The College of Saint Elizabeth (CSE), 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J., will honor and recognize three elite, local health care partners that embrace the same core values of compassion, community and stewardship the College itself espouses at its Sixth Annual Celebrate Scholarship and Excellence Benefit Gala on Thursday, June 28 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Madison Hotel in Morristown. The health care partners to be honored are St. Joseph’s Healthcare System in Paterson, N.J.; Saint Clare’s Health System in Denville and Dover, N.J.; and Trinitas Hospital in Elizabeth, N.J.

 

According to Jim Dlugos, vice president and dean for Academic Affairs at CSE, the College has a fruitful partnership with each health care organization in developing and offering innovative agreements that help offset the cost of education for nurses, with the end result being heightened patient care. 

 

“The College of Saint Elizabeth recognizes that true partnerships begin with the understanding of mutuality: each partner has resources and strengths and each partner has areas of need,” explains Dr. Dlugos.  “As a result of working together, the partners develop additional institutional capacity and support each other in the work of advancing all partners’ missions and institutional goals.”

 

The Sisters of Charity, which sponsors the College of Saint Elizabeth, has a long history of involvement in health care. As one of three hospitals in New Jersey and Connecticut sponsored by the Sisters of Charity, and one of the three institutions being honored Thursday evening, Trinitas Hospital agrees with the College’s high priority on the development of leadership in a spirit of service and social responsibility for others.

 

“Without question, the College of Saint Elizabeth’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) and Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) programs, along with the Health Care Management program, have allowed Trinitas Hospital to offer a higher level of care to our patients,” said Gary S. Horan, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of Trinitas Hospital. “These programs are a perfect compliment to the fine educational program offered by the Trinitas School of Nursing. The College’s programs help in both the recruitment and retention of quality staff, and it is clear that a better prepared staff generates better outcomes. In that regard, the real winners of this partnership are our patients.”

 

Developed in response to the growing need for nurses with advanced degrees who can assume leadership positions in education and practice, the 37-credit, cohort-based M.S.N. program is ideal for registered nurses who are seeking to prepare for certification from the National League for Nursing and provides the foundation for doctoral study.

 

The College offers two cohorts at its main campus on alternating Fridays and Saturdays, and at Trinitas/UCC in the evenings. Students can earn their master’s degree in nursing either in two years as a full-time student, or three years as a part-time student. Additionally, students can receive credits for their professional experience that will apply directly toward their degree.

 

For additional program information about the M.S.N., contact CSE Associate Professor of Nursing, Dr. Sharon Hellwig, at (973) 290-4069, email shellwig@cse.edu or visit online at www.cse.edu/nursingmaster.

 

Members of the general public are invited to attend this year’s benefit gala. Bid on jewelry, trips and other fabulous prizes in the silent auction; be entertained by the doo-wop music and tunes performed by “The Magic Touch;” and dine elegantly in the Glynallen Ballroom. All will be followed by a 50/50 raffle.

 

Individual general admission tickets start at $250. For benefactor ticket prices, sponsorship opportunities, raffle ticket purchase, or to make reservations to attend this year’s gala, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at the College of Saint Elizabeth at (973) 290-4450 or email: gala@cse.edu. Visit www.cse.edu/scholarshipdinner now to find out more and to see highlights of last year’s event.

 

The Sixth Annual Celebrate Scholarship and Excellence Benefit Gala is sponsored by St. Joseph’s Healthcare System; Saint Clare’s Health System; Trinitas Hospital; Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of N.J.; and CSE Trustee Francine Cheeseman Shaw, ’76.