Fall 2009 Chair's Update
Ida Critelli Schick
Professor and Chair/Director
The holiday season is upon us and for faculty and students that signals the end of the fall semester. This has been an active and exciting few months. In August we welcomed one of the program’s largest entering classes with 33 full-time and nine part-time students. Two new scholarships helped attract qualified students–an annual scholarship for entering students established by HSA’s advisory board and another sponsored by the Albers Foundation, which provides a three-year scholarship grant of $54,000.
Over the last year faculty and staff prepared for our accreditation renewal with the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education by writing our self-study. The official announcement regarding accreditation will be made in spring 2010.
The capital fund drive announced at the 50th anniversary celebration is moving along well under the leadership of Lauri Johnson (Class of ’96), Jeff Johnston (Class of ’96), Denise Chastain (Class of ’95) and Andrew Chastain (Class of ’94). Our initial goal is to secure funding for the Center for Health Care Informatics and the Center for Health Care Leadership Ethics and then to move to the scholarship and faculty development initiatives.
The faculty has undertaken a number of collaborative efforts, both on campus and with external organizations. For example, we and the Department of Theology have developed a master’s degree in Health Care Mission Integration that was initiated this fall. We’ll provide more information on other efforts in future newsletters.
Faculty and staff are reviewing and revising our strategic plan with the help of the advisory board and the college dean, Mark Meyers.
I hope to see many of you at the reception and dinner Tuesday evening, March 23, 2010, in Chicago at the annual American College of Healthcare Executives’ Congress. Mark your calendars for an evening of relaxation, renewing old friendships and making new friends.
As 2009 comes to an end, I wish you all joy and peace. I also ask your support and your prayers for the continued growth and success of the program. In this holiday season, let us all thank God for our many gifts and blessings.
