Northern Virginia Community College has announced that Dr. Anne M. Loochtan, vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty at Mercy College (Ohio) has accepted the position of provost at NOVA’s Medical Education Campus beginning mid-July 2014. Loochtan will succeed retiring Provost Brian Foley.

Prior to her role at Mercy College, Loochtan was director of distance learning and associate dean of health and public safety at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and chair of allied health programs at Columbus State Community College. She has also served on the faculty at The Ohio State University, Pueblo Community College and Sinclair Community College.

“I am extremely excited about this opportunity to return to the community college environment, which prepares more than half of the healthcare practitioners in the country,” Loochtan said. “The MEC is a dynamic campus, preparing individuals to succeed in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. Recent national policies have created opportunities for educational organizations to create programs supporting new fields. This is a very exciting time to be in healthcare education!”

Loochtan is the author of many publications and has presented widely on the topics of distance learning, community college partnerships, “stackable certificates” in allied health professions and on Respiratory Therapy. She holds a B.S. in Allied Medical Professions from Ohio State; an M.Ed. in Guidance and Counseling from University of Colorado; and a Ph.D. in Instructional Design and Online Learning from Capella University.

“Dr. Loochtan brings to NOVA extensive experience in higher education with expertise in many areas that will benefit our students and the region. Her experience in distance learning and in partnership building will be a great asset as she picks up where Brian Foley leaves off,” said NOVA President Dr. Robert G. Templin Jr.

Loochtan will take over leadership of NOVA’s Medical Education Campus from Provost Brian Foley, a retired Army Colonel and health information management expert who became provost of the MEC in 2006. He has been at NOVA since 2002.

NOVA’s medical campus opened in 2003 as the first specialized community college campus in the Commonwealth of Virginia, housing all of NOVA’s nursing and allied health degrees as well as continuing education credits and workforce development certificates. The MEC offers state-of-the art facilities with a 32-chair dental clinic that serves the local public and also offers several pro bono events for underserved populations each year. Also, the MEC is one of only three community colleges in the Commonwealth of Virginia that has a cadaver lab to benefit students and health professionals in the region.

The MEC offers ten associate of applied science degree programs in nursing and allied health, which includes: dental hygiene, emergency medical services/paramedic, health information management, physical therapist assistant, occupational therapy assistant, respiratory therapy, radiography, diagnostic medical imaging (sonography) and medical laboratory technology. All of these programs allow students to achieve their A.A.S. degree, sit for their respective licensing exams and find work in fields with great prospects for long-term and secure employment.

By: NOVA College

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