History of Baptist College of Health Sciences

Baptist College of Health Sciences was chartered in December 1994 as a specialized college offering baccalaureate degrees in nursing (BSN) and health sciences (BHS). As of April 2012, the College has awarded 2,107 baccalaureate degrees. The educational legacy of the College, however, began much earlier than 1994.

Education has been a key emphasis of Baptist Memorial Hospital from its beginning in 1912, as evidenced by the fact that the School of Nursing opened its doors at this same time. Approximately 4,700 diploma nurses graduated from the nursing school and are employed throughout the United States and abroad. The last diploma class graduated in May 1997. Baptist College now offers professional nursing education through the baccalaureate program, with two options available. One is for the generic student just beginning a four-year nursing degree, and the other track is an RN/BSN completion program for the licensed nurse. The college offers both a day and evening program for the RN-BSN completion.

Radiological Sciences education began at Baptist Memorial Hospital in 1956 with the Radiography program. In response to the need for advanced specialization, Nuclear Medicine was added in 1961, Radiation Therapy in 1975, and Diagnostic Medical Sonography (Ultrasound) in 1986. Approximately 1,000 graduates of these hospital-based schools are employed in a variety of settings. The college offers baccalaureate programs in , Diagnostic Medical Sonography (Ultrasound), Health Care Management, Medical Laboratory Science, Medical Radiography Nuclear Medicine Technology, Nursing, Radiation Therapy, and Respiratory Care has evolved from being a hospital-based program in the 1960s to being a clinical site for regional respiratory educational programs. Building upon this history, the college offers a baccalaureate degree in Respiratory Care, and is one of only forty-seven such programs in the nation. In the Respiratory Care program, registered clinicians may enroll in completion programs leading to a baccalaureate degree.