year. For example, if you borrowed $7,500 your loan would be canceled after 3 years of working full-time or 5 years if working part-time.

  • Full-Time, Regular* employees will not be required to repay $2,500 per year
  • Part-Time, Regular* employees will not be required to repay $1,500 per year

Application deadlines are November 1st for the Winter/Spring term and July 1st for the Fall term. For more information or to request a loan application, contact Cottage Health Human Resources, Recruitment Department at (805) 879-8789 or email us at CHeducationassist@sbch.org.

Based on your educational goals, you may qualify for loans up to the following amounts:

  • Certified Nursing Assistant up to $350
  • Associate Degree Program up to $5,000
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Bachelor’s Degree in Respiratory Therapy/Care (BSRT) up to $7,500
  • California State University, Channel Islands at Cottage Health System BSN Program up to $12,000
  • Clinical Laboratory Scientist up to $10,000
  • Master of Science in Nursing up to $6,000
  • Doctoral Degree up to $6,000

Nursing Education Community Partnerships

Cottage Health strongly supports nursing education in our community through partnerships with Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) and California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) in Camarillo.

Cottage supports the SBCC Associate Degree in Nursing program financially as well as with clinical education opportunities for nurses-in-training.

In 2012, Cottage teamed up with CSUCI to launch the region's first Bachelor's Degree in Nursing program. The partnership helps address important needs for both Cottage and CSUCI. It creates a qualified, locally educated workforce that Cottage hopes will relieve future nursing shortages. Offered through CSUCI Extended University, the program is housed in a facility adjacent to Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital. The suite includes three high-tech classrooms, faculty offices, and state-of-the-art simulation labs.

Nursing Back to School Day

As needed, a Nursing Back to School day is held. The event is a gathering of Nursing Undergraduate and Graduate schools from across the country, including online programs.

Individuals are encouraged to come learn about the different courses/classes/degrees they have to offer. An HR representative is also available to answer questions about CH education benefits.

Awards and Accreditations

Cottage Health

Browse through a sampling of Awards and Accreditations issued to Cottage Health

Cottage Awards and Accreditations