DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SCIENCES

from Marieb College 2020 - 2021 Annual Report

SCHOOL OF NURSING

Showing that transparency is the best policy in a crisis.

The Department of Health Sciences is the

largest department within the Marieb College

and it accounts for approximately 42% of the student credit hour production for the college. Most of the programs in the DHS already had some degree of online curriculum. So that transition went smoothly. Students kept their normal class times, but just attended online. The MPAS in Physician Assistant Studies program, however, was different.

For graduation, school accreditation and student licensure, there are specifi c rotations students have to complete to qualify. So the MPAS program had to come up with other ways to meet those requirements. Through the summer of 2020 they used simulations to mimic real-life experiences. Then, when students returned in the fall, they worked extra hard to make up any requirements they had missed.

In the end, the entire cohort gained the hands-on experience they needed to graduate, with

95% of them passing the licensure exam — two points higher than the national average

of 93%.

A key focus during the crisis department-wide

was transparency. Students, faculty and staff had input into decision-making and were kept abreast of developments. Students thanked us for making the process easy, remarking that they “have it better than all the other programs in the state.”

Here are more Health Services highlights from 2020: } Molecular Diagnostics Program started in

Spring 2021, a program that has partnered with local employer NeoGenomics Laboratories in a workforce talent development pipeline consisting of scholarship support for eligible students. } Clinical Laboratory Science received re-accreditation for 10 years in Spring 2021 based on a successful review from its accrediting body, NAACLS, in Fall 2020. } Redeveloped MS in Health Sciences curriculum to have a more administrative focus and expanded hours from 36 to 45. The new curriculum went into effect in Fall 2020. } Reactivated the BS in Health Administration program for Fall 2020.

FGCU’s Robert Hawkes on the frontlines of explaining the pandemic to Southwest Florida

Besides making sure students have as complete an educational experience as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, Florida Gulf Coast University faculty and staff also have played important roles in the response to this crisis.

Among the legion of ordinary people who became extraordinary in challenging times was Robert Hawkes, director of physician assistant studies in the Marieb College. Few faculty were as sought after and accessible during the pandemic as Hawkes on topics such as the importance of social distancing, wearing masks and self-quarantining; why fl u shots are more important than ever; the effectiveness of contact tracing; and how vaccines are formulated and produced.

Already a frequent go-to source for area reporters on health topics well before coronavirus, Hawkes has participated in locally televised panel discussions and offered expert analysis on

COVID-19 for every major media outlet in

the region. Demand for his insights have taken FGCU’s presence into the Tampa and West Palm Beach markets and even landed him on CBS2 New York last December along with Dr. Alise Bartley, director of FGCU’s Community Counseling Center.

“I feel it is important to break down the important topics in an easy-to-understand, conversational format,” Hawkes said. “I try to take the research data available and present the topic in a concise way that the viewer or reader can understand. “Marieb College and FGCU have areas of expertise to share, and I am pleased that we are seen as a community resource to share critical information with the local media. The media exposure will create additional awareness of the essential requirements of healthcare in our region.”

Hawkes and his colleagues in Marieb College of Health & Human Services have offered unprecedented service to the community on several fronts at a time when it’s needed more than ever: communicating the evolving data and science around COVID-19; calming fears with the latest information on prevention and treatment; providing comfort and healing in a time of widespread suffering and loss. All this while maintaining their primary roles as teachers and administrators.

Marieb College’s prominent role in responding to varied facets of the pandemic position FGCU well to play a critical part on the frontlines of whatever public health crisis may come in the future. “The pandemic has changed the way we function as a society,” Hawkes said. “We are continuing to learn how to change our daily routines. Once the current pandemic subsides, we will continue to utilize social distancing in larger settings, and become more aware to wash our hands more frequently. Also, we have all become more profi cient in using new technology to communicate with our students and families.”

As Southwest Florida moves forward into this new landscape, residents know they will have a now familiar face to guide them all the way.

Robert Hawkes kept Southwest

Florida informed through more than 500 media

mentions and interviews — sometimes doing 4-6 interviews per day —positioning the Marieb College as the go-to resource during the crisis.