ESU Backup Insider

Mary Tod Gray, Ph.D., a professor of nursing at East Stroudsburg University, spends one day a week during the academic year at the neighboring Pocono Medical Center (PMC).

Dr. Gray brings her academic background to a new nursing research position at the hospital, which allows her to work with nurses and help them break ground on their research. The position, which is funded by both the hospital and the university, is a part of new collaborative efforts between the two institutions.

“I love what I am doing,” Dr. Gray said. “It’s invigorating as a professional to be able to share my knowledge with others in the field.”

In her time at PMC, Dr. Gray has served on a research council, a shared governance council and as a facilitator to unit managers.

“Everything I learn at PMC, I take back to my classrooms at ESU,” she said. “Evidence-based research is something my students will be held accountable for—sharing this experience with them is very significant.”

The nursing research position is only one aspect of a series of collaboration efforts between ESU and PMC. Four employees from the hospital and four individuals from the university meet quarterly to discuss new ideas and initiatives. The group launched a website this winter which serves as a platform for anyone to pitch new ideas to PMC and ESU.

“Health care is changing dramatically every day,” said Geoffrey Roche, PMC director of community outreach and government relations, who earned his master’s degree at ESU. “This partnership allows us to break ground together.”

New initiatives also include the offering of an RN to BSN program, which allows nurses at the hospital to work toward their degree and a health coaches program that aims to improve the lives of patients and curb readmissions by training a select group of volunteer students to act as health coaches. The ESU students – many of who are going on to health science careers – visit the patients in their homes to help them follow their doctor’s advice.

“We want to make sure our nurses are leaders in the field and ESU is helping us do that,” Roche said.

PMC offers internships and job opportunities to students at the university across many different majors, according to Alberto Cardelle, Ph.D., dean of the college of Health Sciences.

“We have the academic component and they have the practice delivery component,” Dr. Cardelle said. “It makes sense for students across the university to take advantage of the opportunities provided at PMC.”

And students have been doing exactly that. Currently PMC employees 148 ESU interns.

“We really value this partnership and look forward to continue watching it grow,” Roche said.