CourtesySandra Bibb credits her experience in the Navy to helping achieve her passion to serve others.
Sandra became the dean of the College of Health Professions at Wichita State in August 2014. Up until 2004 she served as an active duty nurse in the U.S. Navy for more than three decades.
She has held many leadership positions in military and academic settings. She is recognized for her research and publications related to population health and outcomes, with emphasis on population health management and access to care. She also has extensive experience designing and implementing health promotion and disease prevention programs.
She says her military experiences affect all aspects of her life, personally and professionally. She says there is a bond between military people that isn鈥檛 often experienced in other entities. They all share and observe a healthy appreciation for leadership, honor, courage and commitment.
鈥淐ertain values are deeply rooted in me; service, loyalty, integrity and character mean everything,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hese principles are part of myself and also the military.鈥�
Bibb says she has seen an evolution of support for active duty military and veterans during her time at 黑洞社区.
鈥満诙瓷缜� recognizes that military is a culture and part of diversity.鈥�
鈥� Sandra Bibb
鈥淭he university does a good job acknowledging that military people come from a different place and they are supportive of that,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he programs they offer like having the new therapy dog available and working to help people return to their studies after deployment shows they are compassionate.鈥�
She says a prospective active duty or veteran student should consider 黑洞社区 because military experiences are valued at the university.
鈥満诙瓷缜� recognizes that military is a culture and part of diversity,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey are recognized and respected for who they are and what they鈥檝e done.鈥�
Sandra was born in Mobile, Alabama. Although she grew up during a challenging period in the segregated South, her family consistently emphasized the importance of education, hard work and faith in God. She attributes those early values with helping her get to where she is in life today.
Her parents did not attend college, but her mother clearly communicated to Sandra and her siblings the importance of education to succeed in life. The kids were encouraged to work hard, and Sandra loved school and flourished in her classes. After high school graduation she was able to come up with scholarships/grants and the $60 needed to buy supplies to start studies at Providence School of Nursing.
鈥淚 knew by the age of 9 that I really, desperately wanted to be a nurse,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he name Sandra means 鈥榟elper of mankind,鈥� so I feel like that combined with my faith really cemented my path in life.鈥�
During her junior year in nursing school a friend who enlisted in the Navy told her about a recruiter who was visiting. After listening to the recruiter she agreed to be commissioned after graduation with a diploma in nursing and join the Navy for three years.
Her first duty station was in the Orthopedic Ward at Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California.
鈥淲hen I began my service I had every intention of doing the three years, but didn鈥檛 know what I was going to do after that,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen I got to the end of my time I felt that I had more work to do and decided to continue active duty.鈥�
Sandra_Bibb
When she was transferred to Intensive Care at Naval Hospital, San Diego, the Navy began requiring nurses to have baccalaureate degrees. She applied for Full Time Active Duty Under Instruction to obtain her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. By this point she had served eight years and had reached a turning point in her life 鈥� she had to make the decision to leave the Navy now or continue her career until retirement at 20 years.
She decided to continue active duty because she was very interested in health disparities and saw an opportunity to make a difference righting some of the wrongs she had witnessed in health care for vulnerable populations.
Once she earned her baccalaureate degree, Sandra went on her first overseas tour to Okinawa, Japan for 18 months. She was charged with a leadership role in the emergency room where she successfully oversaw nurses and several different health professions. She then went back to school and earned her master鈥檚 degree in ambulatory care and family health. The degree got her closer to her ultimate goal to make a difference in health care with families.
After getting her master鈥檚 degree she served as head of a military clinic in Italy for two years, overseeing several interprofessional teams and providing care to more than 800 family members.
鈥淚t was a dream job for me to utilize what I had learned and experienced so far in my career and in school,鈥� she says.
But despite being assigned the position, she received resistance from some staff at the clinic because she was a nurse in a leadership role. These issues led to a formal complaint and investigation into her leadership of the clinic, and while the investigation was being conducted, she considered resigning her commission. What kept her going was the realization that at the time she was the only woman of color at her rank and how important continuing her journey was to those looking up to her.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 about me anymore,鈥� she says. "It was about showing others they could achieve what they wanted to achieve.鈥�
When the investigation was concluded, Sandra鈥檚 leadership was validated. With additional training for all clinic staff and after just six months of working to accomplish the clinic goals, every member of the clinic was recognized with an achievement medal by the Admiral in command. Although it was a difficult time, it helped her fully recognize her responsibility as a role model and commit to taking on a servant leadership role in everything she does.
When she returned to the U.S. she helped start the first regional TRICARE program in San Diego, California. She also returned to school and got her doctoral degree at the University of San Diego. Her last duty station was at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. In her roles as research coordinator, director of population health, and executive director of support services she had the opportunity to start fulfilling the passions that she advocates for today 鈥� population health and interprofessional teams.
She retired at the rank of captain (0-6) in 2004 after serving three decades.
During her career she received numerous professional achievement awards that included the Navy Achievement Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with gold star and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and National Defense Medal with three bronze stars for her contributions to the Navy. She also received the Outstanding Military Woman of Achievement Award from the San Diego County Women鈥檚 Council Navy League, the prestigious Hughes Career Achievement Award from the University of San Diego and the Legion of Merit Medals, one of the highest awards presented in the military.
She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and has served on numerous national and international committees, boards and task forces including the Navy Nurse Corps Association; National Museum of Civil War Medicine, and Sigma That Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. She enjoys staying engaged with active and former military members.