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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

California School Nurses Organization Names SDSU Professor Nurse of the Year

SAN DIEGO, April 10, 2002 - When the schoolchildren of San Diego and Imperial counties needed help the most, Linda Strong came through like a champion.

Strong, a San Diego State University nursing professor who resides in Santee, recently authored a proposal to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for a local county-credentialed school nurse consultant. The item was passed and instituted by the board of supervisors incorporated in a project known as "Health Link."

For Strong's efforts, the California School Nurses Organization has named her School Nurse of the Year for San Diego and Imperial counties. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors also honored her recently with a Proclamation and "Linda Strong Day" throughout the county.

"I did it all out of the bottom of my heart, trying to help children maintain their health so they can stay in school and learn," Strong said. "I wasn't trying to earn any awards. It was just a matter responding to a need from the credentialed school nurses to help schools who do not hire credentialed school nurses. I wanted them to have a resource person available to them when children health issues or emergency situations should arise and to facilitate continuity of health care delivery throughout the San Diego County School system. It all came as a really nice surprise."

Strong, a Navy reservist, recently received her Master's degree in nursing with community health emphasis from SDSU, where she teaches two nursing related classes as a part of the university's Nurses Now program. SDSU's Nurses Now program is a partnership among the region's largest hospitals established to address the nursing shortage issue in San Diego and Imperial counties.

Strong also has set up a new operating room nursing program on campus as a response to San Diego area hospitals' critical shortage of nurses in this specialty. The federal Department of Labor provided funding of a grant with administrative support from the High Tech Education Center (HTEC).

Before joining the SDSU faculty, Strong served as district nurse for the Santee School District and as school nurse at Chula Vista Elementary School. She also was president of the county's School Nurses Resource Group when she presented the proposal to the county for a county credentialed school nurse consultant.

Supervisors Dianne Jacob and Ron Roberts drafted the county proclamation honoring Strong.

"Linda's commitment to public service runs deep," Jacob said. "She is a talented nurse, advocate and teacher. She's passionate about advancing her field, and she's sharing that passion with future generations of healthcare professionals. She is truly an asset to the San Diego community."

Bill Stumbaugh, director of pupil services for the Santee School District, also has high praise for Strong.

"Linda has high expectations," he said. "She communicated that right away to staff. Linda had a vision of what she wanted people to do. She was persistent in working toward that goal."

The county's School Nurses Resource Group had been pushing for a consultant for 15 years. Strong was the first individual able to write a proposal acceptable to the county supervisors.

"There is maybe one credentialed school nurse in every 10 schools," Strong said. "Some districts in Imperial County don't have any nurses at all. A school nurse consultant has long been needed.

"I feel this is a reward for all of our children in school. It is more of an accomplishment for the children than anything else."

For more information on the SDSU nursing program, log on to http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/chhs/nursing/index.html.

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, SDSU has grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 78 areas, master's degrees in 61 areas and doctorates in 14. SDSU's more than 34,000 students participate in academic curricula distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information log on to www.sdsu.edu.

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