Local Students Can Now Earn A Doctorate In Nursing Through New UCC — OHSU Collaboration (Photo) -07/10/25
ROSEBURG, Ore., July 10, 2025 — Umpqua Community College (UCC) and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), members of the Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education (OCNE), have announced a new collaboration, establishing a direct-entry pathway to a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. The initiative focuses on preparing psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNP) to help address urgent health care clinician shortages in rural Oregon.
Through this streamlined, more cost-effective pathway, students can begin their education at UCC and seamlessly transition to doctoral-level studies through OHSU. Coursework is completed online while clinical learning takes place locally, creating a pathway for licensed, independent practitioners educated to serve within Douglas County.
“This collaboration builds on the OCNE model, removes common barriers like relocation and the associated costs, allowing students to stay local while earning advanced nursing degrees,” said Danielle Haskett, chief academic officer for UCC. “By training future providers who are already rooted in the region, we’re strengthening health care delivery and building a more sustainable workforce for our region.”
Clinician shortages, geographic location and an aging population impact access to care, especially rural communities, and this new pathway aims to help address this challenge. Nurse practitioners, with their nursing and advanced clinical training, are licensed to provide essential primary care services for general medicine and psychiatric care, including diagnosis, treatment, preventive and continuous care treatment plans.
The program expands UCC’s portfolio of health care education options and creates a pathway for students to receive hands-on training on UCC’s campus using the latest advanced training technologies. Students will complete the online baccalaureate in nursing and then be admitted to the PMHNP Distance Program, which is primarily online, with the flexibility to attend a few in-person lab components at an OHSU campus.
“We are excited to collaborate with UCC on this forward-thinking initiative,” said OHSU Executive Vice President and Provost Marie Chisholm-Burns, Pharm.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., FCCP, FASHP, FAST, FNAP, FACHE. “This collaboration reflects OHSU’s commitment to increasing access to high-quality, advanced nursing education across Oregon. By reaching students where they live and enabling them to complete meaningful clinical experiences in their home communities, we are helping grow a local, resilient health care workforce prepared to meet the diverse needs of rural populations.”
About Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University is Oregon's academic health center and is nationally distinguished as a research university dedicated solely to advancing health sciences. This singular purpose allows us to focus on discoveries that prevent and cure disease, on education that prepares physicians, dentists, nurses and other health professionals for the evolving health care environment, and on patient care that incorporates the latest advances. We are one of Oregon’s largest employers, operating top-ranked adult and children’s hospitals, and secure competitive research funding of more than $584 million. As a public organization, we also provide services for the most vulnerable Oregonians and outreach to improve health in communities across the state.
About Umpqua Community College
Nestled in the beautiful North Umpqua River Valley, Umpqua Community College is the regional center for higher education in Douglas County, Oregon. UCC provides high quality college degree programs, workforce development, and community learning opportunities. For more information, please visit us online at www.umpqua.edu
