Health Administration Annual Sympoisum

We're gearing up for the annual health administration symposium at Saint Joseph's College! We will be discussing issues related to how health care systems can survive (and even thrive) in the midst of health care reform and also to prepare for the future of healthcare! Presenters are experts in their field from across the United States! You may enroll for one day or all five days and earn continuing education credits! Click the title above to find more information. See you there!

Saint Joseph’s professor earns award from ACHCA

The American College of Health Care Administrators has selected John Pratt of Standish to receive the organization’s Journalism Award for demonstrating excellent journalistic achievement in the field of long-term care. Pratt is a professor of health administration at Saint Joseph’s College and the author of Long-Term Care: Managing Across the Continuum. His book is now in its third edition and has been adopted as a reference for the national licensing examination prepared by the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards. The award will be given at the ACHCA convention in Philadelphia in May.

Good Work Dr. Markowitz!

We would like to congratulate North Shore - Long Island Jewish Health System (LIJ) for being chosen as the 2010 NQF National Quality Healthcare Award winner for providing high-quality, transparent, patient-centered healthcare. The award is given annually to what the NQF regards as an exemplary healthcare organization that serves as a role model for achieving meaningful, sustainable quality improvement in healthcare.

Our very own Dr. Walter Markowitz (Adjunct Faculty at SJC) was instrumental in writing the application for this award! Great work Dr. Markowitz!

ACHCA Education Partnership: Discounts for Our Students

Saint Joseph’s College of Maine (SJC) and the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) have formed an educational partnership that makes any of our students who are ACHCA members eligible for special pricing discounts. The initial SJC application fee ($50) is waived and they receive a minimum $50 discount per course on all online and summer session courses. Course discounts go up as the number of ACHCA members taking SJC courses goes up. If you are an ACHCA member already, you qualify for these discounts. If not a member, explore the various membership categories at http://achca.org/joomla/index.php/membership. Be sure to identify yourself as a member of ACHCA when you speak with your Academic Advisor.

Article published in Advance for LTC

John Pratt (on right in the picture), Assistant Program Director, recently authored – at the request of the Editors – an article in ADVANCE for Long-Term Care Management. The article, “Convenient, efficient and effective, online training is an easy way to improve professional, technical and managerial skills” was designed to make long-term care administrators aware of the education and training options available to them through online offerings.
Although the article outlines both college and non-college options for online education and training, and he was not allowed to mention SJC by name in the article, it clearly leads potential students to programs such as ours.

2010 Health Administration Symposium

The past year has been marked by calls and initiatives for reform of healthcare in the United States. While the process has been challenging and in some cases acrimonious, it is inevitable that healthcare will be going through major changes in the coming years, whether or not an actual reform bill is passed. Now, more than ever, leaders in healthcare must strategically equip themselves for the challenge. This symposium brings together experts in many aspects of healthcare. In one week in Maine you will have access to much of the information you will need for future success. You will also be engaged in the search for viable solutions to some of the problems currently plaguing healthcare systems.

Join us on July 26 – 30, 2010
On the campus of Saint Joseph’s College in Standish, ME

New Members of the Health Administration Program Advisory Committee!

We are pleased to announce that Brenda Rice and Marguerite Stapleton have been appointed to the Health Administration Program Advisory Committee!

Brenda Rice is a graduate of the Master of Health Administration and Bachelor of Science in Health Administration programs at SJC. She is also the Director of the Mercy Hospital School of Radiology in Portland, Maine. Brenda has worked in a variety of capacities in healthcare and academia. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in radiology technology and will be able to provide guidance to the radiologic science administration degree programs as well as to the health administration programs.

Marguerite Stapleton is a Spirituality Consultant providing resources in spirituality for individuals, groups and organizations through Wisdom’s Works. She loves to engage people in reflective conversations, rituals, and centering. Marguerite also officiates at weddings after working with couples to create a ceremony grounded in their own spirituality.

Marguerite served as the Vice-President for Mission Effectiveness at St. Mary’s Health System from 1993-2009. In this role, she was responsible for educating and motivating the employees, medical staff and trustees to live the mission and values of the organization. She also worked with the Ethics Committee and the Haiti outeeach.

Marguerite did her undergraduate work at Immaculata College and received her master’s degree at the University of Illinois. She has done further graduate study at Villanova University and Boston College.

During her career she has taught elementary and secondary school, been a book review editor, and worked as a pastoral associate focusing on adult faith formation. She has given workshops, retreats and conferences throughout the US and Canada.

She has served on the Board of Directors of the Maine Council of Churches, the United Way of Androscoggin County, and the Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice. Currently, she serves on the Board for the Center for Wisdom’s Women.

2009 Health Administration Symposium

The 2009 Health Administration Symposium held at Saint Joseph's College the week of July 22nd was a tremendous success! Thirty people attended the event and speakers from all over the United States presented the latest information relative to "Managing Health Care with Values in Turbulent Economic Times." Employee development and succession planning, culture change, faith-based healthcare systems, health informatics, managing responsibly, physician relationships, quality, servant leadership and trends in paying for care were all covered! The participants were actively engaged in each of the presentations and brought their expertise to the discussion! It was a terrific event! Expect another great symposium next year as we watch the possibilities unfold with the US economy and the potential of healthcare reform!

Long-Term Care Text

John Pratt’s text, Long-Term Care: Managing Across the Continuum, has been upgraded to a third edition by Jones & Bartlett Publishers!

As described by the publisher, Long-Term Care: Managing Across the Continuum, Third Edition is an ideal introduction to management in this dynamic industry. Concise, yet complete, it defines the various segments of the system, describes how the system developed to its current state, compares it to an ideal system, and projects future trends. Adopted as a reference for the national licensing examination prepared by the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB), and the certification examination of the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA), this book covers the full continuum of long-term care.

The Third Edition is a comprehensive revision reflecting the changes in regulations, financing methods, forms of service delivery, and management methods in this dynamic field. The increasingly important topics of the aging of American society, the impact of the “baby-boomers”, consumer choice, and the growing diversity in long-term care are covered extensively and from a variety of perspectives. The new edition includes two new chapters: “Senior Housing” and “Leadership and Culture Change”. The final chapters address the future of long-term care and include recommendations for dealing with it proactively.

We are very pleased that John Pratt is on staff here at Saint Joseph's College of Maine! His expertise is an asset to our programs and our students!

Benedictine Health System partners with Saint Joseph's College of Maine!

The Benedictine Health System (BHS) is partnering with Saint Joseph’s College of Maine (SJC) to launch the BHS Leadership Institute, a comprehensive educational project for BHS leaders across the System.

The Minnesota-based long term care system sought to partner with Saint Joseph’s College to create a unique, systematic educational experience for BHS leaders to achieve success. With its commitment to leadership excellence, BHS is choosing to invest in its leaders serving throughout its more than 40 campuses and corporate offices. Focusing on developing values-centered leaders throughout the System, BHS chose to create a custom strategic and challenging educational experience.

This program was developed by Saint Joseph’s Division of Graduate & Professional Studies, in conjunction with BHS, to ensure this customized training would address the goals and objectives of their organization. The BHS Leadership Institute will offer both traditional classroom as well as online courses in the areas of leadership; strategic thinking; planning and marketing; team building and staff motivation; decision making, problem solving and conflict resolution; human resources; performance management; finance; quality processes; ethics; and long term care consumers’ special needs. BHS leaders completing the program will be awarded a jointly-sponsored graduate certificate.

The BHS Leadership Institute is also aligned with the Master of Health Administration degree program at SJC for those desiring to earn a graduate degree.

“BHS is committed to performance excellence in our services, programs and leaders,” said Dale Thompson, BHS president/CEO. “By partnering with Saint Joseph’s College to offer the BHS Leadership Institute, we are ensuring our leaders receive the ongoing education grounded in the BHS Mission and Core Values. This knowledge will help our leaders further enhance the care our facilities provide to their communities and the residents they serve.”


“We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with one of the leading health systems in the country,” said Lynn Olson, dean of the college’s Graduate & Professional Studies division. “ The core values that the Benedictine Health System uses to guide their facilities are consistent with those of Saint Joseph’s College, and it is a natural fit for the two organizations to partner,” she added. The college’s respected health administration program is well-established, as it was the first program developed when Saint Joseph’s began to offer distance education 33 years ago.

The BHS Leadership Institute begins its first session for BHS leaders in May 2009.

The Benedictine Health System is a Catholic, non-profit long term care health system based in Duluth, Minn. Sponsored by the Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery, Duluth, BHS owns and/or operates nursing homes, assisted and independent housing in Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Additional information may be found at http://www.bhshealth.org/.

Saint Joseph’s College is a Catholic college in Standish, Maine, founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1912. The college, a member of the Catholic Health Association, is accredited by New England Association of Schools & Colleges. The long term care administration programs are also accredited by the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards. The college offers both traditional, on-campus degrees for young adults and online degree and certificate programs for working professionals. Additional information may be found at www.sjcme.edu/gps.