Annual Performance Report

Name of College/University

Primary contact information:

Name          Shirley Eichenwald Maki

Title            Title III Coordinator & Project Director

Phone         218 723 6448

E-mail         seichenw@css.edu

Department of Education Grant Program

4-year Private                                                Third year

Type and Control of Institution                                           Grant Year

Minority Serving Institution:

___ Historically Black College or University               ___ American Indian Tribally Controlled

___ Historically Black Graduate Institution                         College or University

___ Native Hawaiian-Serving Institution                     ___ Hispanic Serving Institution

___ Alaska-Native Serving Institution                        _X_ None of the above

Branch Campus Reporting IPEDS Data for Individual Campus:

___  No     ___  Yes     _X_  Not applicable

Partnering institution(s) (if applicable)

Section 1—Executive Summary

The purpose of the legislation that established Title III-A is to “improve the academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability of eligible institutions, in order to increase their self-sufficiency and strengthen their capacity to make a substantial contribution to the higher education resources of the Nation.”

A.  Use this section to summarize how your grant is enabling your institution to fulfill the legislative intent of the Title III-A Program.

1.  Summarize, in 250 words or less, the impact your Title III-A grant has had this year in your institution’s capacity to contribute to fulfilling the goals of the legislation.

The College of St. Scholastica’s Title III grant is focused on improving the academic quality of its health sciences professional programs by a) implementing an educational version of a state-of-the-art computer-based clinical information system and b) infusing the use of this system into curricula so students gain competencies in using it as a legitimate professional practice tool.  At a time when the healthcare industry is transforming its information infrastructure from being paper-based to computer-based, this project directly addresses the need to provide the future health professions’ workforce with health informatics competencies.  In turn, curricula enhanced with such progressive technology content contribute to increased enrollments in these programs and increased financial stability for the College.  By leading the development of a new model for health professions’ education, this project also allows the College to make a substantial "contribution to the higher education resources of the Nation."  Year 3 (2004-2005) of The ATHENS Project was devoted to a) initiating the use of the ATHENS Electronic Health Record (EHR) System in courses in each of 6 academic programs, b) continuing to develop the faculty's competencies using the EHR as a teaching tool, c) orienting and training additional faculty, d) installing additional equipment required to support effective use of the EHR System by faculty and students, e) continuing to adapt the content of the EHR to address academic needs as they emerge, and f) continuing a drive to build an endowment that will support innovative health sciences curriculum development projects. 

2.  How has the grant helped to carry out the mission of the institution?

The College's mission is to "provide intellectual and moral preparation for responsible living and meaningful work" and includes "...a special commitment to recognize changes in the needs of society and to brings its mission to the people of the region through relevant programs and services."  As the healthcare industry transforms itself from a paper-based to a computer-based health information infrastructure, and with over 50% of its student body enrolled in health professions programs, the Title III grant is helping the College create a new academic model for health professions' education:  a model that assures that graduates from its programs enter the healthcare workplace with the confidence and competence to practice professionally using these robust electronic health information systems to support high quality, evidence-based practice in their discipline and through interdisciplinary case collaborations.  Throughout 2004-2005, The ATHENS Project also gave stimulus to discussions at the Executive and Board of Trustee levels of the College.  These discussions led to development of the College’s Center for Leadership and Innovation in Healthcare.  The mission of the Center is to “extend the College’s leadership in the positive transformation of the nation’s healthcare through education, community partnerships, policy formulation, and applied research. Through The ATHENS Project, and now the Center, the College is able to a) enhance the health informatics competence of its health professions’ faculty and students and b) develop programs and services that offer its expertise in healthcare informatics, healthcare clinical practice, and healthcare policy to the people of Minnesota, specifically Northeastern Minnesota.

            From the list below, select at least two questions that document your institution’s experience with the grant during this reporting period.  Please answer each question selected in 250 words or less.

            If your institution has received more than one Title III-A grant over time, discuss the long-range impact Title III-A has had on your institution’s capacity to fulfill the goals of the legislation.

            If your institution has experienced any unexpected outcomes as a result of this grant, that affect for better or worse its capacity to fulfill the goals of the legislation, tell us about them here.

Because this project is proceeding on a timeline that is very closely aligned with an intense effort by the federal government to transform healthcare delivery through an electronic information infrastructure, the College has unexpectedly had a number of opportunities to extend to other organizations the knowledge and insights gained from its electronic health record (EHR) systems implementation experience.  In October 2004, David Brailer, National Coordinator of the Office of Health Information Technology, reviewed the project and stated that “The ATHENS Project is making great strides to educate tomorrow’s leaders in health information technology….”   Subsequently the project has been presented at several state and national conferences, including the Minnesota e-Health Initiative Summit in Minneapolis, MN; the Midwest EDUCAUSE Conference in Chicago, IL; and the American Health Information Management Association’s Assembly on Education in St. Louis, MO.  In Summer 2005, the College was invited to become a key player in a regional healthcare industry initiative which has subsequently led to the formation of a Northeast Minnesota Health Information Organization (NE MN RHIO).  In addition, faculty has received an invitation from Thompson Delmar Publishers to author a textbook focused on building the practical EHR literacy of students in allied health professions programs in community and technology colleges across the nation.  These unexpected outcomes from this Title III grant are positively affecting its capacity to fulfill the goals of the legislation by enhancing the project’s “contribution to the higher education resources of the Nation.”         

            Tell us about any challenges that you have had during the reporting period or that you anticipate in the coming year which may affect your ability to meet the goals of your grant.  Include, if applicable, your institution’s plans to meet these challenges.

            Has the grant facilitated or contributed to bringing additional resources to your institution, for example, new Federal, State, or local dollars that can be attributed partly to your grant activities?

The ATHENS Project funded by this grant served as the impetus for seeking resources for two additional projects:  an Electronic Health Record (EHR) Implementation Best Practices research effort and a Personal Health Record (PHR) Implementation effort.  Both proposals received funding in late 2004 and the projects were implemented in 2005:  the EHR project was funded by a local foundation (Blandin Foundation) and the PHR project by a state foundation (Minnesota Community Foundation).  The outcomes of these two projects are also fueling new discussions related to improving the electronic health information infrastructure on campus; namely the implementation of an EHR in the Student Health Service with an interfaced PHR that will support students and College staff in their efforts to more effectively manage their health and/or chronic diseases.  In addition, based on the EHR Implementation Best Practices research effort, the Blandin Foundation facilitated a connection between the College and the Itasca County Health Network (ICHN) which has led the two organizations to begin joint planning for Phase II of the ICHN’s grant-funded effort to create an electronic health information exchange program involving all healthcare providers in Itasca County, MN.  Over the past year, the Title III grant has clearly contributed to bringing additional resources to the College by raising the visibility of the organization throughout the state and the region and by stimulating new ideas and the energy to pursue them among College faculty and staff.  

            Section 2: Enrollment by Race and Ethnicity (4-Year Institutions)

Please report undergraduate student enrollment as of October 15, 2004 and the number of those students who received Pell Grants. Because these data are taken from your IPEDS survey, please use the IPEDS definition of full-time student.  [Note: Obtain the information from Part A of your most recent IPEDS Fall Enrollment Survey.]

Enrollment by Race and Ethnicity as of October 15, 2004

Section 2: Enrollment by Age and Gender (4-Year Institutions)

Please report the number of undergraduate students, by age and gender, enrolled as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15, 2004 [Note: the information for this table can be obtained from Part B of your IPEDS Enrollment Survey for the most recent year available]. Because these data are taken from your IPEDS survey, please use IPEDS definitions for full-time and part-time students.

Enrollment by Age and Gender as of October 15, 2004

Section 2: Degrees Awarded by Race, Ethnicity, and Discipline

Please report the number of degrees awarded, by race, ethnicity, and discipline.  Enter the number of degrees awarded by race, ethnicity, and discipline for students in undergraduate programs only.  Use the information from Part B of your IPEDS Fall Enrollment Survey.  The discipline areas selected for this table correspond with discipline areas recognized in IPEDS.  Use the CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) codes as your guide in designating students appropriately.

Degrees Awarded by Race, Ethnicity, and Discipline