Streamlined access to degree programs moves nurses, other GFH staff, through education ranks

Albany, N.Y. (Oct. 25, 2011) – Glens Falls Hospital has selected Excelsior College, a designated Center of Excellence in Nursing Education, as a partner in its effort to streamline access to undergraduate degree programs for staff nurses.

In addition, the agreement extends to all other Glens Falls Hospital staff members, their spouses, and domestic partners who wish to pursue Excelsior’s undergraduate degree programs in health sciences, business, technology, and liberal studies.

"This partnership will enhance our clinical education options and will provide flexible degree options with reduced tuition and fees for nurses seeking to advance their professional development," said Donna Kirker, RN, Vice President Patient Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Glens Fall Hospital.

"We are excited about this new partnership with Glens Falls Hospital and look forward to extending our education programs to nurses and other hospital employees," said Mary Lee Pollard, PhD, Dean of the Excelsior College School of Nursing. "For 40 years, Excelsior has been meeting the education needs of working adults by helping them overcome barriers of time, distance, and cost as they pursue college degrees."

"Employers in the health care field in particular have been increasing expectations for employee educational advancement and we are proud to join forces with Glens Falls Hospital to assist the hospital and its staff to achieve their respective goals," Pollard said.

Albany-based Excelsior College, an accredited, nonprofit distance education institution serving working adults, is home to the largest nursing school in the nation, according to the July 4, 2011 issue of Modern Healthcare.

Admission to Excelsior’s associate degree program in nursing is open to individuals with existing health care experience such as licensed practical nurses, paramedics, and certain classifications of military corpsmen seeking to become a registered nurse. The bachelor’s degree program serves the needs of registered nurses seeking the next level of academic and professional achievement. The School of Nursing also offers a master’s degree program with specializations in Clinical Systems Management, Nursing Informatics, and Nursing Education.

Excelsior’s nursing programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC). In 2011, Excelsior was, for the third consecutive time, recognized as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing, following a rigorous peer review process. Excelsior is one of just eight nursing schools to receive this distinction this year and is one of only two to have received this recognition each year since the NLN began the program in 2005. Excelsior has also been repeatedly named a “Best School” for men in nursing by the American Assembly for Men in Nursing, most recently in 2011.

About Glens Falls Hospital

Glens Falls Hospital, founded in 1897, is a 410-bed, not-for-profit, community hospital serving a six-county region of Northeastern New York. With 3,000 employees, it is the largest healthcare provider between Albany and Montreal, offering inpatient and outpatient services, including emergency, coronary, and cancer care; medicine/surgery; obstetrics; physical and occupational rehabilitation, and community services through the hospital and its 29 regional locations.