News and Events

The Barry University, College of Health Sciences exhibit at the 137th Annual American Public Health Association Conference in Philadelphia, PA.  The individuals in the booth are Dr. Whiteman, Associate Dean, Division of Health Management; Dr. Velis, Associate Director, MSHSA; Desmond Jones, Graduate Assistant/MPH graduate student; Reena Permanan, MPH graduate student and Andrea Borns, MPH graduate student.

Dr. Velis presenting his poster in the peer reviewed session.

Dr. Evelio Velis poster presentation “Homicide Victims in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, 2004 to 2009” has been selected for presentation  at the 137th American Public Health Association Annual Meeting (Nov 7-11, 2009) to be held in Philadelphia, PA and the Florida Health Annual Educational Conference (Aug 6-7, 2009) at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

On June 25, 2009, the Perfusion Advisory Council met at Barry University. Dr. Richard Perryman, the medical advisor for the Cardiovascular Perfusion Program (CVP), Dr. Pegge Bell, Dean for CHS, and other perfusion community partners representing many local open heart programs were present. This was the Advisory Council's inaugural meeting.

Cindy Cervantes, the newly appointed director of the CVP program, opened the meeting with a brief discussion of the history of the CVP program at Barry University and its current status. The responsibility of the Advisory Council, as outlined in the standards and guidelines published by the Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, is to assist the program with appropriate goals and learning domains and to monitor the needs and expectations of the perfusion community, thereby ensuring the program's responsiveness to the changes and advancements in the field.

Discussion for the meeting centered around changing the admission requirements for incoming students, updating the current didactic material to reflect new trends and technology in perfusion, and piloting a more comprehensive clinical experience for our students by working with different members of the open heart surgical team, such as the anesthesiologist and the physician's assistant. The surgical team at Memorial Regional Hospital, under the leadership of Dr. Perryman and Sean Murtha, the Director for Perfusion Services, has volunteered to partner with us as we implement this initiative into our curriculum.

The meeting concluded with the Perfusion Advisory Council addressing strategic planning for the upcoming academic year. The Council will meet again in the fall to determine the program's progress.

November 7-11, 2009
Philadelphia, PA (137th Meeting)

The American Public Health Association is the oldest, largest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world and has been working to improve public health since 1872. The Association aims to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats and strives to assure community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities and preventive health services are universally accessible in the United States. APHA represents a broad array of health professionals and others who care about their own health and the health of their communities.

The APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition is the oldest and largest gathering of public health professionals in the world, attracting more than 13,000 national and international physicians, administrators, nurses, educators, researchers, epidemiologists, and related health specialists. APHA's meeting program addresses current and emerging health science, policy, and practice issues in an effort to prevent disease and promote health. APHA has a world of public health in store for you.

Water and Public Health: the 21st Century Challenge: Water is a limited resource, the demands for which are fast increasing. In the United States, utility workers, scientists, sanitarians, engineers, government officials and many others work around the clock to provide safe and clean drinking water to America's homes and businesses and are struggling to keep up with demand without compromising water supplies for future generations. Their efforts impact numerous aspects of society, including but not limited to the health of individuals and ecosystems to the health of the nation's economy.

Modern water systems face such challenges as chemical contaminations, waterborne diseases, supply shortages, water treatment and sanitation and deteriorating, outdated infrastructures.  Worldwide, over one billion people lack access to safe drinking water. Join us as we explore the latest public health challenges and learn about what can be done to protect our resources, our health and our world.

Information provided by http://www.apha.org/

Dr. Lanetta Jordan speaks at United Nations Office for first Sickle Cell Day

Dr. Lanetta Jordan, associate director and professor for the Master's in Public Health program at Barry University, was invited to speak at the first World Sickle Cell Day - declared so by the United Nations.

On June 19, 2009 the first "Sickle Cell Day" was recognized at the United Nations Office in New York at an event organized in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), UNAIDS, and the World Bank. Dr. Jordan was part of a round table discussion related to the prevention and spread of the sickle cell gene. She also summarized best practices for disease management and improving transfusion services for patients.

After recognizing sickle cell disease as a public health problem, the General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously adopted resolution A/63/237 in December of 2008 to designate June 19 of each year as "Sickle Cell Day" to increase awareness of this problem at the national and international level. Collaboration among the Sickle Cell Disease International Organization (SCDIO), the delegation of the Congo and 24 Member States made the recognition possible. Participants at the event included the UN General Assembly, UN Economic and Social Council, UN Security Council, heads of states and government, royal highnesses, regional institutions such as the African Union and European Union and first ladies.

Guests enjoyed many events including an exhibition of associations and international organizations at the United Nations building, an art exhibition on sickle cell disease, and a festival organized by the Sickle Cell & Thalassemia Patients Network (SCTPN) in areas around the United Nations.

Andrea Borns, a student in the Barry University Professional Master of Public Health program, has been awarded a prestigious eight week internship with the Center for Disease Control.

She will work in the Birth Defects and Disabilities Division, Center for Blood Disorders. Specifically, Ms. Borns will conduct an analysis of both inpatient and outpatient data related to Sickle-cell disease. She will focus on trending longitudinal data, cost data and comprehensive care data.

Ms. Borns will be mentored throughout her internship by Dr. Lanetta Jordan, Associate Director/Associate Professor of the Barry University Master of Public Health program. Dr. Jordan is a nationally recognized medical expert on Sickle-cell disease. The Center for Disease Control anticipates a professional, published research paper to be presented as the final outcome of this internship.

Dr. Lanetta Jordan, associate program director for the Master of Public Health, has been named chief medical officer for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. The national post is based on her research and clinical experience.

The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. chose Barry faculty member Dr. Lanetta B. Jordan, to be Chief Medical Officer for the National Organization.

Jordan, MPH, is the director of Sickle Cell Services at Memorial Healthcare System, South Broward Hospital District, in Hollywood, Fla. At Barry she serves as associate professor and associate program director for the master's in public health program.

"It's truly an example of passion come to life," she said.

A teacher and co-author of various articles, abstracts and policy briefs, Dr. Jordan will chair SCDAA's Medical and Research Advisory Committee (MARAC) which oversees content development of educational materials, planning of educational program for the national conference, developing guidelines and protocols for a national counselor certification program and review of research breakthroughs.

In 2004, Dr. Jordan created the Department of Sickle Cell Services at Memorial Healthcare System where she is responsible for daily operations, which include focus on adolescent and adult acute pain care, comprehensive follow-up care, research and grants, community outreach education, genetic counseling and screening, and an adolescent transition program.

Dr. Jordan also spearheaded the successful Joint Commission Disease Specific Certificate of Distinction for Sickle Cell Disease at Memorial Regional Hospital in 2004 and serves as Chair of the US Sickle Cell Disease Surveillance Workshop; a member of the Sickle Cell Disease United Voice Group. She was also appointed to the state of Florida's Health Care Transition Task Force for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities.

In 1995, Dr. Jordan completed a Doctor of Medicine Dual Degree Program, receiving her M.D. degree from the University of North Carolina, School of Medicine in 1994. She earned her Masters of Public Health in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina, School of Public Health in Chapel Hill. After completing her residency in General Adult Psychiatry at the University of Miami, School of Medicine in 2000, she joined Memorial Healthcare System, South Broward Hospital District in Hollywood, as the Medical Director of Clinical Resource Management.

Program ranks tenth out of business graduate schools for physician-executives

Barry University's Master of Science in Health Services Administration degree was recently ranked tenth in the nation for business graduate schools for physician-executives. It is the fourth consecutive year the program has been nationally ranked.

For the fourth consecutive year, Barry University’s Master of Science in Health Services Administration program has been ranked at the national level according to Modern Healthcare magazine. The program was ranked tenth in the nation out of business graduate schools for physician-executives.

As such, the program was ranked against universities with the same degree program, as well as other degrees for physician-executives such as Master of Public Health and Master of Medical Management degrees. In the U.S., there are more than 300 Master of Science in Health Services Administration programs alone.

“Our continued success attests to the excellent career outcomes of our alumni and current students,” said Dr. Alan Whiteman, director and associate dean of the program. “It speaks to the caliber of our faculty and administrators, as well as those partnerships that have evolved with local healthcare organizations in the tri-county area.”

Programs were ranked based on five factors, including length of time to complete, cost of total tuition, number of days students spend on campus, age of the program in years and number of total graduates. Barry University’s degree program was ranked above many well-known names, including Carnegie Mellon, Duke and Harvard’s School of Public Health.

It is the fourth year the Master of Science in Health Services Administration has been ranked by Modern Healthcare, as it has been included in the magazine’s list of largest health administration degree programs the past three years.

Barry University’s Master of Science in Health Services Administration degree is part of the university’s newly created College of Health Sciences. There are currently 105 students enrolled in the program, with more than 450 total graduates since the program’s beginning 14 years ago.

John McFadden also discusses proposed cuts to Florida Resident Access Grant

John McFadden, program administrator for Barry's Master of Science in Anesthesiology program is pictured with Gov. Charlie Crist. McFadden was invited to meet Crist as part of his role as president of the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

John McFadden, program administrator for the Barry University Master of Science in Anesthesiology program, was invited to meet with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist March 19, discussing one-on-one current issues in both health care and higher education.

McFadden received the invitation through his role as the president of the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists, a position he has held since October 2007. The meeting took place in the Governor’s Suite in Tallahassee, where McFadden was also able to bring the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists Board of Directors, including several other Barry personnel – Director of the Anesthesiology program, Tony Umadhay, recent graduate Kathleen Sullivan, clinical instructors Mike Steighner and Bruce Weiner and current Barry student Gwen Randall.

“This was not a year in which we were lobbying for specific issues,” McFadden said. “This was an opportunity to reach out to policy makers about how we as nurse anesthetists can help, and how we can all work together to improve health care in Florida.”John McFadden, program administrator for the Barry University Master of Science in Anesthesiology program, was invited to meet with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist March 19, discussing one-on-one current issues in both health care and higher education.

McFadden received the invitation through his role as the president of the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists, a position he has held since October 2007. The meeting took place in the Governor’s Suite in Tallahassee, where McFadden was also able to bring the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists Board of Directors, including several other Barry personnel – Director of the Anesthesiology program, Tony Umadhay, recent graduate Kathleen Sullivan, clinical instructors Mike Steighner and Bruce Weiner and current Barry student Gwen Randall.

“This was not a year in which we were lobbying for specific issues,” McFadden said. “This was an opportunity to reach out to policy makers about how we as nurse anesthetists can help, and how we can all work together to improve health care in Florida.”

John McFadden, program administrator for the Barry University Master of Science in Anesthesiology program, was invited to meet with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist March 19, discussing one-on-one current issues in both health care and higher education.

McFadden received the invitation through his role as the president of the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists, a position he has held since October 2007. The meeting took place in the Governor’s Suite in Tallahassee, where McFadden was also able to bring the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists Board of Directors, including several other Barry personnel – Director of the Anesthesiology program, Tony Umadhay, recent graduate Kathleen Sullivan, clinical instructors Mike Steighner and Bruce Weiner and current Barry student Gwen Randall.

“This was not a year in which we were lobbying for specific issues,” McFadden said. “This was an opportunity to reach out to policy makers about how we as nurse anesthetists can help, and how we can all work together to improve health care in Florida.”

Barry University’s Office of Commuter Affairs is pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 AppLE Awards.

The awards are given each year to university faculty and staff who embody the Barry mission – helping students both inside and outside the classroom.

This year’s winners are:

Outstanding AppLE Award:
Dr. Gerhild Packert, College of Health Sciences

Special Recognition Awards:
Dr. Artur Poczwardowski, Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Jennifer Harris, Division of Nursing
Dr. David Bosworth, Department of Theology and Philosophy
Indra Hershorin, Division of Nursing
The Appreciation for Leading Educators (AppLE) began more than four years ago, as a way for commuter students to recognize Barry faculty and staff. Since then, the nomination process has been opened to all Barry students, and is the only formal recognition given from students to faculty.

Dr. Gerhild Packert, professor in the College of Health Sciences, is recognized with the 2008 Outstanding AppLE Award. Students nominate faculty and staff for the award, which recognizes them for service inside and outside the classroom.

“These nominees all have a pattern of caring for students,” said dean of student, Maria Alvarez, PhD, in her welcome at the event.

Recipients were honored at the AppLE Awards ceremony, held Wednesday, April 2. Congratulations to all faculty and staff who help provide a caring environment to Barry students on a daily basis.
The full list of SNHS nominees for the 2008 AppLE Awards is below:

• Dr. Gilbert Ellis
• Dr. Douglas Mitchell
• Dr. Laura Mudd
• Dr. Edward Orr
• Dr. Gerhild Packert
• Dr. Teresa Petrino-Lin
• Dr. Asma Sayed
• Dr. Evelio Velis

The Master of Science in Health Services Administration is offering two elective courses for Summer I 2008, which can greatly benefit anyone working or studying in a health care field.

HSA610 Financing and Delivery of Health Care Services: A comprehensive review of the organization of the health care system and the proposals for system reform. This course will discuss complex issues related to financing in the public and private sectors. Dr. Patti Rose brings her extensive health care executive and academic background to the classroom, teaching both theory and application.

HSA635 Essentials of Managed Care: A survey of the managed care continuum in the United States. The concepts of risk and control are studied with a specific focus on issues related to health care management and clinical care. Dr. Jeffrey Ritter has spent many years in the managed care industry and is an expert on the complex issues associated with this aspect of health care.

Barry University’s Master of Science in Health Services Administration program inducted over 45 students recently into its inaugural chapter of Upsilon Phi Delta, a national honor society for health services administration students and alumni.

The induction ceremony, held Friday, Nov. 16 at Mercy Hospital in Miami, Fla. joined current students and alumni, inducting Barry’s first class into the honor society. While the event was sponsored by the Master of Science in Health Services Administration program, students from several degree programs in three Barry schools were eligible for induction.

“The inauguration of the honor society is a significant step in the evolution of the M.S. in Health Services Administration,” said associate dean Dr. Alan Whiteman. “It speaks to the academic quality of the program, the caliber of current students and alumni and it brings together students from undergraduate health administration, graduate health administration and public health for an interchange of experience and ideas.”

The three degree programs involved in the honor society are the M.S. in Health Services Administration, through Natural and Health Sciences, Adult and Continuing Education’s B.S. in Health Services Administration and the M.S. in Public Health degree through Graduate Medical Sciences. In order to be eligible for induction, current students must have a GPA of at least 3.25, while graduate students must have a GPA of 3.50 or higher.

The reception featured a keynote address from Mercy Hospital CEO John Matuska, who spoke on changing healthcare in the 21st century. Over 100 guests were present at the event, which also brought together the alumni chapter from the Master of Science in Health Services Administration program.

Students and faculty from the Master of Science in Anesthesiology program are pictured at the annual meeting for the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Two faculty members, Steve Clarke and Diana Quinlan were recognized at the event.

Two faculty members from Barry University’s Master of Science in Anesthesiology program recently received national recognitions from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA).

Steve Clarke, MS, CRNA, clinical coordinator and assistant director of Barry’s anesthesiology program, was named Outstanding Clinical Instructor of the Year at the association’s annual meeting in Denver, Colo. The award, presented to one instructor a year who exemplifies excellence in nurse anesthesia education, was one of two presented to Barry faculty members at the meeting. Diana Quinlan, program lecturer in Barry’s program, was also recognized with the Agatha Hodgins Award for outstanding contributions to the nurse anesthetist profession.

Both Clarke and Quinlan have been long-time contributors to both Barry’s program and their profession. Clarke helped establish Barry’s nurse anesthesia degree with Dr. Norman Wolford in 1993, and Quinlan has been conducting research and lecturing on her chosen topic, chemical dependency in health care providers, for over 20 years.

Clarke was instrumental in positioning Barry’s program as the first master’s degree for nurse anesthetists in Florida, and one of the largest in the country. He currently supports over 50 students in eight hospital settings at the program’s Orlando site, with over 400 students graduating as nurse anesthetists in his time at Barry.

“Sometimes it’s like having 50 kids,” Clarke said. “But there is no doubt this is the toughest program any RN could choose. But, who wants a mediocre CRNA? It has to be tough.”

Quinlan has helped advance Barry students’ understanding of substance abuse in health care professions through in-depth lectures and strict self evaluations. She will assist Program Director John McFadden in teaching sections of the fifth semester course, “Leadership and Health Care Systems,” this year.

In addition to the faculty members recognized, 14 students and seven faculty members represented Barry at the annual meeting, Aug. 4-8. Jenny Dgertsen, a second year student in the program, represented Barry for the first time by competing in the College Bowl.

“Barry was well represented at the meeting this year; everywhere you turned, somebody from Barry was winning an award, speaking, or being involved in a meeting activity,” said Tony Umadhay, adjunct assistant professor of anesthesiology.

The latest faculty recognitions follow-up a string of accomplishments for the program. With 126 full-time graduate students currently enrolled, Barry’s Master of Science in Anesthesiology is recognized as the largest program in the state of Florida, and one of the largest in the nation by the AANA.

If you are pursuing your first bachelor's degree you are eligible for a Merit Scholarship valued between $500 to $6750 per semester if you reside on campus, and $500 to $5000 per semester if you commute to campus. The amount awarded is based on your cumulative grade point average (GPA) on previous college-level course work. This scholarship is renewable every semester of the program as long as you maintain a 3.0 GPA. Other federal, state, and institutional grants are available if you qualify.

If you are a second degree (bachelor or higher) student you are eligible for a Merit Scholarship valued at $3,000 per semester if your cumulative grade point average (GPA) in your last degree program is 3.0 or higher. This scholarship is renewable every semester of the program as long as you maintain a 3.0 GPA.

The CVP Merit Scholarship is administered by the Office of Financial Aid (finaid@mail.barry.edu).

Learn more about the Cardiovascular Perfusion program.