Serving the Whole Person
Catholic social teaching calls upon us to uplift and serve the dignity of every person. It's the driving force behind our commitment to ignite change and transform health care through whole-person healing, advocacy and systems change. It's why we're training a new kind of professional to create a better kind of health care.
The Morrison Family College of Health educates health providers and leaders to advance the physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being of individuals, families and communities. Now more than ever, society needs our unique approach to health care education. Even with accelerated spending, U.S. health care outcomes continue to worsen. And with the nation already facing an acute staffing crisis, the need for health care providers is projected to skyrocket in the coming years.
With your support, the Morrison Family College of Health can step up to meet societal needs as they are now, and as they will change in the future.
Rooted in the mission of St. Thomas and drawn from Catholic social teaching, we believe every person should have access to affordable, safe and quality health care. It's why we educate professionals with the skills and the desire to lead systems change and face challenges head-on. Only by addressing fundamental causes of health inequities can we improve health and well-being for all people, regardless of background.
The world of health care is rapidly changing, with ongoing changes in technology and the role that social and environmental conditions play in producing good health. By educating students regarding what the future of health could become, we can be an incubator for discovering new and effective ways of delivering and promoting health and well-being.
For Dr. MayKao Hang, developing the next generation of health leaders who respond to the people who live in our communities right now is critical. "It is really about educating leaders who are going to go out into the world to have the moral courage and the cultural competency to deliver services...but can also advocate to highlight and remove the barriers for those who are underserved," says Dr. Hang. "The Morrison Family College of Health is brand new, so we can design this with the future in mind. That means being far more globally, ethically and technology oriented."
John and Susan Morrison are the lead benefactors of the Morrison Family College of Health, which houses the Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing.
The Morrisons' lasting legacy of leadership, support and dedication to St. Thomas spans over three decades. Name-bearing testimonies of their belief in St. Thomas can be seen across the St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses. John and Susan played integral roles in the formation and development of the college. A member of the university's Board of Trustees since 1996, John co-chairs the College of Health Advisory Board, and Susan is an inaugural School of Nursing Advisory Board member.
Making our transformative health care education more accessible to deserving students is critical. Investment in scholarships will break down financial barriers, minimize student debt and provide a competitive advantage for attracting the best and the brightest students to the Morrison Family College of Health.
Patients, families and communities are looking to St. Thomas to make an even greater impact on health care in Minnesota and beyond. We will grow the college and create a pipeline of caring and compassionate professionals by expanding programs that address the most significant shortages in health care.
Expansion of our health education facilities is required to support projected growth and enable the Morrison Family College of Health to innovate at the same pace – if not faster – than the health care industry. Additional simulation labs and virtual reality training spaces will ensure our graduates are well-prepared for the dynamic health care landscape.
