Walden University Partners With Five Additional Health Systems

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With an aging population placing major demands on healthcare systems and the nursing profession projected to grow significantly in the next few years, the need for educated healthcare professionals continues to increase. Walden University announced today that it has formed educational partnerships with hospitals and health systems in New Jersey, Maryland, Colorado, Michigan and Virginia to help meet this growing demand.

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To gain the expertise and practical learning experiences needed to further their careers and address emerging healthcare issues, employees of the partner organizations have access to Walden's more than 60 online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs and more than 300 specializations and concentrations.

The five new educational partners are:

Atlantic Health System – Atlantic Health System serves metropolitan New Jersey with three hospitals and four ancillary facilities. There are 1,162 licensed beds throughout the Atlantic Health System facilities.

Calvert Memorial Hospital – Calvert Memorial Hospital is a community-owned hospital located in Calvert County, Md. The hospital consists of the main campus and four satellite medical offices serving southern Maryland.

Centura Health – Centura Health is the largest healthcare network in Colorado, operating 13 hospitals, seven senior living communities, medical clinics, affiliated partner hospitals and home care and hospice services.

Detroit Medical Center – Detroit Medical Center is the largest healthcare provider in southeast Michigan and is comprised of nine hospitals with more than 2,000 licensed beds and 3,000 affiliated physicians.

Fauquier Hospital – Fauquier Hospital is a 97-bed hospital located in Warrenton, Va., and a Planetree affiliate.

Nurses in these health systems can enroll in Walden's Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Completion Program and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program. Both programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), a national accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Nurses who meet admission criteria also have the opportunity to enroll in Walden's new Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, which prepares advanced practice nursing professionals to take on greater leadership roles in healthcare organizations, promote a more effective and efficient healthcare system and evaluate and apply research that contributes to better patient outcomes. Nurses and healthcare professionals can also prepare themselves to advance in their careers by earning degrees in related programs, such as public health, healthcare administration and informatics.

Previously this year, Walden announced educational partnerships with nine hospitals, healthcare centers and systems: Austin Travis County Integral Care, Catholic Medical Center, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Medical Center, North Fulton Hospital, Northwest Hospital, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, Seton Family of Hospitals and St. Vincent Hospital and Healthcare, Inc.

Through Walden University's educational partnerships, organizations can help their employees excel personally and professionally. Walden offers relevant, state-of-the-art degree programs that focus on real-world challenges and inspire positive social change. For more information on Walden University, its programs and its educational partnership opportunities, visit www.WaldenU.edu/partnerships.

About Walden University

For more than 40 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 46,500 students from all 50 states and more than 120 countries are pursuing their bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees online at Walden. The university provides students with an engaging educational experience that connects them with expert faculty and peers around the world. Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities network—a global network of more than 55 campus-based and online universities in 28 countries.

Walden offers more than 60 degree programs with more than 300 specializations and concentrations. Areas of study include health sciences, counseling, human services, management, psychology, education, public health, nursing, public administration and information technology. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.ncahlc.org.

SOURCE Walden University