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MUHA employees graduate from academy Several Charleston-area hospital employees discovered the most important principal of an effective leader: never stop learning.   South Carolina Hospital Association Management Academy graduates are from left Adrianne Holt, Deborah Blackwell, Cathleen Walters, Lisa McKellar and Sharon Mazyck. MUSC's Deborah Blackwell, Adrianne Holt, Sharon Mazyck, Lisa McKellar, and Cathleen Walters recently graduated from the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) Management Academy. The academy is a program designed to strengthen the management skills of hospital employees who are managers or tapped to become future managers.    Developed by the SCHA Workforce Advisory Committee, South Carolina Organization of Nurse Executives (SCONE) and South Carolina Healthcare Human Resources Association, The Management Academy, now in its second year, is a program designed specifically for South Carolina hospitals to help develop strong leaders and equip its students with the skills needed to manage health care organizations.    South Carolina hospitals are struggling with a shortage of nurses and allied health professionals. According to a report by SCHA, hospitals across the state are experiencing worker shortages as high as 26 percent and since 1996 nursing school enrollment has declined more than 13 percent. The average age of a South Carolina nurse is 45 and with many retiring soon, a tremendous void will be on the frontlines and in hospital management as well.    According to SCHA Vice President Jim Walker, the state’s hospitals are working hard to assure environments that will help them attract and retain their most valued resource—their employees. The Management Academy helps to teach managers and future managers to recognize and encourage the best in the employees they supervise.   “By nominating employees for the academy, giving them the time off to attend educational sessions and covering their educational expenses, these hospitals are investing in their hospital employees, and the employees appreciate the investment,” Walker said.   Hospitals across the state nominate employees from their institution to be considered for admission into the academy.  Then, the selection committee carefully reviews each application and chooses the most promising candidates. Because of the interactive nature of the academy, enrollment is limited to 30 students.   Blackwell, a business manager at MUSC, didn’t mind the smaller group. She said that networking with colleagues from across the state provided a new insight into South Carolina’s health care. “I took away from the Management Academy a new understanding that all hospitals face the same challenges in today’s health care environment, regardless of our differences in bed size, geographic location, tax status or services provided.”   To thoroughly prepare its students for leadership roles, the academy divides its core curriculum into five major sessions within several content areas.  Each session, approximately two-and- half-days long, is led by “best in class” national and state management experts from both private business and health care.   On Nov. 11, after a rigorous year of learning and applying, 28 students graduated the 2005 Management Academy. The speaker for the graduation ceremony was Edward Sellers, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina.   And although the program was intense, Walters, clinical manager, said she would encourage others to enroll. “I came to the Management Academy with less than six months of managerial experience.  I use the skills I have learned from the academy on a daily basis. I know that I will continue networking with other Management Academy participants as well as SCHA personnel in the future and recommend that other hospitals nominate new managers for participation in the program.”   South Carolina hospitals may submit applications from employees in December for the 2006 class of The Management Academy. Selection for the next class is scheduled to start in January for classes beginning in March.     Friday, Nov. 25, 2005 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.