Sandra Blevins, healthcare executive and Saskatchewan Polytechnic Nursing diploma grad, returns to her alma mater
May 11, 2018 – This spring Sandra Blevins joined Saskatchewan Polytechnic as dean for the School of Nursing and School of Health Sciences. Based out of the Saskatoon campus, Blevins is accountable for nursing and health sciences programming and applied research across the institute. With over 30 years of experience in the health care sector, she returns to her alma mater to focus her leadership practice on providing an exceptional learning experience for Sask Polytech students.
Blevins brings a passion for safety, improvement and making a positive difference for the people she serves. Blevins is a registered nurse and a certified health leader who holds a Nursing diploma from the Kelsey Institute of Applied Arts and Science (now Sask Polytech), a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Saskatchewan and a Master of Business Administration from Athabasca University. Throughout her career Blevins has served on a number of local and national boards.
Prior to joining Sask Polytech Blevins spent 30 years in healthcare with the Saskatoon Health Region in a number of senior leadership positions, most recently as the vice-president, Integrated Health Services. She has experience leading a variety of clinical and operational teams and demonstrated her ability to take calculated risks, lead with innovation and find creative ways to solve complex organizational problems. She is thrilled to shift her leadership focus to educating the future generation of the health care system.
“May 7 – 11 is National Nursing Week and for over 50 years Sask Polytech has been a leader in nursing and healthcare education,” says Dr. Anne Neufeld, provost and vice-president, Academic. “We are honoured to work with Sandra, one of our outstanding graduates. Sandra is an innovative leader who knows the value of hands-on learning, patient and family-centered care and continuous improvement.”
“Sask Polytech nursing and healthcare graduates play an important role in the delivery of quality patient and family centered health care in Saskatchewan,” says Dr. Larry Rosia, president and CEO. “We look forward to Sandra’s leadership in delivering an excellent student experience.”
Saskatchewan Polytechnic serves 28,000 distinct students through applied learning opportunities at campuses in Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon, and through extensive distance education opportunities. Programs serve every economic and public service sector. As a polytechnic, the organization provides the depth of learning appropriate to employer and student needs, including certificate, diploma and degree programs, and apprenticeship training. Saskatchewan Polytechnic engages in applied research, drawing on faculty expertise to support innovation by employers, and providing students the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills.