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YSU exploring nursing doctorate
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YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown State University is exploring offering a new doctorate degree in nursing, the university’s president told the Mahoning County commissioners.
Randy Dunn, who became university president July 15, told commissioners of the doctor of nursing practice degree being considered.
“The profession is looking at advance-practice nurses and faculty in this field to have that professional degree,” he explained Thursday.
YSU already offers doctoral degrees: a Ph.D. in materials science in its engineering school, a doctor of physical therapy degree, and an Ed.D. in the school of education.
In connection with the nursing and allied-health professions, YSU and Humility of Mary Health Partners trustees approved resolutions late last year to explore creation of a shared clinical and medical-education facility. HMHP operates St. Elizabeth Health Center.
In introducing himself to the commissioners, Dunn said the university seeks to “build some deep, rich relationships” through partnerships with local governments, school systems, economic-development officials and nonprofit organizations.
“We’re going to do that to build quality of life” by generating jobs, promoting economic development, improving elementary and secondary schools, strengthening nonprofit organizations, and promoting arts, culture and historic preservation in the Mahoning Valley,” he said.
“Great state universities become stewards of the place we’re in,” Dunn said, noting that the university has been working on partnerships to improve the corridors it shares with St. Elizabeth and downtown Youngstown.
“Anything that grows the area, we benefit from. It makes it more attractive and appealing. It provides amenities to students,” he said.
Also on Thursday, the commissioners entered into a five-year lease with Golden String Inc., which hopes to reopen the basement cafeteria at Oakhill Renaissance Place in February, with disabled adult Golden String clients being paid at least minimum wage to work there.
The former hospital kitchen and cafeteria being leased by Golden String will serve breakfast and lunch to workers and visitors and hopes to deliver food within the Oakhill complex, where more than 500 people are employed in county offices and tenant agencies.
Golden String will pay $2,000 a month in rent, plus utilities, to the county after it pays off its renovation costs. Jimmy Sutman, Golden String’s operations director, said he hopes renovation costs can be kept to about $50,000.
Oakhill is the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center, 345 Oak Hill Ave., which the county bought in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in 2006.
The commissioners also reduced the county’s Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board from 18 to 14 members to make it easier for that board to obtain a quorum and filled two vacancies by appointing Anna M. Howells of Boardman and Boardman Police Chief Jack Nichols to four-year terms on the board.
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services recently appointed Eric Ungaro, a Poland Township trustee, and Linda Warino, a nurse at ValleyCare Northside Medical Center, to the ADAS board.
Even after the reduction in board size and the recent appointments, there still are four vacancies on the ADAS board, said Brenda Heidinger, that board’s interim executive director.
The commissioners also authorized purchase of $1,796 worth of new tires from Flynn’s Safety Tires for a 1987 Chevrolet bucket truck the county engineer’s office bought from the Auglaize County Engineer’s Department for $6,500 to trim high tree branches over county roads.