SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital, OCU sign nursing partnership

Posted on: 2/10/23

Leaders from SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital and Oklahoma City University last week announced a nursing partnership aimed at helping stem the critical shortage of nursing professionals in the state.

The Saints & Stars Program is a five-year agreement between SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital and Oklahoma City University’s Kramer School of Nursing. The partnership allows OCU students to work part-time with SSM Health while they complete their nursing degree, while also receiving a $3,500 annual scholarship from SSM Health and a $5,000 annual discount from OCU.

Tammy Powell, president, SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital and SSM Health Bone & Joint Hospital at St. Anthony, said initiatives like Saints & Stars are vital in ensuring an effective health care landscape in the state and nation.

“SSM Health St. Anthony is dedicated to providing high-quality health care to Oklahomans across the state,” Powell said. “That begins with training and employing a new generation of health care professionals. We see Saints & Stars as a key component in doing just that.”

In addition to employment and financial benefits, the partnership will allow OCU nursing students the opportunity to take part in clinical rotations at SSM Health; to engage in paid leadership clinical hours; to participate in a summer nurse extern program; to complete service-learning hours at SSM Health; and to be assigned a nurse mentor.

The first cohort of Saints & Stars began with junior nursing students in January. Twenty additional junior students will be selected to participate in the program each year for the next four years.

To learn more about the Saints & Stars Program, or about nursing programs at OCU, click here.