Report to the Community
Report to the Community
2013 2014
Education
2014 Board of Regents Thomas Drese · MA, Chair Marilyn Snider · MSN, Vice Chair Albert Peters · CPA, Treasurer Sharon Diaz · PhD (hc) (ex-officio) David Bradley · MBA, MS (ex-officio) Mary Brown David Frey · JD Owen Garrick · MD Cornelius Hopper · MD
Meet Our Family of Icons
Research
Teh-wei Hu · PhD Gary Morrison · JD Chuck Prosper · MBA John Swartzberg · MD, FACP
2014 Administration Sharon Diaz · PhD (hc)
Elaine Lemay · MHROD
PRESIDENT AND CEO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES
Scot Foster · PhD, FAAN ACADEMIC VICE PRESIDENT AND PROVOST
Shirley Strong · MEd EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DIVERSITY
John Garten-Shuman · MA
Cynthia Ulman · MBA
VICE PRESIDENT, ENROLLMENT AND STUDENT SERVICES
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BUSINESS AND PLANNING DEVELOPMENT
Greg Gingras · MSB, CMA, CFM
Sue Valencia · BA, CFRE
VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION, AND CFO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI AFFAIRS
Stephanie Bangert · MLS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS
Diversity
We’ve crafted a dynamic system of symbols that visually represents the essence of SMU’s most celebrated areas of achievement.
Alvin McLean, Jr. · PhD
Please welcome: Education Research Diversity Community Technology Globality
Community
As you thumb through this issue of the Report to the Community, we hope you’ll enjoy the refreshing look, thoughtfully written articles and inspirational features. In future materials, you can look forward to our introduction of companion icons that capture and illustrate the ever-evolving, wide-range mindset that is… Samuel Merritt University. Globality
Technology
Reporter
Upcoming Events PHYSICAL THERAPY ALUMNI, STUDENT, FACULTY, AND STAFF REUNION RECEPTION During the California Physical Therapy Association (CPTA) Annual Conference
Friday, October 24, 2014 6 pm to 7:30 pm Pacific Coast Brewing Company 906 Washington Street Oakland, California Samuel Merritt University ANNUAL ALUMNI HOLIDAY DINNER AND VINTAGE FASHION SHOW
Thursday, December 4, 2014 6 pm Social Hour 7 pm Dinner Lafayette Park Hotel Lafayette, California
Providence College of Nursing ALUMNAE HOLIDAY TEA
Friday, December 12, 2014 11 am to 1:30 pm Health Education Center Oakland, California Visit the CSPM Booth at the AMERICAN FOOT AND ANKLE SURGEONS’ ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE
February 18–22, 2015 Phoenix Convention Center Phoenix, Arizona
Diversity Brochure
Consider pursuing your health sciences career at Samuel Merritt University Office of Diversity and Inclusion 450 30th Street, Suite 2830 510.869.1544 Oakland, California 94609 www.samuelmerritt.edu/diversity
Our commitment to students is to educate and train them to become highly skilled, culturally competent healthcare professionals.
Resources available for study at Samuel Merritt University (SMU) COMMUNITY SERVICE
GRANTS AND LOANS
SMU PROGRAMS
SAMPLE FINANCIAL AID
Our Scholars in Service Program provides students with invaluable guidance as they earn their health science degrees.
Federal Grants
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Award for high-need Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) student
SMU actively seeks qualified African American/Black and Hispanic/ Latino(a) students who commit to work in medically underserved communities in the greater Bay Area during their time enrolled in school and after graduation. Each year, SMU awards scholarships to carefully chosen African American/ Black and Hispanic/Latino(o) students in all matriculated degrees.
SCHOLARSHIPS GIFT AID SMU awards scholarships to qualified African American/Black and Hispanic/ Latino students based on financial need and academic preparation. These scholarships are renewable and do not need to be repaid. A representative award range for the 2013–2014 academic year was $2,000 to $8,000. For eligible students, the Federal Work Study Program offers a way to earn extra money to reduce loan debt.
Program may be eligible to receive up to $5,730 in Pell Grant and up to $1,000 in Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) and CAL Grant. These are need-based funds, awarded per results on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and do not need to be repaid.
(Bachelors required)
Master of Science in Nursing (Bachelors required)
Case Management Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Entry-Level (RN not required)
Family Nurse Practitioner
Direct Loans
Master of Occupational Therapy
Graduate and undergraduate students are eligible to apply for the Federal Direct Loan, with terms set by the federal government.
Doctor of Physical Therapy
SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO HELP YOU SUCCEED > Pre-admissions counseling > Tutorial services > Personal counseling > Leadership development > Academic enrichment workshops > Learning support services > Financial aid counseling > Career guidance > Library and web based resources
Master of Physician Assistant Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Doctor of Nursing Practice
Pell Grant
$5,730
Cal Grant
$10,871
SEOG
$500
Samuel Merritt Scholarship (SAM)
$6,000
Institutional Scholarship
$4,000
TOTAL AWARDS: (Grants & Scholarships)
$27,101
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Please visit our website: www.samuelmerritt.edu to learn more about the programs at Samuel Merritt University or call 800.607.6377. Shirley Strong, Chief Diversity Officer sstrong@samuelmerritt.edu
School of Nursing Folder + Brochure
School of Nursing Folder + Brochure
Celeste Villanueva EdD(c), CRNA, DFNAP
COMMUNITY RESEARCH GLOBAL DIVERSITY EDUCATION COMPASSION
Under the Affordable Care Act, hospitals and clinics have powerful incentives to engage in interprofessional practice—the collaboration of professionals from various healthcare disciplines. In 2013, SMU adopted a university-wide initiative that features the interprofessional model at the forefront of its curricula to ensure our students embody collaborative healthcare.
COLLABORATION
The state-of-the-art center trains students to work in real-life patient/client care scenarios. “Simulation is an ideal way to teach,” said Celeste Villanueva, director of the HSSC. “It’s immersive, it’s engaging, and it’s collaborative. It reflects the philosophy of SMU: Learning is a partnership between the student and the faculty.” The simulation center also hosts students from a nearby medical school who train side-by-side with SMU students, as well as international medical students and healthcare professionals from Northern California.
School of Nursing
The best place on campus to witness the interprofessional concept in action is the Health Sciences Simulation Center (HSSC).
Patricia Brennan PhD, RN, MS, DFNAP The burgeoning field of Genetics and Genomics offers incredible opportunities to improve health through safer and potentially more cost effective methods of health care delivery. This emerging field of study focuses on complex hereditary and environmental influence and is poised to offer new paradigms to treat disease. The challenge is how to incorporate these advances into the curriculum of new and advance-practice clinicians. At SMU, we are ready to meet this challenge. Associate Professor Patricia Brennan is a nationally recognized expert in curricular integration of genetics and genomics having recently completed an NIH appointment as
Faculty Champion for Genetics and Genomics. She also serves on the Editorial Board of the National Human Genome Research Institute’s Genetics and Genomics Competency Center. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Brennan spent more than 20 years as a clinical specialist and director for UCSF’s Transplant Division, where she had responsibilities for clinical care and inter-professional research endeavors. Her current research interests involve measuring genomic literacy and access to clinical applications of genetic and genomic technology. “Understanding genetics and genomics is an essential competency for all practitioners,” Brennan said. “SMU graduates will be wellpoised to meet these future challenges.”
Cecily Reeves PhD, FNP-C, PA-C Cecily Reeves first worked with the transgender community in her HIV/ AIDS practice at UCSF, then as part of a team providing care to California prison inmates, and most recently with the SMU transgender outreach program. Her academic career is dedicated to educating a new generation of medically and culturally competent nurse practitioners. Her clinical career has always been devoted to underserved populations. “The trans community still needs champions and support to find their voice,” Reeves said. “I think that’s what nurse practitioners do best.
EVIDENCE-BASED
SOCIAL JUSTICE
We are problem solvers and advocate fiercely for the underserved. We will proudly be their voice until the devastating social and health disparities are corrected.” With support from the University through the Scott Beamer Fund, Reeves and a cohort of FNP students began providing support group sessions, primary care and feminizing services to Bay Area trans women in 2009. “We are committed to including both the didactic foundation and clinical experiences needed to educate our students and graduates to be confident practitioners when working with patients with gender variations,” Reeves said. “It is a unique opportunity for SMU students to learn important skills while making a difference.”
Celeste Villanueva EdD(c), CRNA, DFNAP
COMMUNITY RESEARCH GLOBAL DIVERSITY EDUCATION COMPASSION
Under the Affordable Care Act, hospitals and clinics have powerful incentives to engage in interprofessional practice—the collaboration of professionals from various healthcare disciplines. In 2013, SMU adopted a university-wide initiative that features the interprofessional model at the forefront of its curricula to ensure our students embody collaborative healthcare.
The state-of-the-art center trains students to work in real-life patient/client care scenarios. “Simulation is an ideal way to teach,” said Celeste Villanueva, director of the HSSC. “It’s immersive, it’s engaging, and it’s collaborative. It reflects the philosophy of SMU: Learning is a partnership between the student and the faculty.” The simulation center also hosts students from a nearby medical school who train side-by-side with SMU students, as well as international medical students and healthcare professionals from Northern California.
The best place on campus to witness the interprofessional concept in action is the Health Sciences Simulation Center (HSSC).
Patricia Brennan PhD, RN, MS, DFNAP The burgeoning field of Genetics and Genomics offers incredible opportunities to improve health through safer and potentially more cost effective methods of health care delivery. This emerging field of study focuses on complex hereditary and environmental influence and is poised to offer new paradigms to treat disease. The challenge is how to incorporate these advances into the curriculum of new and advance-practice clinicians. At SMU, we are ready to meet this challenge. Associate Professor Patricia Brennan is a nationally recognized expert in curricular integration of genetics and genomics having recently completed an NIH appointment as
Cecily Reeves first worked with the transgender community in her HIV/ AIDS practice at UCSF, then as part of a team providing care to California prison inmates, and most recently with the SMU transgender outreach program. Her academic career is dedicated to educating a new generation of medically and culturally competent nurse practitioners. Her clinical career has always been devoted to underserved populations. “The trans community still needs champions and support to find their voice,” Reeves said. “I think that’s what nurse practitioners do best.
EVIDENCE-BASED
Faculty Champion for Genetics and Genomics. She also serves on the Editorial Board of the National Human Genome Research Institute’s Genetics and Genomics Competency Center. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Brennan spent more than 20 years as a clinical specialist and director for UCSF’s Transplant Division, where she had responsibilities for clinical care and inter-professional research endeavors. Her current research interests involve measuring genomic literacy and access to clinical applications of genetic and genomic technology. “Understanding genetics and genomics is an essential competency for all practitioners,” Brennan said. “SMU graduates will be wellpoised to meet these future challenges.”
Cecily Reeves PhD, FNP-C, PA-C
COLLABORATION
SOCIAL JUSTICE
We are problem solvers and advocate fiercely for the underserved. We will proudly be their voice until the devastating social and health disparities are corrected.” With support from the University through the Scott Beamer Fund, Reeves and a cohort of FNP students began providing support group sessions, primary care and feminizing services to Bay Area trans women in 2009. “We are committed to including both the didactic foundation and clinical experiences needed to educate our students and graduates to be confident practitioners when working with patients with gender variations,” Reeves said. “It is a unique opportunity for SMU students to learn important skills while making a difference.”
School of Nursing by the Numbers Percentage of new students who choose SMU based on reputation.
86%
The number of consecutive years the School of Nursing has received funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to provide scholarships for disadvantaged and underrepresented nursing students. 120 students have received aid to date.
Faculty-to-student ratio for prelicensure clinicals in the Bachelor/Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs.
The number of School of Nursing instructors who have been bestowed Fellowships from The American Academy of Nursing, which recognizes nurse leaders in education, management, practice, policy, and research. The Fellows include hospital and government administrators, college deans, and renowned scientific researchers.
26
1.26.1909
456
The average number of graduates from School of Nursing programs each year for the past four years who took their state NCLEX exams.
The date Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing opened in Oakland, California.
FIRST-YEAR RETENTION RATES
89% DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE
Source: School of Nursing Fact Book 2012–2013
96% BACHELOR OF SCIENCE—NURSING
98%
99%
ACCELERATED BACHELOR OF SCIENCE—NURSING
MASTER OF SCIENCE—NURSING
Miriam Eisenhardt MPH, RN
A lesson in compassion is an integral part of the Community Health Nursing experience, a required course for students in the BSN, ABSN and ELMSN programs, said Miriam Eisenhardt, assistant professor. For one semester, students take a step outside the hospital setting for a clinical experience in a community setting. Since 2005 SMU students have worked with homeless and formerly homeless clients at Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco, which provides permanent housing for this underserved population.
COMPASSION
environment where many are outside of their comfort zone. But the students find their place – they learn to relate to their clients, listen to their stories, and understand and address the health of their clients’ community.” More than 600 SMU students have provided no-cost healthcare services to ECS clients. “It’s a transformative experience for our students,” Eisenhardt said. “Every nursing student has the experience of wondering, ‘Am I really making a difference?’” At SMU we want to provide an abundance of experiences that tell them, “Yes, you are making a difference.”
“Students begin the semester not knowing what to expect,” said Eisenhardt, who has run the program since it began. “They’re going into an
Aara Amidi-Nouri PhD, RN
Like many SMU faculty members, Aara AmidiNouri wears a number of different lab coats. Amidi-Nouri, who graduated from SMU’s School of Nursing in 1996, is an associate professor who teaches pediatrics and continues clinical work at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. She also chairs the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. But it is Amidi-Nouri’s work as the school’s Director of Diversity—charged with recruiting
underrepresented students and diversifying the nursing workforce—that has gained her national attention. In 2014 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) named Amidi-Nouri as an Executive Nurse Fellow to join the nation’s top nursing leaders to improve the U.S. healthcare system. Through Amidi-Nouri’s stewardship, SMU has received RWJF scholarships for students from underrepresented communities for six consecutive years.
Jordan Stephens MSN, FNP-BC
As an elementary school teacher with a master’s degree in education, Jordan Stephens enjoyed her career that helped others learn. Yet the unpredictable job market for educators left her seeking a new profession, so she enrolled in the Entry Level Masters of Science in Nursing program to become a family nurse practitioner. “At Samuel Merritt University, the curriculum was comprehensive and efficient,” Stephens said. “My passion for the field of medicine was ignited.” Stephens took classes at SMU’s Sacramento campus and received several alumnifunded scholarships. Her preceptorship at a
CULTURE
LIFELONG LEARNING
community clinic transitioned into her first job after graduation. She now works in primary care in a rural clinic and inpatient care at a 25-bed hospital. “From a student perspective, the alumni support was invaluable,” Stephens said. “It was nice to have a sense of community at a small campus. Your professors know you, and you have a personal identity.” Now, Stephens is considering pursing a doctorate degree. “Nursing is a life-long learning commitment to education,” Stephens said. “The faculty and administration at SMU introduced me to the tools I needed to become a life-long learner and helped me achieve my educational goals.”
www.samuelmerritt.edu OFFICE OF ADMISSION 3100 Telegraph Avenue Suite 1000 Oakland, California 94609 PHONE 800.607.6377 PHONE 510.869.1550 FAX 510.869.1551
AFFIRMATION OF NONDISCRIMINATION
 Samuel Merritt University does not discriminate on the basis of sex, age, race, color, ethnic or national origin, disability or handicap, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, or status as a veteran in the administration of employment, admission, financial aid, or educational programs. Nondiscrimination is consonant with the principles and practices of the University and is required by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Titles I and III of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended by the Education Amendments of 1972; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Age Discrimination Act of 1974; and various other federal, state and local statutes and regulations.
School of Nursing
Dear Prospective Students and Fellow Nurses,
AUDREY BERMAN PHD, RN Dean of the School of Nursing
As we enter into a new era of healthcare with the Affordable Care Act, Samuel Merritt University’s School of Nursing continues to prepare students who will advance the profession into the future.
In this expanding landscape, where an additional 3.3 million Californians enrolled in new healthcare plans in 2014, nurses will assume greater responsibilities to meet the needs of a growing and more diverse client population. Yet the mission of the faculty in the School of Nursing remains the same: We are committed to educational innovation in theory and practice to prepare highly competent professional nursing leaders who are engaged in the advancement of nursing practice and the improvement of health for diverse populations/peoples. Our student body and faculty reflect this commitment. Driven by academic excellence, and deeply engaged within the communities they serve, our students volunteer at free local clinics and travel abroad to deliver medical care to those in need. Our faculty consists of both working professionals who are master educators, as well as nationally recognized experts in research and healthcare policy. In 2014, to highlight just a few achievements, members of our nursing faculty received research grants from the National Institute of Health, cochaired a national study on how to teach the Affordable Care Act in nursing schools, and were named to prestigious fellowships that put them in leadership positions to improve the US healthcare system. Aside from educating one of the largest Bachelor of Science in Nursing student bodies in the state each year, our University also offers nursing master’s and doctoral degrees. Many of our returning students, who view nursing education as a life-long endeavor, upgrade their skill-set to join the rapidly growing fields of case management, nurse practitioner, and nurse anesthesia. The degrees we offer at Samuel Merritt University are the degrees nurses will need to prosper in the new healthcare environment. In this brochure, we hope to provide a glimpse of the education provided by one of California’s largest and most storied nursing institutions. We also hope prospective faculty will view Samuel Merritt University as a destination program and join us in our mission to educate the nursing leaders of tomorrow.
Audrey Berman PhD, RN Dean of the School of Nursing
OVERVIEW For more than 100 years, Samuel Merritt University’s School of Nursing has prepared students to provide compassionate and transformative healthcare to diverse populations. With campuses in Oakland, Sacramento, and the San Francisco Peninsula, the School of Nursing graduates close to 500 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral nursing students into California’s healthcare system each year. In a rapidly changing healthcare field, the School of Nursing seeks to attract faculty and students who want to lead the future of the profession through compassion, diversity, and scientific inquiry.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS DNP The online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at Samuel Merritt University prepares students to practice at the highest level of advanced nursing practice, demonstrating leadership in a clinical or organizational specialty area, as well as a commitment to improving healthcare outcomes via practice, policy change, and practice scholarship. The DNP program is designed for advanced practice nurses (nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists) and nurses in organizational leadership positions who have a Master of Science in Nursing degree. The program is designed to accommodate students who desire to continue working full or part time while pursuing doctoral study. Students are admitted to the DNP program as a cohort and are strongly advised to progress sequentially through the courses designated in each of the six semesters.
MSN The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) offers an entry-level program and three post-professional options. The entrylevel program is designed for those who have a baccalaureate in a non-nursing field and who are not registered nurses. There are three options that provide the registered nurse who has a baccalaureate (usually in nursing) with advanced skills: nurse anesthesia (CRNA), family nurse practitioner (FNP), and case management (CM).
CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST It is the intent of our Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) program to prepare graduates for the full scope of practice in nurse anesthesia in order that they be competitive in the marketplace by delivering the highest possible quality of care. Consequently, students are involved in all aspects of anesthesia including general and regional techniques as well as cases involving conscious sedation and other ancillary services such as pain management, anesthesia for interventional radiology procedures and emergency airway management.
Under close and immediate supervision, students are responsible for the administration and management of virtually all specialty surgery categories and common invasive monitoring modalities for the full range of patient age and acuity levels.
FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER Family nurse practitioners (FNP) work in a variety of clinical settings including outpatient clinics, ambulatory care settings, emergency departments, inpatient units, community health agencies, and private practice settings with other nurse practitioners, physicians, and other health care providers. Now is an opportune time to become a nurse practitioner. Not only is there is an increased demand nationally for nurses, but there are new and abundant opportunities for nurse practitioners including demand for inpatient nurse practitioner care in Express Care clinics in retail outlets as well as a burgeoning need for providers to care for the uninsured.
BSN FRESHMAN ENTRY: PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS Students interested in entering the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program as a freshman must apply directly to one of our partnership programs for pre-nursing at Holy Names University, Mills College, or Notre Dame de Namur University. Following completion of two years of pre-nursing courses, students who meet all conditions of the partnership program are given priority admission to Samuel Merritt University for the completion of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.
TRANSFER STUDENTS—DIRECT ENTRY Samuel Merritt University admits transfer students on a limited basis in fall and spring. The admission is as a first semester junior and it will take four semesters to complete the program.
CASE MANAGEMENT The purpose of this program is to prepare nurses with advanced theory and practice in a systematic case management approach to the delivery of health care to diverse patient populations. Case management emphasizes collaborative methods of coordination, continuity, and quality of care within a cost-sensitive perspective. Emphasis is placed on critical-thinking and strong planning and decision-making skills needed to recognize and respond to the constant changes in the health care delivery system.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS ABSN
“The most rewarding aspect of being the DNP program director and a faculty member has been the opportunity to witness the significant impact that our students have had on patient care in a variety of healthcare settings. Students enter the program with a passion to resolve a patient care or health systems problem. With the guidance of our expert faculty, they are MICHELLE DeCOUX able to transform that passion into HAMPTON PHD, RN Associate Professor real-world improvements in patient and Doctor of Nursing outcomes—one student, one project Practice Program Director at a time.”
Samuel Merritt University, School of Nursing, offers an accelerated baccalaureate program (ABSN) for candidates with undergraduate degrees in other fields. The program recognizes each individual’s past experiences and academic achievements and builds upon these assets. It provides a mechanism for graduates with non-nursing degrees to change careers efficiently and effectively. Because of these basic premises, the curriculum is different from the traditional BSN. The program is designed to be completed in 12 months. The curriculum includes three terms of intensive study at a rapid pace. Although the curriculum and format are different from Samuel Merritt’s traditional BSN program, the goals, learning outcome objectives, and foundational concepts are the same.
MARC CODE DNP, CRNA Assistant Professor and Program of Nurse Anesthesia Director
“One of the most rewarding aspects of being the program of nurse anesthesia director and a faculty member has been the opportunity to recruit, admit, and retain diversity-rich cohorts who will become nurse anesthetists. Our graduates will help to eliminate the health disparities in future generations. Being able to act upon convictions and being a part of this process gives me a purpose and a passion to produce the best anesthesia providers in the country.”
www.samuelmerritt.edu OFFICE OF ADMISSION 3100 Telegraph Avenue Suite 1000 Oakland, CA 94609 PHONE 800.607.6377 PHONE 510.869.1550 FAX 510.869.1551
AFFIRMATION OF NONDISCRIMINATION
 Samuel Merritt University does not discriminate on the basis of sex, age, race, color, ethnic or national origin, disability or handicap, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, or status as a veteran in the administration of employment, admission, financial aid, or educational programs. Nondiscrimination is consonant with the principles and practices of the University and is required by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Titles I and III of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended by the Education Amendments of 1972; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Age Discrimination Act of 1974; and various other federal, state and local statutes and regulations.