A HEALTHIER TOMORROW

By Hannah Ruth Pettyjohn

“Nursing is an industry that will always need fantastic people with bright ideas,” said nursing alumnus Mikaelyn Davis. “LC creates an environment where future nurses are able to not only learn the fundamentals but also explore their healthcarerelated passions.”

With an increased need for medical professionals in recent years, Lewis-Clark State College is working tirelessly to ensure that it continues to meet the healthcare needs of north Idaho and beyond.

“Everyone will need health care at some point, and we know that as the population ages and as retirements occur within healthcare, we need new people entering the profession all the time,” associate dean of LC State’s School of Professional Studies

Dr. Krista Harwick said. “We are well known for our graduates; our graduates are highly sought across the state and across the region.”

LC State has supported the growth of the industry and healthcare professionals for the past 60 years. The college focuses on producing graduates who are well prepared to function in various healthcare settings, participate in interdisciplinary healthcare teams, and who understand and assume leadership roles.

“While I may be biased, I can always tell when a colleague was a fellow LC graduate because of their wide range of knowledge, and their attention to patient care,” Davis said.

Continued Growth

LC State has a history of producing career-ready health professionals and is always looking to continue advancing its programs. The 2023-2024 school year proved to be no different.

“I’m excited to move forward with all the innovative developments we have occurring within the newly established Healthcare Education Center,” said Harwick. “We’re collaborating with statewide stakeholders, we’re building new programs that we haven’t offered before, and we’re partnering with our academic colleagues to strengthen relationships across the state, for the benefit of our students.”

Three recent changes at LC State include a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Idaho State University, a new Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, and the Healthcare Education Center with its coming Healthcare Immersive Learning Lab (HILL). Each change will further help launch students forward in their careers, giving them more educational opportunities, more experience with technology, and more potential to serve the healthcare needs of tomorrow.

Mou With Idaho State

The new MOU was officially signed between LC State and Idaho State University in December 2023. The two schools are committed to working together as they prepare students in Idaho to continue serving as healthcare leaders throughout the state.

“Lewis-Clark State College has a long history of serving Idaho healthcare education needs from McCall to the Canadian border, and this partnership strengthens our ability to meet the growing needs of this region,” LC State President Cynthia Pemberton said when the MOU was announced. “LC State is proud to partner with ISU, recognizing its health education leadership in Idaho.”

The two schools already account for 70% of the health-related degrees awarded in the state among four-year public institutions and the partnership will allow them to continue serving more. ISU and LC State are preparing both in-person and synchronous learning opportunities for future cohorts.

“What that looks like right now is that we’re expanding clinical sites for ISU physician assistant program students into the north regions of the state, regions one and two,” Harwick said. “Our goal is to eventually have a cohort of Idaho State physician assistant students on our campus.”

MASTER’S IN NURSING

LC State’s recently approved MSN degree, with a focus on nursing leadership in healthcare, is the school’s first full master’s degree to be offered and will be delivered fully online with a short on-campus immersion at the beginning of the program. The program is an excellent option for LC State nursing alumni, and for all registered nurses of industry partners looking to further develop leadership abilities. Graduates from LC State’s graduate certificate program can seamlessly transition to the full degree, and nurses with an associate degree have a bridge pathway to complete the MSN degree.

Davis said the new MSN degree “allows those who choose to pursue it, the opportunity to expand their career and shows [LC State’s] dedication to ensuring the best possible education for their students.”

The program will include comprehensive coursework in leadership, management, and business processes.

“We have an advisory board and we’re collaborating with our clinical partners to ensure the knowledge, competencies, and skills they need in nursing leadership are included in the degree coursework,” Harwick said. “A component of this degree will be a practicum where they will work within an agency; it could be an agency where they are employed, to apply knowledge of leadership and business principles, in development of a project applicable to the selected practice setting.”

Healthcare Education Center

The school’s commitment to meeting the healthcare needs of north Idaho has proven to be more than just about the programs offered, but also the opportunities available within those programs.

Harwick said that one of the overarching plans of LC State’s healthcare education programs is to bring all programs under one umbrella. The goal is to align similar programs, to promote synergy between programs, and to develop opportunities and pathways for students to articulate from a certificate to associate degree to bachelor’s degree and on to a graduate degree if that is their end plan.

“We’ve developed the Healthcare Education Center and within the Center we are bringing together and expanding nursing, radiography, allied health programs such as medical assisting and medical administrative assistant, and all pre-allied health programs such as pre-dental hygiene, and prephysical therapy.” Harwick said. “Additionally, we’re planning to add more allied health programs. We’re exploring programs such as paramedic, respiratory therapy, and surgical tech, to, again, help meet the needs of our regional communities.”

Within this new expansion will be the HILL; an innovation center where students will be exposed to new high-tech learning.

“One of the things that we are doing to increase the hands-on experience of healthcare education students and perhaps to bring these students together from different disciplines for interprofessional experiences, is developing the Healthcare Immersive Learning Lab,” said Harwick.

As students are introduced to new technology they will gain a better understanding of healthcare through virtual reality, and the use of Anatomage virtual cadaver tables. The tables will provide students with an in-depth, comprehensive view of human anatomy and allow them to engage in interactive lab sessions.

A Shared Commitment

None of these plans would be possible without the support of stakeholders. This year, the Nursing & Health Sciences Division dedicated its efforts on Warrior Giving Day to raise funds for the HILL, an effort that soon paid off. A total of $3,050 was raised for the HILL during that one day.

Other donations from private foundations, including the Larry And Marianne Williams Family Foundation and the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation, have been instrumental in developing the HILL, with their gifts going directly toward the purchase of two Anatomage tables.

“All of our healthcare education programs on campus benefit tremendously from the support of our alumni, dedicated donors, and others that give toward helping us maintain and expand the opportunities for student learning,” said Harwick. “Healthcare education is expensive, in part because healthcare is consistently changing. We incorporate the use of technology to ensure that students are learning what they will encounter in practice and are competent and able to enter practice safely.”

“It brings me a lot of joy and pride as an alumnus to hear that LC will be expanding its programs,” said Davis. “The faculty’s efforts to constantly strive to further develop rubs off on students and fosters an environment that continues to develop outstanding graduates.”

Success of students, dedication of faculty, program growth, and investment from stakeholders are the driving forces behind LC State’s continued growth in healthcare education. Large strides like these promise a bigger future for LC State graduates and a healthier future for Idaho.