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4/21/2005 - Alacare and UA Nursing School Form Partnership
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Richard Nieves or Nancy Kucik Alacare Home Health & Hospice 4752 Highway 280 East Birmingham, AL 35242 Phone: 205.981.8000 or 800.852.4724 Fax : 205.981.8743 E-mail: Richard.Nieves@alacare.com Alacare to Form Partnership with UA Capstone College of Nursing BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Alacare Home Health & Hospice is forming a partnership with the University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing to provide a more convenient way for registered nurses to earn advanced degrees in nursing. John Beard, JD, MBA, President of Alacare Home Health and Hospice, will join Dr. Sara Barger, Dean of UA’s Capstone College of Nursing, in signing formal agreements outlining the arrangements. The ceremony will take place April 27th at 2 p.m. at Alacare’s Corporate Office, 4752 Highway 280 East in Birmingham. Dr. Jeanette VanderMeer, assistant professor in the UA Capstone College of Nursing and coordinator of the RN Mobility tracks, said the strengths of the partnership include increased flexibility and improved communication. These agreements are designed to give nurses more flexibility in earning advanced degrees. “Not everyone can attend classes during typical times—Monday through Friday, between eight and five,” VanderMeer said. “Because of the severe national nursing crisis, it’s particularly hard for nurses to arrange time away from their jobs to attend classes,” added Alacare President John Beard. “They’re needed out there working.” Using the Internet, nurses can complete the nursing courses in one year, without facing the restrictions of being in class at a specific time on a particular day. Instead, RN students have the flexibility of choosing the best time to attend class online. Required clinical activities are designed on an individual basis and efforts are made to arrange times and locations convenient to students. “We are excited to be able to help our nurses further their careers through technology with partners such as The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing,” said Beard. Prior to beginning the upper division aspect of the curriculum, Alacare nurses would complete UA core curriculum requirements, the majority of which can be completed at their local community college. The RN student with an associate degree will have already completed the majority of the lower division courses. The nursing courses not available at area community colleges are offered at UA via the Internet, so students have the option of earning their entire degree without ever setting foot on the UA campus. Coordination with the community colleges and Alacare enables potential students and working nurses to get their questions answered in a familiar environment. “This arrangement bridges the gaps between us, the community colleges and the healthcare facility,” VanderMeer said. VanderMeer said she wants students enrolled in the program to participate in non-classroom activities as frequently and fully as they would like. “We want them to come to sporting events, Honors Day and commencement.” Earning a bachelor's degree in nursing can provide additional opportunities for registered nurses. “It opens doors,” VanderMeer said. “They may have plans of obtaining leadership management positions.” After earning a bachelor’s degree, a nurse would then also have an opportunity to seek a master's or doctoral degree. About Alacare Alacare Home Health & Hospice is Alabama's oldest and largest privately owned, Medicare-certified home health agency. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alacare is dedicated to providing patients the highest level of skilled nursing, rehabilitative, palliative and hospice care available in the most cost-effective environment—the patient's own home. Since 1970, Alacare has provided patients with quality home healthcare. Medicare’s new Home Health Care data reflect that Alacare’s patient-care outcomes in 11 essential areas are among the best when compared to both National and Alabama averages. Interested persons can obtain this data online at http://cms.hhs.gov/quality/hhqi/ or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. Services provided include: diabetes education, enterostomal therapy, homecare aides, home medical equipment, hospice/palliative care, infusion therapy, medical nutrition therapy, medical social services, mental health nursing, occupational therapy, pain management, physical therapy, skilled nursing, and speech language pathology. Alacare’s service area now includes the following counties: Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Montgomery, Morgan, Monroe, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Wilcox, and Winston. For more information, visit the Company's corporate Web site: www.alacare.com.
