For Kathleen Mayes P’76, PharmD’78, the ribbon cutting and college dedication of the Mayes College of Healthcare Business and Policy, was the realization of an inspiration.
Dr. Mayes was inspired 12 years ago by the vision of USP President Dr. Philip P. Gerbion to grow PCPS. That inspiration led her to give back to the institution that helped form the foundation of her success. She was further inspired by the vision of creating a college that combined scientific education with making advances in healthcare to a growing population.
And thus, nearly eight months after the USP Board of Trustees gave the green light, the Mayes College of Healthcare Business and Policy, USP’s newest college, was officially dedicated on May 8, 2008.
“Besides addressing policies of healthcare for our future, our graduates will be the leaders of tomorrow’s companies that produce pharmaceutical and biotech products as well as the healthcare provider and service companies,” Dr. Mayes told the crowd of family, friends, USP faculty and staff, students, and industry leaders who gathered in the new Mayes College office space for the ribbon cutting. “The Mayes College will also produce the leaders of tomorrow’s managers, innovators, entrepreneurs, regulators, and economists, and the academicians as well as the communicators to address tomorrow’s healthcare policy and business needs.”
The Mayes College was given a jump start with existing USP programs and was infused with over 300 students, 25 faculty, and 100 adjuncts. New programs and courses are being explored to grow the college further.
“We are very proud of this talent,” Dr. Gerbino said. “We feel that we are meeting some of the emerging needs of healthcare. We think we have the right leadership to bring us to the future and certainly the right idea for all of the challenges that face us in the future.”
Interim Dean William Ashton has been hands on in the formation of the college from the advisory group to overseeing its continued development and growth as dean.
“How do you describe Mayes? Mayes is designed to paint the big picture of healthcare,” Ashton summarized. “We are going to build graduates who really understand that big picture and can handle it. The days of healthcare…where you knew the doctor, who knew your family members and you got the prescription filled, and they knew everything about your family, they are long gone…Things are changing and so the Mayes (College) was created to try deal with those changes. And we want to be a part of that change, and we want to embrace it and we want to help drive it.”