Twice a year, members of the McQueary College of Health and Human Services (MCHHS) Advisory Board come together to learn about the college’s progress, new collaborations and opportunities for growth. 

The spring 2025 MCHHS Advisory Board meeting took place in April. Members got the chance to visit the campus of the Alliance for Healthcare Education (currently housed in Cox College) to learn more about MCHHS’ role in the partnership and its impact on the community. 

A closer look at the Alliance

The Alliance is a collaborative initiative among local education and health partners designed to transform how health care education is delivered in the region. 

It was launched in fall 2023 as a partnership among Missouri State University, CoxHealth, Ozarks Technical Community College and Springfield Public Schools.  

The Alliance was created to expand access to education, strengthen collaboration and address workforce needs in health and human services. 

“This new and exciting approach to health care education offers real potential to serve students and communities more effectively,” said Dr. Sarah Murray, assistant professor and program director of nutrition and dietetics. 

Visit highlights 

During the visit, Advisory Board members toured the Alliance campus, explored its educational spaces and student support needs and learned more about its structure and mission. They also asked thoughtful questions to find out how the partnership can support evolving community needs. 

Members also heard about how the Alliance will double the number of seats in MSU’s nursing programs (increasing from 56 to 112 per semester), supporting both student retention and the growing demand for health care professionals. 

In addition, the visit included: 

• A panel discussion featuring voices from all four partners, sharing how each organization contributes to and benefits from the collaboration. 
• A discussion on future plans for the Alliance, which highlighted growing interest from other community stakeholders eager to join this one-of-a-kind collaboration. 

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