Nursing and Health Professions Commencement to be held May 2

The University of Southern Indiana College of Nursing and Health Professions will hold Commencement at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 2 in the Physical Activities Center (PAC) on the USI campus. Dr. Ann White, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions, and faculty from the college will join members of the USI Board of Trustees, USI President Linda L. M. Bennett, and other officers of the University for the program.

Lisa F. Hancock '97 will deliver the Commencement address. Hancock is a registered nurse with over 20 years of healthcare experience, and is currently senior vice president of advisory services at Marwood Group in California.

Hancock began her education at Vincennes University where she received her associate's degree in nursing in 1994, before attending USI where she earned a bachelor's degree in nursing in 1997. She later went on to attend Indiana University and received a master's degree in health administration in 2004. 

Since the beginning of her career, Hancock has served in administrative roles aimed at addressing risk assessments for healthcare organizations. She began working at Indiana University Health, previously Clarian Health Partners, in 1996. For the next eight years, Hancock oversaw various clinical areas and state and federal surveys and outcomes communication. Her work continued in the areas of compliance, quality, safety and privacy while employed with IU Health Physicians, Sutter Health, UCLA Health System, Zotec Partners and Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

At Marwood Group, Hancock leads clinical development and expert clinical and regulatory personnel that provide services designated to support the management of healthcare regulatory compliance. These evaluative services address future audits and develop compliance plans, quality plans, policies and procedures.

Over the course of her career, she has become versed in the areas of compliance, privacy, patient safety, quality, academic health centers, large physician practice management, accreditation, HIPAA, HITECH, risk management, health technology, project management and other process management areas in healthcare.

Through her leadership, Hancock has ensured hospitals, home health facilities, in-patient and out-patient facilities, research institutions, academic medical centers and physician groups meet and exceed patient safety, privacy and satisfaction expectations.

Hancock lives in the greater Los Angeles area with her husband, Seth, and their two dogs, Rocky and Hershey. She also volunteers with LA Doberman Rescue.

She will receive the David L. Rice Alumni Achievement Award in recognition of her positive impact on healthcare. The award, a crystal soaring eagle representing the University mascot, personifies the vision held by USI's first president, Dr. David L. Rice, of the potential of USI graduates.

Guests of graduates participating in the College of Nursing and Health Professions ceremony will need tickets. A reception for the graduates and their friends and families will follow the ceremony and will be held in University Center East.

Three other colleges at USI will conduct ceremonies on Saturday, May 2 according to this schedule:

College of Liberal Arts, 9 a.m.

Romain College of Business and Outreach and Engagement, noon

Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education, 6 p.m.

A commencement ceremony for graduate students will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 1 in the PAC.

Live video of each ceremony will be streamed in University Center East Conference Center (Rooms 2217-2220). The ceremonies also may be viewed online here.