Starting a new tradition

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 2, 2008) – The major goal of the Clinical Leadership and Management program is to provide a baccalaureate degree program of study that will enable associate degree trained health care professionals to assume greater leadership and managerial responsibilities in various health care settings. The program also provides an educational bridge to graduate studies.

In addition, this program contributes to a more educated allied health care workforce in Kentucky communities (and beyond) and Kentucky patients, in turn, are be better served.

This year, the first class of students is graduating from the program. These include Sheryl Abercrombie of Nicholasville; Cammie Comley Atkins of Lexington; Lynda K. Bennett of Paintsville; Erica Bates Phillips of Richmond; and Kelly Sewell of Lexington.

The Clinical Leadership and Management Program is an on-going program that will continue to provide communities with clinicians who have the knowledge and skills to assume leadership and managerial responsibilities. The College of Health Sciences, however, realizes that many health care professionals in Kentucky are location-bound because of employment and/or family responsibilities and attending classes in Lexington can create a hardship.

To address that issue, the college has established distance learning sites in order to offer this educational opportunity to interested health professionals in various regions of Kentucky. The CLM Program is proud to be able to offer CLM course work via distance learning to Hazard, Pikeville and Elizabethtown. In the future, we hope to add new distance learning sites to accommodate students enrolled in the CLM Program.

To find out more about the program contact:
Karen O. Skaff, RDH, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of CLM
Phone: 859-323-1100 ext. 80585
E-mail: karen.skaff@uky.edu

CLM Class of 2008

Diana Leathers is a student in the Clinical Leadership and Management program at the UK College of Health Sciences.

Diana's Hometown: Bardstown, KY

Family: Husband-Robbie and 3 boys- Ryan (12) Greg and Scott (9 yr old twins)

Why did you choose the CLM program at UK?

I enrolled in the CLM program at UK to finish my bachelor degree (I had attended UK and LCC back in the 80's and received my associate degree in dental hygiene from LCC, but I always wanted to complete my bachelor degree). I have been a registered dental hygienist for 18 years and unfortunately I have suffered repetitive stress injuries to my neck over the last 2 years due to my job, and realized it was time to move on to a non-clinical position. The CLM program came along at the perfect time!

What do you enjoy most about distance learning?

If distance learning wasn't available, I don't know if I would have found it possible to drive all the way to Lexington for classes. It would have been a much bigger burden on my family. The Elizabethtown site is only 30 minutes away and Lexington would have been over an hour drive. I have loved being able to be part of a class (even if it is through the tv!) and not just sitting in front of a computer doing work with no interaction.

What do you plan to do with your degree?

I plan to finish my bachelor degree and start working in a management-type position and build upon the skills this program is teaching me. Eventually I would love to go into public health and be able to use my dental knowledge to help promote better oral health for the public.

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