By Gerianne Downs, Associate Director of Communications
SUNY Plattsburgh’s School of Business and Economics has partnered with CVPH Medical Center to bring its business expertise to employees in leadership there.
The in-person program, launched last semester, is a six-week series of classes held on the CVPH campus and taught by SBE faculty from different disciplines as well as SBE alumni.
Brian Neureuther, dean of the School of Business and Economics, said the program was a year in the making, when CVPH President Michelle LeBeau reached out to him “about the possibility of training staff in management,” Neureuther said. “We began discussions — the university’s provost, myself, Dr. Samy Garas and CVPH management — to talk about their needs.”
The resulting classes cover managing organizations, evidence-based decisions, regulations, accounting and finance, leadership, and strategy, with the first cohort, which are all day and taught on Fridays, beginning in October last year.
The next session began after the start of the spring semester in February and will run through mid-April; the third session will begin in May and run into June. Garas, associate professor of accounting, expects to see it continue.
After last fall’s pilot program, an invitation was extended to Alice Hyde Memorial Hospital in Malone, Garas said. Now, half of the participants drive the hour to and from Malone on class days to participate.
Neureuther said that negotiations took time “because we wanted to fully understand what it was that they needed.”
“We realized that the majority of the materials we developed are general enough that they could be applied to many other service industries and manufacturers or any group looking to educate their workforce on business management principals, data analytics and leadership,” he said.
Garas said the plan is to provide micro-credentials to those participants to complete four of the six classes.
Class size has been in the 15-20 range, Garas said. And while CVPH pays the university for the program, Neureuther said it’s more about giving back to the community.
Garas agreed.
“CVPH has given so much to the community, it’s time for us to give back to them by creating this program. We’re reaching out, taking our expertise and bringing that out into the community,” he said.
“It touches on pillars of Plattsburgh Next, our strategic plan,” Neureuther said. The four pillars are grow and stabilize enrollment, strengthen student success, prioritize equity and inclusion, and engage the North Country region.
Krista Bull, a North Country native and CVPH nurse manager, is a member of the current cohort.
“I love learning,” said the SUNY Plattsburgh Class of 2008 nursing alumna. “It’s great way to venture into leadership. I’m so glad we partnered with SUNY Plattsburgh.”
Bull said the classes have been rewarding.
“Some things are review, but other things are totally new concepts. I appreciate that,” she said.
With CVPH since graduating 15 years ago, Bull said she recommended the SBE classes to one of her assistant nurse managers.
“You only have to take four, but I signed up for all six,” she said. “It’s too good an opportunity to pass up.”
For more information, contact Neureuther at 518-564-4185 or email neureubd@plattsburgh.edu.