Mercy Health/Mercy College Partnership

Bowling Green State University and Mercy Health along with Mercy College of Ohio have announced the creation of a strategic alliance with a shared goal to build upon the strengths of the organizations to meet the educational needs of students and the growing workforce demand for health care professionals in Ohio and across the nation.

Mercy College will serve as a key partner with BGSU and will provide clinical experiences for students and employment opportunities for graduates. Together the organizations will also explore ways to enhance the health and well-being of their communities through research, grants and other training opportunities.

By linking Mercy College’s strong, established programs and the clinical expertise of Mercy Health with BGSU’s academic breadth and scope as a tier-one, comprehensive public university, students will have more learning opportunities and the state of Ohio will have a more robust healthcare workforce.

“This partnership is a great fit,” said BGSU President Rodney Rogers. “As a public university, we have an obligation to create public good. That meshes seamlessly with Mercy’s mission to provide health care and wellness services to all in need. Together, we can strengthen health care education in Ohio and better serve our students.”

“Nurses and allied health professionals are absolutely essential for providing high-quality health care in this region,” said Bob Baxter, president and CEO of Mercy Health - Toledo Region. “We’re already experiencing a nationwide shortage of nurses and the need is growing as our population ages. By working with BGSU, we can better meet that demand and enhance our ability to serve our patients and families in northwest Ohio and across the state. We look forward to aligning our mission with BGSU’s and to continue reaching both traditional and nontraditional students for the betterment of our communities.”

We are finalizing a strategic alliance that will provide the clinical pathway for future BGSU nursing students while pursuing:

• Offering concurrent enrollment at BGSU and Mercy College
  
• Offering dual degrees
  
• Developing new, joint health care programs that are in high demand
  
• Sharing resources, such as learning management software and data-driven student retention tools
  
• Expanding professional development options for faculty and staff
  
• Expanding student life opportunities at BGSU for Mercy students

For more than 40 years, BGSU had partnered with the former Medical College of Ohio and then the University of Toledo (UT) in a unique consortium for nursing education. Last year, UT notified BGSU that it wanted to phase out its partnership. As a result, BGSU has been working to develop a full nursing program.

About BGSU
Bowling Green State University is a tier-one, comprehensive public university serving more than 20,000 students on two campuses in northwest Ohio. The University has nationally recognized programs and research in the natural and social sciences, education, arts, business, health and wellness, humanities and applied technologies.

About Mercy College of Ohio
Mercy College of Ohio is a Catholic institution sponsored by Mercy Health. It focuses on healthcare and health science programs in both on-campus and online formats. Mercy College offers graduate degrees, bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and certificate programs. More information is available at mercycollege.edu.

About Mercy Health
Mercy Health is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, one of the top 20 health systems in the United States and part of the top performing quartile of Catholic health systems for lowest cost per case for patient care. Mercy Health is the leading health system in Ohio and among the top five employers in the state, with more than 33,500 employees serving communities throughout Ohio and in Kentucky. Mercy Health provided care for patients more than 6.8 million times in 2017. The system includes assets of $6.8 billion and nearly 500 care facilities including 23 hospitals and 26 post-acute care facilities. Its clinically integrated network of more than 2,800 health care providers coordinates more effective and efficient care for more than 350,000 patients, saving money for taxpayers through the Medicare Shared Savings Program. As part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, the ministry provides nearly $2 million per day in community benefit.