Descriptive Summary
Repository: University of Virginia School of Nursing, Eleanor Crowder Bjoring Center for Nursing Historical Inquiry
Title: Kenneth R. White Papers
Physical Characteristics: 2.5 linear feet; 6 boxes, 1 oversize certificate
Language: English
Collector: Kenneth R. White
Biographical Information
Dr. Kenneth R. White, Ph.D., APRN, FACHE, FAAN, is a widely recognized and awarded leader in healthcare, healthcare administration, and in the academic world. After having served on the faculties of Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia, altogether for over twenty years, he accepted the Deanship of the School of Nursing at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, an appointment he holds as of this writing. He began a two-year term as president of the American Academy of Nursing in October 2021, the first male to hold that office.
A native of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, Dr. White holds numerous academic degrees, beginning the journey in rapid succession in 1979 and 1980 with a Bachelor of Science from Oral Roberts University and a Master of Public Health from the University of Oklahoma. In 1995 he earned both the B.A. and M.A. in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University, followed on rapidly in 1996 with a Ph.D. in Health Services Organization and Research from the same school. Between these two blocks of degrees, White spent his career largely within the Mercy Health System, in executive posts at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City and in consulting positions with the Mercy International hospital management programs in Palau and Guam, where he served as senior administrator for four years at the Guam Memorial Hospital. From this managerial career he initiated his academic pathway at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. White has also served as a visiting professor at the LUISS Business School Guido Carli, in Rome, and the Swiss School of Public Health at Lugano. While at the University of Virginia, he earned a post-Master's certificate as a nurse practitioner, specializing in hospice and palliative care.
Dr. White has made a significant impact in the world of academic publishing, manifest in numerous journal articles and book chapters ranging from nursing practice to healthcare management and access, as well as in monographs. Two of note here are, with John W. Griffith, Reaching Excellence in Healthcare Management, which won the American College of Healthcare Executives James A. Hamilton Book-of-the-Year award in 2012, and The Well-Managed Healthcare Organization, this last now appearing in a revised ninth edition. Equally numerous throughout his career are the tokens of professional recognition.
Download the transcript of an oral history that was conducted with Dr. White in August 2021: Oral History with Ken White
Scope and Content
The Kenneth R. White Papers trace Dr. White's professional activities and interests up to 2020, when he resigned his appointment as professor and Associate Dean for Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at the University of Virginia School of Nursing, subsequently accepting the deanship of the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing. A range of materials, including correspondence, interviews, publications, speeches, media coverage, and photographs touch on his varied positions in hospital administration, nursing, and academia. Of particular importance are three scrapbooks, retained in page form as Dr. White assembled them. These concern his early career in management with the Mercy Hospital and Health Center, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; his continued work for Mercy International at the Guam Memorial Hospital; and his work as a high school student and undergraduate with the St. Francis Hospital Emergency Department, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This last takes the form of a staff reunion project, assembled for a 25-year anniversary.
Fully one third of the papers concern Dr. White's work for Mercy International, specifically a three-month consultation project at McDonald Hospital in Koror, Palau, an archipelago nation in the western Pacific; and a multi-year management contract with the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority, on the island of Guam, U.S. territory in Micronesia – these projects occurring in the 1980s to the early-1990s. The Guam project, in particular, yielded correspondence and reports describing the management initiatives undertaken and the difficulties confronted in bringing the hospital to international standards of care and management.
Another cache of materials concern Dr. White's professorship at Virginia Commonwealth University, which he held for over a decade before joining the University of Virginia faculty. Of special significance here are twelve folders containing graduate-student examination/evaluations of courses taught by Dr. White, offering insights on White's teaching methodology and the competencies expected of health administration graduate students.
Also present are five folders of materials relating Dr. White's involvement with the American College of Healthcare Executives, including a small but highly significant collection of items on the establishment and initial steps of the LGBT Forum within that organization. The nearly concurrent foundation of the Rainbow Healthcare Leaders Association is charted in articles of incorporation and in records of U.S. patent and trademark registration, rare examples of the mainstreaming of LGBTQ issues in professional healthcare circles.
Series Description
Arrangement
The White Papers are organized by subject categories into two overarching sections. The first section, comprising items in boxes one through four, is an accumulation of materials generated over the entirety of White's career, alphabetized by general subject heading. The second section, comprising items in boxes five and six, along with the oversize item, pertains exclusively to the Mercy Health materials, also alphabetized by general subject heading. Individual items throughout the papers are arranged chronologically.
Contents List
ACADEMIC PAPERS: BACHELOR OF SCIENCE, MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH
1978, 1980 Box-Folder: 01-001
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: PERSONAL STATEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS, KEN WHITE
2004/07, 2022 Box-Folder: 01-002
CORRESPONDENCE: GENERAL
[1973]-2003 Box-Folder: 01-003
CORRESPONDENCE: GENERAL
2004-2020, n.d. Box-Folder: 01-004
CORRESPONDENCE: WHITE'S DEPARTURE FROM VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
2008 Box-Folder: 01-005
DIGITAL MEDIA: VIRGINIA CURRENTS RADIO PROGRAM: CROSSOVER CLINIC; LUISS BUSINESS SCHOOL, ROME, ITALY: LECTURE; AMERICAN COLLEGE OF HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVES, CAREER ENCOUNTERS: HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVES
2001, 2007, n.d. Box-Folder: 01-006
DISSERTATION: RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1993-[1996], n.d. Box-Folder: 01-007
INTERVIEWS WITH KEN WHITE
2010-2019 Box-Folder: 01-008
ORGANIZATIONS: AMERICAN COLLEGE OF HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATORS
1980-1984 Box-Folder: 01-009
ORGANIZATIONS: AMERICAN COLLEGE OF HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVES: CORRESPONDENCE
1989-2008, 2018 Box-Folder: 01-010
ORGANIZATIONS: AMERICAN COLLEGE OF HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVES: INTERVIEW WITH NOMINATING COMMITTEE
2003 Box-Folder: 01-011
ORGANIZATIONS: AMERICAN COLLEGE OF HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVES: LGBT FORUM
2015-2018 Box-Folder: 01-012
ORGANIZATIONS: AMERICAN COLLEGE OF HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVES: MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
1992, 2004-2006, n.d. Box-Folder: 02-001
ORGANIZATIONS: AMERICAN COLLEGE OF HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVES: PLANNING DOCUMENTS
1998, 2004-2006 Box-Folder: 02-002
ORGANIZATIONS: RAINBOW HEALTHCARE LEADERS ASSOCIATION
2013-2016 Box-Folder: 02-003
PEPLAU, HILDEGARD: ITEMS CONCERNING PEPLAU AND THE JOURNAL ARTICLE BY BEGUN AND WHITE, "ALTERING NURSING'S DOMINANT LOGIC," 1995
1995-1997 Box-Folder: 02-004
PHOTOGRAPHS: MISCELLANEOUS AND PORTRAIT
1993-ca. 2017, n.d. Box-Folder: 02-005
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION: CERTIFICATES
1973-2018, n.d. Box-Folder: 02-006
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION: MEDIA FILES AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS
1997-2018 Box-Folder: 02-007
PUBLICATIONS
1993, 1997, 2015 Box-Folder: 02-008
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
- 2019/07 Box-Folder: 02-009
RESUMES
- 1980-ca. 1991 Box-Folder: 02-010
SCRAPBOOK, FOLDER 1 [NAME IDS TO BE INCORPORATED]
1981-1987 Box-Folder: 02-011
SCRAPBOOK, FOLDER 2 [NAME IDS TO BE INCORPORATED]
1981-1987 Box-Folder: 02-012
SCRAPBOOK, FOLDER 3 [NAME IDS TO BE INCORPORATED]
1981-1987 Box-Folder: 03-001
SCRAPBOOK: ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL REUNION AND RELATED ITEMS [NAME IDS TO BE INCORPORATED]
1977-2006, n.d. Box-Folder: 03-002
SPEECHES: INSPIRATIONAL ITEMS
1982-2008 Box-Folder: 03-003
SPEECHES: ALL BY KEN WHITE
1987, 2006-2023, n.d. Box-Folder: 03-004
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS CASE STUDY OF KEN WHITE BY NORMA GEDDES: FIELD NOTES AND SUMMARIES
1996 Box-Folder: 03-005
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS CASE STUDY OF KEN WHITE BY NORMA GEDDES: PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS; AUDITOR'S REPORT; DRAFT AND FINAL REPORT
1996 Box-Folder: 03-006
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS CASE STUDY OF KEN WHITE BY NORMA GEDDES: RESEARCHER'S JOURNAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROJECT
1996 Box-Folder: 03-007
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH: ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MATERIALS, INCLUDING 1985 ALUMNI LIST
1983-1986 Box-Folder: 03-008
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT FOR HEALTH AFFAIRS
2013-2019 Box-Folder: 03-009
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: MEDICAL DELEGATION TO CHINA
2016/10-11 Box-Folder: 03-010
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: CURRICULUM: COURSE EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS, SPRING SEMESTER 1998, CLASS OF 2000
1998 Box-Folder: 03-011
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: CURRICULUM: COURSE EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS, SPRING SEMESTER 1999, CLASS OF 2001
1999 Box-Folder: 03-012
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: CURRICULUM: COURSE EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS, SPRING SEMESTER 2000, CLASS OF 2002
2000 Box-Folder: 04-001
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: CURRICULUM: COURSE EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS, SPRING SEMESTER 2001, CLASS OF 2003
2001 Box-Folder: 04-002
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: CURRICULUM: COURSE EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS, SPRING SEMESTER 2002, CLASS OF 2004
2002 Box-Folder: 04-003
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: CURRICULUM: COURSE EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS, SPRING SEMESTER 2003, CLASS OF 2005
2003 Box-Folder: 04-004
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: CURRICULUM: COURSE EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS, SPRING SEMESTER 2004, CLASS OF 2006
2004 Box-Folder: 04-005
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: CURRICULUM: COURSE EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS, SPRING SEMESTER 2005, CLASS OF 2007
2005 Box-Folder: 04-006
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: CURRICULUM: COURSE EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS, SPRING SEMESTER 2006, CLASS OF 2008
2006 Box-Folder: 04-007
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: CURRICULUM: COURSE EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS, SPRING SEMESTER 2008, CLASS OF 2010
2008 Box-Folder: 04-008
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: CURRICULUM: COURSE EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS, SPRING SEMESTER 2011, CLASS OF 2013
2011 Box-Folder: 04-009
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: CURRICULUM: COURSE EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS, CLINICAL CONCEPTS AND RELATIONSHIPS
n.d. Box-Folder: 04-010
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: KAZAKH HEALTH PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM
2005-2006, n.d. Box-Folder: 04-011
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: STUDENT SATIRE; SCHOOL OF NURSING UNIFORM PATCH
n.d. Box-Folder: 04-012
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY: STEVE LINDSEY SCHOLARSHIP, WITH PRESENTATION CEREMONY TALK BY KEN WHITE
2007-2009 Box-Folder: 04-013
VISITING PROFESSORSHIP: LUISS (LIBERA UNIVERSITÀ INTERNAZIONALE DEGLI STUDI SOCIALI) BUSINESS SCHOOL GUIDO CARLI, ROME, ITALY
2007, 2008, 2011-2013 Box-Folder: 04-014
VISITING PROFESSORSHIP: SWISS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, LUGANO, SWITZERLAND
2008-2011 Box-Folder: 04-015
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: GENERAL INFORMATION
1988, n.d. Box-Folder: 05-001
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: GENERAL INFORMATION: TOURISM
- 1988 Box-Folder: 05-002
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: CORRESPONDENCE
1989-1993 Box-Folder: 05-003
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: CORRESPONDENCE: KAREN CALDWELL'S NEWSLETTER
1991-1994 Box-Folder: 05-004
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: GUAM MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AUTHORITY: PUBLICATIONS BY OR ABOUT
1989-1992 Box-Folder: 05-005
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: REPORTS: PLANNING
1990/09, 10 Box-Folder: 05-006
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: REPORTS: PROGRESS REPORTS
1990/10-1991/09 Box-Folder: 05-007
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: REPORTS: SEMI-ANNUAL SUMMARY
1991/03, 04 Box-Folder: 05-008
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: REPORTS: PROJECT SUMMARY
1991/07 Box-Folder: 05-009
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: REPORTS: JCAHO SUMMARY
1991/08 Box-Folder: 05-010
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: REPORTS: ANNUAL
1991/09 Box-Folder: 05-011
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: REPORTS: ANNUAL
1992 Box-Folder: 05-012
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: REPORTS: FINAL REPORT
1993/06 Box-Folder: 05-013
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: SCRAPBOOK, FOLDER 1
1988-1993 Box-Folder: 05-014
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: SCRAPBOOK, FOLDER 2
1988-1993 Box-Folder: 06-001
MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROJECT: SCRAPBOOK, FOLDER 3
1988-1993 Box-Folder: 06-002
MERCY HEALTH: INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTERS
1990-1993 Box-Folder: 06-003
MERCY HEALTH: OKLAHOMA CITY HOSPITAL: GENERAL INFORMATION
1985-1991, n.d. Box-Folder: 06-004
MERCY HEALTH: OKLAHOMA CITY HOSPITAL: JOB DESCRIPTIONS
[1980]-1988 Box-Folder: 06-005
MERCY HEALTH: OKLAHOMA CITY HOSPITAL: PHOTOGRAPHS
- 1969, n.d. Box-Folder: 06-006
MERCY HEALTH: OKLAHOMA CITY HOSPITAL: PUBLICATIONS, NEWSLETTERS
1981-1987 Box-Folder: 06-007
MERCY HEALTH: OKLAHOMA CITY HOSPITAL: PUBLICATIONS, PROMOTIONAL
1984, 1985, n.d. Box-Folder: 06-008
MERCY HEALTH: OKLAHOMA CITY HOSPITAL: PUBLICATIONS: SYMPOSIA, TALKS
1984-1987 Box-Folder: 06-009
MERCY HEALTH: PALAU PROGRAM: BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1956, 1981, 1984, n.d. Box-Folder: 06-010
MERCY HEALTH: PALAU PROGRAM: CORRESPONDENCE
1984-1985 Box-Folder: 06-011
MERCY HEALTH: PALAU PROGRAM: MEDIA COVERAGE
1984-1985 Box-Folder: 06-012
MERCY HEALTH: PALAU PROGRAM: REPORTS AND RELATED ITEMS
1983-1984, n.d. Box-Folder: 06-013
MERCY HEALTH: PALAU PROGRAM: PHOTOGRAPHS
[1984] Box-Folder: 06-014
OVERSIZE ITEM: MERCY HEALTH: GUAM PROGRAM: CERTIFICATE FROM THE ANCIENT ORDER OF THE CHAMORRI, GUAM
1993/07/02 Oversize file-Folder-Item: 04-07-023
Notes
Administrative Information
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Preferred Citation
University of Virginia School of Nursing, Eleanor Crowder Bjoring Center for Nursing Historical Inquiry, Kenneth R. White Papers
Processing Information
Processed by Henry K. Sharp in 2021 and 2022.