The Big Picture

The School of Nursing’s new dean, Connie Delaney, was attracted by the values, vision, and leadership she found in Minnesota.

By Mark Engebretson

As a nursing professor at the University of Iowa, Connie Delaney came to know and love nearby Minnesota—its culture and its values.

And its walleye. Delaney cherishes the time she spends fishing in northern Minnesota. “I love the Midwest,” she says. “Minnesota exudes the outstanding core values of the Midwest. That’s important to me.”

But first and foremost, Delaney sought to become the new dean of the School of Nursing because of the school’s history of excellence and vision for the future, the interprofessional strengths of the Academic Health Center, and the overall leadership and direction of the University.

Those qualities—excellence, vision, interprofessional strength, leadership--could be used to describe Delaney, who was appointed dean May 17 by the Board of Regents. A leader in the emerging field of health informatics (see sidebar), Delaney is the only dean of nursing to be a fellow in the American College of Medical Informatics. She has held offices in several national and international organizations, including the American Nurses Association and the International Medical Informatics Association. At the University, she will also have a faculty appointment in the Medical School, which has one of the most respected health informatics programs in the country.

“The leadership that exists within the Academic Health Center, the School of Nursing, and specifically at the University of Minnesota Medical School is, frankly, outstanding and was a major factor in my decision to accept this position,” Delaney says. “The commitment to interdisciplinary synergy at Minnesota is key. Creating and building the best knowledge for health care and for the people we serve is being extraordinary in our individual disciplines and exemplary in understanding, integrating, and applying the knowledge across our disciplines and clinical practices.”

“We wanted a dean who could help build those interprofessional bridges,” says Jean Wyman, the nursing professor who co-chaired the search committee that recommended Delaney. She characterizes Delaney as dynamic, charismatic, and passionate. “I think she’s going to bring a lot of enthusiasm to the school and we’re going to see the University of Minnesota School of Nursing put on the map nationally.”

“Connie will deepen the bench of health care leadership at the School of Nursing, as well as at the University and in the state of Minnesota,” says Frank Cerra, senior vice president for health sciences.

Delaney plans to build on the visionary planning already conducted at Minnesota by former dean Sandra Edwardson and the nursing faculty.

“They’ve done superb work that has been very forwardlooking, responsive to health care needs, and also to the advancement of the nursing profession,” she says.

Looking ahead, she cites three goals. The first is developing collaborative opportunities for interdisciplinary education and research in health care. Second is improving the quality and safety of health care by taking advantage of information and knowledge management. And, the third goal is exploring alternative and creative ways to fund nursing education and research while exercising wise stewardship of all resources.

These goals, Delaney says, fit clearly with the overall direction of the University of Minnesota.

And Delaney will fit well in Minnesota.

What is health informatics?

Health informatics examines how information management and communication technology can be used to improve health care for communities and families, support biomedical research, and foster education of health professionals and the public. It is an interprofessional field.

One example is the electronic health record, which gives health professionals access via computers to a patient’s vital health information, while providing electronic safeguards to protect the patient’s privacy and confidentiality. Another example is telemedicine, which allows health professionals to communicate with patients using video-conferencing technology. A third is using technology, such as the Internet, to empower the public to have more knowledge and become more involved with their own health care.