Dean's Message
Welcome to the web page for the National University School of Health and Human Services (SHHS). We are proud to be one of three new schools established at National University during the past five years and that our graduates are already in demand by leading healthcare organizations. Opportunities for employment in the healthcare professions have remained strong during the current economic downturn and continued growth is expected over the next decade. Now is a great time to explore the many rewarding career opportunities available to you in the healthcare services.
The mission of the National University School of Health and Human Services is to prepare professionals to meet the dynamic health needs of a diverse, global community, while our vision is to be the “Southwest’s Premier Healthcare Educator.” In becoming the premier educator of healthcare professionals, SHHS faculty and staff have committed themselves to achieving a progressive vision:
1) SHHS students from diverse backgrounds are immersed in a culture of intellectually challenging discourse and discovery while experiencing a technologically-enhanced teaching and learning environment that is relevant, sensitive to rapidly changing societal needs and professionally administered; fulfilling their need for a highly-valued education.
2) SHHS faculty members are qualified stewards of their academic discipline who sustain excellence in the quality of their teaching and the achievement of student learning outcomes.
3) SHHS faculty members engage in high impact scholarly and creative activity aimed at advancing their academic disciplines and ensuring the relevancy of their teaching and student learning.
4) SHHS provides students with personalized clinical learning experiences that are conducted in authentic professional environments under the guidance of qualified mentors.
The National University School of Health and Human Services features three vibrant and growing academic departments: Nursing, Community Health and Health Sciences. New graduate and undergraduate degree programs are thriving under the exceptional leadership of our newly appointed department chairs and we are in the midst of a rapid expansion of current degree programs to new National University campuses and the implementation of new programs in San Diego. We have assembled a dynamic faculty with strong interests in community partnerships to work in a team-oriented and entrepreneurial academic culture. SHHS now boasts 22 fulltime and nearly150 part-time faculty members to support more than 800 graduate and undergraduate students in our varied degree programs.
The Department of Nursing, our largest, provides multiple pathways to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree in California and to the Associate Degree of Nursing in Nevada (Henderson). The BSN degree is now offered at three National University campuses: Rancho Bernardo (serving San Diego County), Los Angeles and Fresno, while others are being planned. Continuing at the current rate of growth, the BSN degree program at National University will soon become one of the largest in the southwest. This growth is vital for supplying qualified graduates to meet the California and Nevada nursing workforce needs.
A strong faculty leadership team with over 100 years of combined experience in nursing education has been assembled to ensure that we offer a state-of-the-art curriculum that meets the needs of students. The team is led by Dr. Mary Kracun, Department Chair and Director of Nursing, who is joined by Associate Director--Kala Crobarger, Director of Nevada Nursing--Dr. Lara Carver, Assistant Director-Fresno--Dr. Jayne Moore, and Assistant Director-Los Angeles--Dr. Linda Simunek. The BSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the California Board of Registered Nurses, while the ASN program is approved by the Nevada State Board of Nursing and is seeking accreditation from the National League of Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC). The first time NCLEX pass rate for NU graduates is now consistently above 80% and we anticipate further improvement as we add new learning resources such as human patient simulation laboratories.
The Department of Community Health offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in public health and healthcare administration. The graduate degree program in health care administration is currently seeking professional accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) and the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program that is proposed to start in early 2010 will seek accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The Department of Community Health is chaired by Dr. Alan Henderson, a leading healthcare advocate, educator and former President of the California Division of the American Cancer Society, who has over 35 years of experience in public health education at several U.S. universities.
The Department of Health Sciences offers degree programs focused primarily on the clinical health professions. Current programs available include the Bachelor of Science in Allied Health (BSAH) which is offered completely online, Master of Integrative Health (MIH) and Master of Science in Clinical Regulatory Affairs (MSCRA). The MIH program is one of only a handful of U.S. graduate programs focusing on the growing integrative healthcare movement. The Department of Health Science is chaired by Dr. Patric Schiltz, an internationally recognized immunologist and former Associate Scientific Director at the Hoag Hospital Cancer Center in Newport Beach. Dr. Schiltz is leading the development of new degree programs in physical therapy, clinical laboratory science, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, healthcare informatics, and occupational therapy.
Beyond these exceptional degree programs, the School of Health and Human Services provides numerous opportunities for students to participate in co-curricular activities such as the SHHS Journal Club and the National University Association of Healthcare Professionals, a student organization focused on providing career development opportunities for all SHHS students.
Community members are invited to participate in the National University Healthcare Education Network (NUHEN). The mission of NUHEN is to create and maintain an active network of healthcare-related organizations and individuals in California and Nevada that: 1) supports high-quality clinical training environments for SHHS students; 2) provides a forum for the discussion and discovery of innovative practices and services that benefit local, regional, and state communities; and 3) serve as a platform for collaborative research as well as demonstration and implementation projects. Please contact us should you have an interest in becoming a member.
Again, I welcome you to the new SHHS website. Please spend some time learning more about the exciting and innovative programs available to our students and reviewing the work and accomplishments of our productive and very talented faculty members and students.
Michael G. Lacourse, Ph.D.
Dean
School of Health and Human Services
National University is an affiliate of the National University System.