Dr. Mark Smith, dean of the McQueary College of Health and Human Services (MCHHS), says that MCHHS is laser focused on meeting our community’s health care needs — both current and future — especially as these needs relate to the demand for qualified workers with expertise in health care, health sciences and health.
“It’s well documented that the health care industry is suffering from workforce challenges, in both recruitment and retention,” Smith says.
Training Tomorrow’s Health Care Professionals
Earlier this year, the Missouri Hospital Association reported that vacancy and turnover rates in Missouri hospitals are significantly higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections 2021–31, the registered nursing workforce will likely grow by 6% over the next decade. With nursing retirements and exits factored in, the report projects 203,200 openings each year through 2031.
In the next 15 years, the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, projects that other key behavioral health occupations will experience labor stressors, including the need for the following:
- 71,620 addiction counselors
- 68,430 mental health counselors
- 58,190 psychologists
“It’s imperative that we not only recruit the next workforce and train them in state-of-the-art facilities, but that we also actively partner with our community,” Smith says. “This is the way to provide the next generation with up-to-date and industry-tested practices.”
He shared four strategies that MCHHS is using to mitigate these challenges in health care.
Integrating the Practice of Health, Health Care and Health Science
Health care is governed by national- and state-level accrediting agencies and boards. Students who wish to practice their chosen disciplines must earn degrees from accredited programs.
MCHHS programs maintain 17 different national- and state-level accreditations, and our students enjoy high first-time pass rates on national and state credentialing exams. To meet the increasing requirements of accrediting bodies, MCHHS operates several experiential learning facilities, including undergraduate and graduate cadaver labs, an MCHHS Simulation Center, a Simulation Operating Room, state-of-the-art skills labs and six community-facing clinics.
With the growing need for qualified clinicians and health care professionals, MCHHS recently developed two new degrees: the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) and the Doctor of Psychology (PsyD).
Implementing a Multidisciplinary Approach
MCHHS believes that when students build multiple knowledge sets, they’re better equipped to solve problems effectively and efficiently. Inter-professional educational experiences, including the MCHHS annual research symposium, help make this happen.
Recently — through a multidisciplinary approach — college faculty redesigned research methods and statistics courses across graduate programs. These efforts have made the research and reporting practices in different MCHHS programs more closely aligned.
Building Community Connections
If a community wants to properly maintain its health services, there must be collaboration across all stakeholders. MCHHS has four significant partnerships that keep us closely connected to our community. They include:
- The recently launched PsyD program, created in partnership with Burrell Behavioral Health
- The Alliance for Healthcare Education, a partnership with Ozarks Technical Community College, CoxHealth and Springfield Public Schools
- The Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center, a collaboration with Mercy and the Arc of the Ozarks
- The MSU Care clinic, a partnership with Mercy that provides care to members of our community who do not have health insurance
Facilitating Immersive Learning Experiences
In addition to courses and didactic education experiences, MCHHS operates six clinics with a range of services and fee structures. These clinics are:
- MSU Care
- Physical Therapy Clinic
- Occupational Therapy Clinic
- Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic
- Learning Diagnostic Clinic
- Counseling Clinic
Through these clinics, we provide our community with specialized services — all while developing the practical skills of future clinicians and providers.
Around Campus…
Dr. Marjorie Shavers, director/associate professor of the School of Special Education, Leadership and Professional Studies and interim associate dean of the College of Education, was recently elected to the National Down Syndrome Society’s Board of Directors.
Shavers says it’s a very personal service role for her. “As a mother to an extraordinary son with Down syndrome, I want to help create a world where he and others like him are embraced and celebrated for their unique strengths and abilities,” she says.
Her election is for a three-year term. “I’m so proud of this,” she says. “I feel honored to contribute in such a meaningful way.”