School of Nursing and Health Studies Dean Receives Federal Honor

Ann CaryAnn Cary, dean of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Nursing and Health Studies, has been appointed to the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The national advisory council — comprised of up to 23 members including students, practicing nurses and educators — advises and makes recommendations on policy matters on nurse workforce, nursing education and nursing practice improvement. The committee members serve overlapping four-year terms, meet at least twice a year and issue an annual report to Congress and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

“I am extremely humbled and honored by this appointment,” Cary said. “Nurses serve a critical role in the health care of all people across the country. It is crucial to keep making improvements to patient and population care in Kansas City and nationwide.”

Cary became dean at UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies in 2013. During her tenure, the school has secured more than $20 million in federal grants for research, nursing workforce and practice, all targeted at improving care in underserved areas. In 2015, a grant, KC HealthTracks, was received to create improved STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum and experiences for students from 11 under-resourced Kansas City area high schools. A collaboration with the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering and KC STEM Alliance, the goal is to prepare students for higher education and career paths in healthcare.

Also during Cary’s deanship, U.S. News and World Report has consistently ranked the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies in the Top 25 for its online graduate programs.

An alumnus of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellows Program, Cary has served on the board of directors and as a fellow for the American Association of Colleges and Nursing; president of the Jesuit Conference of Nursing Programs for the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities; the Primary Care Policy Fellows Alumni Association; and the Association of Community Health Educators. She currently serves on the boards of Truman Medical Centers, the Visiting Nurse Association of Kansas City and the Bluford Health Care Leadership Institute. She is also Chair Elect of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Board of Directors.

Before becoming dean of the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies, Cary was director of the Loyola University New Orleans School of Nursing. Cary received a BSN from Louisiana State University in New Orleans, MPH from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and PhD from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

 


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