Reading Hospital recently announced that Debbie Rahn, EdD, MSN, RN, has been named the Executive Director, Dean of Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences (RHSHS). Dr. Rahn graduated from the School’s Nursing Program in 1978 and has been a valued member of the hospital team for her entire healthcare career.
Her leadership in academic progression has helped to create RHSHS’s certificate and dual enrollment programs. As a result, students are dually admitted to RHSHS and Alvernia University, and they receive a diploma from RHSHS and an associate degree from the university when they graduate. Students then have the opportunity to seamlessly transition into the university’s BSN or Bachelors of Health Sciences (MI, DMS, ST) programs to complete their studies.
“I am looking forward to this new role,” said Dr. Rahn. “It’s been a privilege to be part of the growth of the academic programs at the school and I look forward to working with the team to create additional educational opportunities for our students.”
As Executive Director, Dean, Dr. Rahn is responsible for the leadership of multiple hospital-based diploma and certificate programs including Nursing (RN), Medical Imaging (MI), Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS), Surgical Technology (ST), Medical Laboratory Science (MLS), Phlebotomy, and Emergency Medical Services (EMT, A-EMT, and Paramedics).
Wei Du, MD, Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer at Tower Health added, “Dr. Rahn is an advocate for our students and our academic programs. I know that under her continued leadership we will continue to see our students graduate qualified and ready to enter their chosen healthcare field.”
Since her start of employment at Reading Hospital, Dr. Rahn has held multiple positions in both professional and academic settings. This includes working as a psychiatry staff Nurse, Assistant Head Nurse of Reading Hospital’s inpatient psychiatric unit, Nurse Manager of Reading Hospital’s inpatient oncology unit, Nursing Program Faculty, Curriculum Coordinator, and Director of the RHSHS Nursing Program. Most recently, she has served as the Director of RHSHS since 2009. She is also an adjunct professor at Alvernia University, teaching in the MSN Nursing Education program.
“I can’t think of anyone better to take on this new role,” said Charles F. Barbera, MD, Reading Hospital President and CEO. “She has dedicated her career to the Berks County community, and the students she educates will carry on her legacy.”
Dr. Rahn received her diploma in nursing from Reading Hospital School of Nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from Penn State University, her Master of Science Degree in Nursing from Villanova University, and her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Management with a focus in Higher Education from Drexel University. Her dissertation research on Transformational Teamwork was published in the Journal of Nursing Care Quality.
In addition to her work with Reading Hospital, Dr. Rahn has held multiple leadership roles in organizational, state, and national organizations – especially in the areas of nursing education, academic progression, and nursing research. She served on the Board of Commissioners for Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing from 2016 to 2022 and was elected as Chair of the Board of Commissioners during her final two years of service. Dr. Rahn has a long-standing interest in bioethics, and currently serves as an ethics consultant on the Reading Hospital Ethics Committee. She has presented at a variety of local, regional, and national conferences on topics of ethics, research, education, teamwork, professional boundaries, academic progression, ethics of social media for healthcare professionals, and quality outcomes.
