From the President

Dr. Amy DeMelo

President Cox College

New open staircase from 2nd floor to Ground floor classrooms, with entrance/exit to Fountain Plaza

Despite COVID-19, 2020 was a year of challenges AND growth

It has forced us to rely on each other in a way we have never done, and this has been an unexpected gift."

This past year was an unprecedented one for Cox College. The spring semester is usually a special time around college campuses—the weather is improving, the sun shines more, and with Commencement around the corner, students and faculty begin to see the results of their hard work. Instead, spring of 2020 became a time of uncertainty and isolation. These last 11 months have been challenging, to say the least. Yet these challenges have brought us hope and the opportunity to appreciate how truly special the process of education is.

We have achieved much since last March, including the completion of our facility renovation, and we are patiently waiting to welcome back our students! We tested our appetite for agility, adapting our academic offerings at a moment’s notice, to only adapt again and again and again as the pandemic raged. We became a virtual campus overnight, asking faculty and students to acclimate to their new reality. And they did, with the grace and determination reflective of the healthcare professionals they are and will become.

We have had many challenges during this time, with no rule book or established best practices to guide our decisions. While this is scary, it has forced us to rely on each other as we never have before, and this has been an unexpected gift. We are determined more than ever to educate and connect, no matter how difficult or challenging that might be. In my opinion, COVID-19 has focused our attention on what is important in education—the desire to connect, relate, teach, and learn.

Rinaldi Taylor

Godbey Sperry

Anderson Wecker

NEW CAMPUS

e’re excited to launch our new satellite campus in Monett, Missouri! ASN students began night and weekend courses at Scott Regional Technology Center in January.

It’s no secret that health care facilities are looking for more nurses – even before there was a pandemic. CoxHealth opened a brand-new hospital in Monett with a full-service emergency room and specialized care in numerous areas. These newly trained nurses can go right into the field and be of great assistance in their community. The ultimate goal for this program is to eventually expand and educate more students in a variety of health care degree programs. We are so appreciative of the leadership team at Scott Regional Technology Center, as well as the Cox College simulation team, for everything they have done to help make our new Monett campus a reality!

70,000

Sq. Ft. Renovation Completion

Welcome New Faculty and Staff

Sarah Rinaldi, MSN, RN, PCCN Born and raised in

Springfield, MO, Rinaldi received both her BSN (2016) and MSN (2019) from Cox College. She worked for CoxHealth in the Stepdown Unit for over four years. Vanessa Taylor, MSN, RN Originally from

Richland, MO, Taylor is an alum of Cox College, where she received both her BSN and MSN. She formerly worked on the CoxHealth Women & Newborn Care Unit. Sarah Godbey BS, (RT)(R)(MR) Having worked a

variety of jobs in multiple departments at CoxHealth since 2007, Godbey is a graduate of Missouri State University, CoxHealth Radiologic Technology in 2010 and Cox College MRI in 2011. Laura Sperry, MSN, RN Originally from Clinton, Iowa, Sperry began her nursing career in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is a graduate of Pikes Peak Community College (ADN), the University of Louisiana Lafayette (BSN), and Western Illinois University (MSN). Sperry has a variety of experience in the acute care and outpatient setting and as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) for Polk County. Amy Anderson, MSN, RN Amy will be the Satellite Campus Coordinator for our new Monett campus! She formerly worked on the CoxHealth medical-surgical unit, Pediatrics/PICU, and graduated from Cox College with her ASN, BSN, and most recently her MSN. Josh Wecker, BS Josh is a graduate of College of the Ozarks, where he completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. He is from Aurora, MO, but has lived in Rochester, MN since graduation with his wife Hailey and their spoiled dog Harry. Hybrid/ Online courses

975

Record Enrollment Fall 2020

Professors Receive Their Doctorates

Michelle Jackson, OTD, OTR/L, MBA, associate professor in the Masters of Occupational Therapy department, received her doctorate in the post-professional occupational therapy program at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

Kyle Brashear, DHSc, MS, RD/LD, associate professor in the Masters of Nutrition Diagnostics department, received his Doctorage of Health Sciences degree from A. T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri.

Congratulations and best wishes!

New Registrar

Monica Lewin, BS, is the new Registrar at Cox College. She came to Cox College in 2017 as an Admissions Counselor, and is widely respected for the great job she has done here. We wish her at the best in her new position!

Dr. Raquel Morrow

COUNSELOR On staff

Virtual Visits

In the Fall of 2020, counseling services were made available to Cox College students via online virtual visits with Dr. Raquel Morrow, a licensed professional counselor. The College understood how difficult classes can be in addition to the stressors of everyday life. The primary goal was to promote students’ personal development and psychological well-being.

The services can help by: • Providing a safe, supportive, and conf idential environment in which students can talk through thoughts, feelings, stresses, relationships, and other issues • Promoting self-awareness to reveal strengths and weaknesses • Encouraging changes where needed and offering effective coping strategies

SIM CENTER

$1.9 MILLION EDA GRANT TO TRANSFORM COX COLLEGE SIMULATION LAB

As reported by: Kaitlyn McConnell on December 9, 2020 on CoxHealth.com

As a part of CARES Act funding, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA), has awarded Cox College funding to benefit future health care heroes.

Architect's concept A $1.9 million grant, secured by the CoxHealth Foundation, will transform the College’s simulation laboratory. The funds will be used to renovate and expand the lab to train nursing students on critical equipment so they are better equipped to assist patients during and after the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are so excited about this grant and what it means to our students, and to all of the region,” says Dr. Amy DeMelo, President of Cox College. “The number of nursing students in our programs has greatly increased in recent months, following our expansion, which was partially funded by a separate EDA grant and local donors. We look forward to what this new equipment offers to our students during their training.”

Under the grant, the college’s existing simulation lab will expand into nine simulation rooms, three control centers, and five debriefing rooms. The grant also allows the College to update all simulation manikins to all high-fidelity. In addition to enhanced equipment and facilities, these updates allow for an increased number of nursing students at the college, which was recently approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing to grow from 250 to 400.

“We have seen an amazing transformation at Cox College over recent months with the renovation of the facility, ultimately bringing great benefit to the entire region through increased numbers of health care professionals,” says Lisa Alexander, president of the CoxHealth Foundation. “By expanding the simulation lab, we are adding another layer of training and expertise for our students. This will help them be even more prepared to hit the ground running upon graduation to care for our community. It will also help add more good-paying jobs to the region.”

The EDA funding is part of a CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant, and benefits an area identified as a Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Opportunity Zone. It will be matched with $470,480 in local funds and is expected to create 1,303 jobs. Scan the QR code to view the EDA article.

NEW WEBSITE

Improved look, User Friendly

Cox College's new website launched at the end of November 2020. The website provides a streamlined, modern, easy-to-navigate experience, and an informative representation of our Cox College programs. In fact, we recently hosted a virtual commencement and have added a self-guided 3D tour on our "Tour Our Campus" page. We will soon launch a virtual 3D online tour, program videos, and a chatbot to help improve customer support.

Photo credits: Eric Baker

RETURN OF THE FOUNTAIN

Though modernization and renovation of our facility was completed early last year, our focus has been to honor our history from the beginning. So many great educators, health care professionals, and leaders have made an impact on our students and our organization. With that in mind, the mural was always going to be a part of the front entrance, and it was only natural that the fountain in the courtyard be restored.

NEW VIDEO TECH

Video Conferencing equipment has been installed in several classrooms allowing professors to teach students who are physically in class and also remotely attending via Microsoft Teams or Zoom simultaneously. This keeps professors from having to split into two classrooms to maintain social distancing guidelines. Two cameras have been installed, one to follow the professor as they teach and another to focus on the students as they interact with the class. A microphone will detect whether the students, online or in class, or the professor is talking. The professor will be able to view online students via a television monitor. More classrooms are slated to be upgraded including the Monett and Houston campuses in the near future.