Dr. Rogers to lead PBSC Loxahatchee Groves campus

Dr. Jacqueline Rogers, dean of health sciences and public safety at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth

Dr. Jacqueline Rogers, dean of health sciences and public safety at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth

She has worked at the College for more than 20 years

Loxahatchee Groves, FL - by McDonald, Tabatha - Dr. Jacqueline Rogers, dean of health sciences and public safety at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth, has been appointed to also oversee the launch of the College’s new campus under construction in Loxahatchee Groves.

As campus director, Rogers is providing operational oversight, leadership and vision for the College’s fifth campus, which has an initial focus on health sciences and technology.

PBSC President Ava L. Parker, J.D., said she tapped Rogers because of her health care background and extensive involvement with local industry. A licensed registered respiratory therapist, Rogers currently oversees the health sciences programs at the Lake Worth campus, including the health information technology programs moving to the first 50,000-square-foot building on the Loxahatchee Groves campus slated for completion this fall.  She also has served on numerous boards, including the Palm Healthcare Foundation Healthcare Workforce Partnership Committee, the Nursing Consortium of South Florida, and the Governor’s Council on Community Health Partnerships.

“We needed someone familiar with the programs to spearhead the launch of these programs at the new campus and to fulfill our vision of a dynamic, innovative learning environment that is responsive to the workforce needs. I’m confident that Dr. Rogers will do a great job with this transition,’’ Parker said.

While some classes or information sessions may be offered in the fall at the new campus at the northwest corner of Southern Boulevard and B Road, a more complete schedule of courses will begin in January 2017. The programs will include the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, Health Information Technology Associate in Science degree, Health Informatics Specialist certificate, Medical Information Coder/Biller certificate and Medical Transcription technical diploma. In addition to these programs, general courses leading to the Associate in Arts degree also will be offered.

“With the focus on health sciences and technology at the Loxahatchee Groves campus, we have the opportunity address the shortages of health care professionals, including nurses and health information technologists,” Rogers said. “Graduates from our programs will fill the workforce needs of our local health care employers, which in turn will have a positive economic impact within the community and region. We anticipate adding more health sciences programs in the second building.” 

After six years of part-time teaching, Rogers began working at the College full time in 1995 as a professor of respiratory care. She worked her way up into various administrative roles, including department chair, program chair and associate dean, before becoming a dean in 2004. Before joining the College, she worked at Good Samaritan Medical Center (formerly Good Samaritan Hospital) from 1971 to 1974 and again from 1980 to 1995.

Rogers, who has lived in Palm Beach County most of her life, also worked for six years as a police dispatcher. At PBSC, Rogers established the Center of Excellence in Medical Simulation in 2002 through state and private grants, leading to the College’s designation as a Regional Training Center by the Florida Healthcare Simulation Alliance, a state-recognized organization for the advancement of simulation in education to promote patient safety.  She also helped the College expand capacity in its competitive Registered Nursing program on the Lake Worth campus as well as launch an RN program at the Belle Glade campus. She holds a doctorate in health care education from Nova Southeastern University and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Palm Beach Atlantic University.