Lienhard School of Nursing becomes College of Health Professionals

The University established the College of Health Professionals that will consist of the combined Physician Assistant's (PA) program and the Lienhard School of Nursing. The new college will allow for greater multidisciplinary interaction, a trend common in the health sciences professions and more options for University students to pursue careers in the health sciences.

"The University has had an interest in the field of health care for a number of years and the new school will reflect [our] efforts to prepare students for jobs in the emerging healthcare industry," according to a statement issued by the former dean of the School of Nursing, Interim Provost Harriet Feldman and acting dean of the College of Health Professionals Gerri Colombraro.

Provost Feldman also said, "Congratulations, kudos, brava and bravo to the Lienhard and PA faculty and staff for your willingness to collaborate as a team, be open to change and to persist," adding "… it is time to identify new program areas and the talent to create the programs to [expand] the College."

The University does have plans to "strategically grow additional multidisciplinary programs that can attract diverse audiences," according to the University press release statement which also said, "The College is currently engaged in conversations about which programs should be included and then how to move forward in establishing these programs."

The two programs already established as part of the college —nursing and PA — have been very competitive. Provided the merger, they will most likely continue to prosper under the new college. The Lienhard School of Nursing pass rate for the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses was 94.45 percent. The national rate is 81.74 percent and the New York State pass rate is 77.05 percent.

The Master of Science for the PA program is one of the most competitive programs at the University with over 1,300 applicants for 50 spots. There is, however, a desire to see these programs grow, as stated by Provost Feldman and Dean Colombraro, "the intent [of the new college] is to grow our current programs in PA studies and nursing and add new ones over time."

The new College of Health Professionals brings the total count of the University's Colleges to two, with the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences.

"I was glad to hear that Pace is forming this college. While it does not seem to create any significant changes in major opportunities, it does allow for greater vocalization of a very important line of study that is available for students at Pace," freshman Craig Mayle said.