Covenant Heart Institute provides and facilitates a wide range of educational opportunities for physicians, nurses, technologists and other staff.   Besides the extensive orientation and training for new employees, and ongoing in-services for all staff, an abundance of continuing education events are available through several methods.  Advanced Cardiac Life Support Classes and Pediatric Advanced Life Support Classes are taught regularly.  Critical Care Classes and Extended Critical Care Internships enhance new employee orientation.

Classroom and Conference Room space is available near the patient care areas, including a Resource Room where two computer systems enable on-line or CD based educational programs.  Covenant subscribes to Healthnet (based out of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center) where many approved continuing education programs are available for a number of disciplines.

Covenant strongly encourages work toward specialty certifications and registries, by providing resource study materials, tutoring, re-imbursement of examinations fees, and adjustment in compensation. 

As a value added service, many vendors are able to bring in speakers and programs that are approved for credit and keep the staff and physicians current with the latest theories and techniques.

Annual symposia and conferences are also open to the region.  The West Texas Cardiac Symposiumis held on the second Saturday of October.   This seven hour symposium is targeted to Nurses and Technologists that work in or with the Cardiac Cath Lab and related areas.   Average attendance is 200.  

The Covenant Heart Institute Cardiology Round-Up targets primary care Physicians and Nurses, as well as Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants.    The next Cardiology Round-Up is scheduled for Spring of 2006, and will be held at the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa at Tamaya in Santa Ana Pueblo, just outside Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The faculty includes world-renowned speakers.

Cardiology Grand Rounds presents a variety of speakers from local areas as well as outside speakers on cardiovascular related issues, and offers CME and CNE credit.

Weekly Pediatric Cath Conferences involve case presentations and lively exchange among staff and physicians.

Covenant is a site for the annual “Echo In Context” Teleconference sponsored by Duke University Medical Center.   This is billed as the most watched and longest running telemedicine event in the world.   Continuing Medical Education credit is available for Physicians and Sonographers.  CME for Non-Invasive Vascular Diagnosis is also available for Physicians and Sonographers through a videotape series.