Kent State University at Ashtabula is partnering with Lake Health and Lakeland Community College to expand educational opportunities for nurses in Northeast Ohio. The new arrangement allows registered nurses with an associate degree to obtain a bachelor of science in nursing (B.S.N.) degree from Kent State by attending classes at Lake Health’s TriPoint Medical Center in Concord Township, Ohio.
"The initiative and leadership demonstrated by the Lake Health administration to establish this unique partnership has been tremendous,” said Dr. Susan Stocker, dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State Ashtabula. “It shows their commitment and support for nurses to continue their education, benefitting not only the Lake Health facilities, but health care facilities throughout the region as well.”
The nursing courses will be delivered by Kent State Ashtabula, although they will be held at TriPoint, are open to registered nurses employed at other health care facilities. “We are hoping nurses who work in other health care organizations throughout Northeast Ohio will take advantage of this opportunity,” Stocker said.
“This is an exciting partnership that provides the best of all worlds” said Cynthia Moore-Hardy, president and chief executive officer of Lake Health.
The lower-division general education requirements will be offered by Lakeland Community College on the Lakeland campus.
“I think this partnership is a great demonstration of community institutions working together to improve educational accessibility and affordability,” said Morris Beverage, president of Lakeland Community College. “We are very proud to be a part of it.”
The partnership came together quickly. “Last spring, administrators at Lake Health approached Laura Dzurec, dean of Kent State’s College of Nursing, about working together,” Stocker said. “We moved those conversations forward and were pleased to be able to start the program this past fall.”
Approximately 10 students are expected to take part in the program this semester, with the expectation that numbers will increase as more nurses learn about the opportunity.
More than 40 percent of Northeast Ohio nurses earned their degrees from Kent State. The university’s nursing program is the largest in the state of Ohio and the fourth largest in the nation.
“We are committed to addressing the nationwide shortage of nursing professionals by offering a wide range of accessible educational opportunities at different levels,” Dzurec said. “This has strengthened our cooperation, and it is consistent with recommendations established in the new Institute of Medicine report to enhance nursing education.”
For more information about this new initiative, contact Brandy Orlando, recruiter and advisor for health professions at Kent State Ashtabula, at borland2@kent.edu or 440-964-4317.
About Kent State University at Ashtabula
Kent State University at Ashtabula has been providing higher education to residents of Northeast Ohio for more than 50 years. The campus, which overlooks Lake Erie, is centrally located between Cleveland, Erie and Youngstown, and is home to the state-of-the-art Robert S. Morrison Health and Science Building. The northernmost campus of Kent State’s eight-campus system, Kent State Ashtabula offers a variety of courses and both bachelor’s and associate degree programs for more than 2,500 students. Visit www.ashtabula.kent.edu for more information.
About Lake Health
Lake Health is a private, not-for-profit leader in community health care in Northeast Ohio. Providing progressive, compassionate health care to everyone in and around Lake County has been the institution’s mission and vision since 1902. Lake Health’s TriPoint Medical Center, located in Concord Township, is the first new full-service, acute care hospital built in Northeast Ohio in 28 years. Visit www.lakehealth.org for more information.
About Lakeland Community College
Established in 1967, Lakeland Community College was the first college in Ohio founded by a vote of the people. The main campus sits on 400 rolling, wooded acres in Kirtland, Ohio, where it serves more than 9,400 students, including more than 4,000 in evening and weekend classes. Lakeland offers career programs that prepare students for immediate employment or successful transfer to four-year schools. The college also supports job skills, personal, and professional improvement through both credit and noncredit classes and certificate programs. Visit www.lakelandcc.edu for more information.
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Photo Caption:
Morris Beverage, president of Lakeland Community College; Susan Stocker, dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State University at Ashtabula; and Mary Ogrinc, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Lake Heath, at Lake Health’s TriPoint Medical Center.
Media Contacts:
Cheryl Games, cgames1@kent.edu, 440-964-4567
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595