Advancing CSU Stanislaus’s Commitment To Its Community | Central Valley Business Journal

Advancing CSU Stanislaus’s Commitment To Its Community | Central Valley Business Journal

Thursday, 30 June 2011 20:28
Advancing CSU Stanislaus’s Commitment To Its Community
Written by By Dr. Hamid Shirvani


This year, the California State University system is celebrating its 50th year. This comes on the heels of the 50th year anniversary of CSU Stanislaus last year. These are important milestones because they reflect a time of growth and maturity of the CSU system and its 23 campuses.

The 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education envisioned the CSU campuses as primarily teaching institutions; the focus of these institutions was to teach, while UCs were designated as the primary research institutions. As the CSU campuses developed and grew, it became clear that these campuses were not only teaching institutions, but were institutions that were dedicated to serving the educational and workforce needs of their communities. At CSU Stanislaus, this connection to the local communities is clear; recently over 85% of the students came from within our traditional service area of Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties.

Anniversaries are not the time to congratulate ourselves and rest on our laurels, however, but should instead ignite reflection, reassessment and renewed commitment. This is a time to consider how CSU Stanislaus can improve its service to its students and communities, looking at current and future needs, and finding innovative ways to fill those needs despite the current economic crisis and shrinking university budgets.

It is with great pleasure, therefore, that I announce a partnership between CSU Stanislaus and Kaiser Permanente at the CSU Stanislaus Stockton Center that I hope will lead to additional partnership opportunities in the future.

As of this fall, Kaiser Permanente’s School of Allied Health Sciences, based in Richmond, California, will be offering General Sonography and Phlebotomy programs at the CSU Stanislaus - Stockton Center at University Park. The General Sonography program is an 18-month program consisting of classroom and clinical education. Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the national registry examinations they must pass in order to work as Sonographers. The Phlebotomy program provides the education necessary for a career in a laboratory as a Phlebotomy Technician I. A 24-month Radiography program will begin next fall. The Permanente Medical Group manages the school. Kaiser Permanente and other health care leaders provide clinical training opportunities for the students. Graduates may work for any employer and are not limited to working for Kaiser Permanente.

These programs are valuable to the students, because allied health positions are well-paying jobs that can support families. Of course, well paying jobs translate into more income tax revenue.

A larger degree holding/certified allied health workforce also benefits local communities. Studies project an astonishing 63% increase in the number of allied health positions by 2030. Allied health professionals support the health system by providing a range of diagnostic, technical, patient care and support services, including sonography and radiology.

This increase in the number of allied health positions is fueled by population growth as well as an aging population. It is crucial to have these programs accessible to local residents to ensure a local qualified workforce to fill the allied health positions in these communities. Too often, the Central Valley has a history of lagging behind the rest of the state in the availability of health care services. For example, San Joaquin County has only 1.5 physicians per 1,000 residents, compared to 2.6 physicians per 1,000 residents in California, or 6.8 physicians per 1,000 residents in San Francisco. Ensuring that these programs are accessible to local residents will help ensure a qualified workforce to fill these positions in local communities.

The partnership between CSU Stanislaus and Kaiser Permanente is a model for public-private partnerships. Capitalizing on the academic reputation of California State University, Stanislaus and the industry expertise of Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences, the partnership creates a strong and united force to support the health care education and workforce demands of the Central Valley. Together, resources can be shared and leveraged to create a greater return for students investing in an allied health education. For employers, the partnership yields a larger pool of qualified workers.

We also are exploring additional partnering opportunities, such as an accelerated bachelor’s degree completion program in Health Sciences. Essentially, graduates of the Kaiser Permanente Allied School could apply their course work toward completion of a bachelor’s degree. The academic programs that CSU Stanislaus could provide would be vital to the allied health service professions, many of which will require an academic degree by 2015. Providing the academic degree component of an allied health education ensures that, in 2015 and beyond, local residents will have access to the academic programs that will equip them for careers in allied health.

The City of Stockton and surrounding communities will also benefit by the transformation of University Park into a health care hub. A new degree program, an Accelerated Second Bachelor of Science in Nursing, will be offered this fall at the Stockton Center for students who already have a baccalaureate degree but wish to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Several other health-related programs are currently under development by faculty and may present new opportunities for partnerships, including a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and Master of Arts in Speech Pathology, both of which will be available through the Stockton Center, and a Master of Arts in Health Informatics, which may offer some classes at the Stockton Center. Indeed, we hope that the Department of Veterans Affairs would capitalize on this momentum by locating the proposed multi-specialty outpatient clinic and 120-bed community living center at University Park. There could be great opportunities to partner with that facility as well.

Partnerships are opportunities for CSU Stanislaus to continue its commitment to serving its communities, despite significant budget cuts. The next 50 years should be as productive as the last, and partnerships such as this exciting new initiative with Kaiser Permanente will play a large role in the university’s ability to maximize its service to its communities.


Dr. Hamid Shirvani is the President of California State University, Stanislaus.