Press release
From Mission Health
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (Dec. 19, 2012) – Mission Health announced today it is partnering with Western Carolina University (WCU) to provide a graduate certification program in Healthcare Innovation Management. The program is a component of Mission Health’s budding Center for Innovation, established to foster a spirit of advancement in healthcare throughout western North Carolina.
“We are pleased to join forces with Western Carolina University in offering this certificate program to our valued team of care providers,” said Marc B. Westle, DO, FACP, Senior Vice President of Innovation for Mission Health. “The program truly creates a model that encourages all members of our team to influence change in the way we provide high-quality, patient-centered healthcare throughout the region.”
Faculty at WCU developed curriculum for the program with input from Mission Health leadership, who will be teaching a number of the courses in the program.
“As an educational force in western North Carolina, we have a vested interest in contributing our time and resources to provide quality education and leadership in our community,” said Zahed Subhan, PhD, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at WCU. “We look forward to working with Mission Health to achieve our collective goal of enriching the lives of those in the communities we serve.”
The program will combine entrepreneurial and innovation content with healthcare-specific modules. Courses will focus on thinking creatively to implement new opportunities of value in the workplace, working effectively within a multidisciplinary team and leading through a culture of innovation.
“Our collaboration with WCU is just one of the ways we are building and leading a culture of innovation at Mission Health,” said Dr. Westle. “Mission Health’s Center for Innovation encourages stakeholders to become thought leaders, to change our mindset and our culture so that we all play an active role in fueling innovation and growth.”
The program consists of four courses over a period of 21 months and is open to all Mission Health employees. Students who complete the program, which is fully funded by Mission Health, will earn credit towards bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The program will be offered two times a year, beginning in January 2013, until all interested parties have completed certification.About Mission Health
Mission Health, based in Asheville, N.C., is the state’s sixth-largest health system and the region’s only not-for-profit, independent community hospital system governed and managed exclusively in western North Carolina. In 2012 Mission Health was named one of the nation’s Top 15 Health Systems by Thomson Reuters – the only health system in North Carolina to receive this recognition.Mission Health, which traces its roots in the region back to 1885, operates five hospitals, numerous outpatient and surgery centers, and the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center. Its medical staff consists of more than 1,000 physicians and is certified in over 50 medical specialties and sub- specialties. Mission Health has seven Centers of Excellence: Cancer, Heart, Mission Children’s Hospital, Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Trauma and Women’s Health. Mission Hospital, located in Asheville, is the system’s flagship hospital and is licensed for 730 beds. It is the regional referral center for tertiary and quaternary care and is the busiest surgical hospital in North Carolina. It also includes Mission Children’s Hospital– the region’s only children’s hospital. Other Mission Health member hospitals include Angel Medical Center in Franklin, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, McDowell Hospital in Marion and Transylvania Regional Hospital in Brevard. With approximately 8,800 employees and 700 volunteers, Mission Health is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of the people of western North Carolina. For more information, please visit mission- health.org.
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