MayKao Hang
Mark Brown / University of St. Thomas

In the News: Dr. MayKao Hang on the St. Thomas School of Nursing

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Dr. MayKao Hang, vice president of strategic initiatives and founding dean of the Morrison Family College of Health, spoke with the Star Tribune on the new School of Nursing at St. Thomas.

From the article: The University of St. Thomas, however, is taking an ambitious approach that re-envisions nursing with an eye toward underserved communities. The heart of this plan is to reach out into these communities for nursing candidates, while also training nurses in how to understand other cultures and the impact their care can have on individual and community health.

"We're a blank slate," said MayKao Hang, dean of the university's Morrison Family College of Health, which soon will feature undergrad and graduate nursing programs that emphasize care for historically overlooked populations, whether they are communities of color or rural areas that present their own special needs. "The vision is informed by a lot of planning and by my own life health experience."

The model arises from groundwork done over years to examine ways in which nursing could address health disparities, Hang told an editorial writer. "We know that 80 percent of what influences good health occurs outside the walls of hospitals and clinics," she said.