From before the onset of the Spanish flu to the post-coronavirus shutdown, Mercy College of Ohio has been — in various iterations — teaching others how to care for their community.

Originally founded as a nursing school in 1918, the college will inaugurate its new president, Trevor Bates, on Friday, after a week of events to mark the occasion. Starting the job on May 6, Mr. Bates is on familiar ground as he was the vice president of academic affairs at the college from 2017 to 2020.

He has also served as president of Wilmington College and as founding associate dean of health sciences at Heidelberg University. He has recently relocated his family, including wife Kassandra and two sons, to Sylvania.

“It is a blessing to have him back at the college,” said Kimberly Watson, dean of the health sciences division, who worked with Mr. Bates previously at the college. “Things have moved to a higher level.”

Mr. Bates says the Catholic institution has long been poised to know the demands of the community, which has always needed its nursing graduates. An initial five-year accreditation to the college’s surgical technology program by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs was announced by the college in August. 

The effort aims to fulfill expanding demand for allied health care, including respiratory therapists and imaging specialists. For instance, there were 428 advertisements for respiratory therapists in Ohio last week on ZipRecruiter.com.

“We want that growth to be beneficial to the community,” he said. “This is not new. We have been transforming education for 100 years.”

On Sept. 10, a grand opening and ribbon cutting celebrated the newly designed library, which was the final phase of an update to the sixth floor encompassing 20,000 square feet and includes a Learning Commons and a Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence.

Demand for the college's graduates has increased as the Baby Boomer generation retires and enters old age. In addition, many people are suffering from long COVID, adding to patients' appeals for relief.

“He wants to hear from everyone. That has really resonated with the college community,” Ms. Watson said.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that Ohio will need 7,990 additional registered nurses between 2020 and 2030. Many in the state will see that as a calling, according to Mr. Bates.

"That Mercy spirit is powerful,” said Mr. Bates, adding that graduates see themselves as fulfilling a mission. “It gives meaning to who they are.”

Technology is pushing lifelong learning, according to Mr. Bates, acknowledging that AI is becoming a useful for tool that is freeing medical staff from the burden of notetaking and a help in image diagnostics.

“The person caring for you can focus on you,” he said. “AI can look at an image and compare it to thousands of other images in seconds.”

In fall of 2023, Mercy College of Ohio reported 1,150 students. There were 800 students enrolled in the fall of 2013. Two-year, four-year, and master's degree programs are available at the college, as well as certifications. There is a 46 percent acceptance rate, according to U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings.

“Our health is a continuous process that always needs monitored,” Mr. Bates said. “Our goal is to make sure there is a Mercy difference.”

First Published October 5, 2024, 2:03 p.m.