History
The Mercy Difference
In 1908 Bishop Joseph Schrembs, the first Bishop of Toledo, invited the Sisters of Mercy to open a hospital in Toledo. The Sisters of Mercy not only understood the importance of hospital care, but also the importance of well prepared nurses. The Sisters of Mercy enrolled their first class of ten student nurses between June and December of 1918 just as the Spanish Influenza struck the Toledo community. Over the next seventy-six years diplomas were awarded to 2,921 nurses.
By the late twentieth century, Mercy Sister Patricia Ann Dalke, Director of the School of Nursing, recognized the need for a nursing degree program and Mercy College of Northwest Ohio was incorporated on September 18, 1992. The first Associate Degrees in Nursing were conferred on December 10, 1994. Thereafter, Mercy College opened associate and/or bachelor’s degree programs in Cardiovascular Technology, Health Care Administration, Health Information Technology, Human Biology, Medical Imaging, Radiologic Technology and certificate programs, including Polysomnographic Technology, Ophthalmic Technology, EMT/Paramedic among others.
In 2003 Mercy College of Northwest Ohio aligned with the Humility of Mary Health Partners in Youngstown, Ohio and established a campus at St. Elizabeth Health Partners specializing in nursing education. Reflecting its geographic reach and advances in distance education, the College name was changed in August of 2011 to Mercy College of Ohio.
Students now also have the opportunity to choose land-based or online classes. Mercy College of Ohio continues to offer quality degree and certificate programs in the health sciences, rooted in the tradition and values of the Sisters of Mercy.
