{"id":1362,"date":"2020-04-20T21:14:31","date_gmt":"2020-04-20T21:14:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=1362"},"modified":"2025-02-07T16:24:24","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T21:24:24","slug":"more-than-a-title-or-titles-dr-aaron-sebach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2020\/04\/20\/more-than-a-title-or-titles-dr-aaron-sebach\/","title":{"rendered":"More than a Title \u2014  or Titles: Dr. Aaron Sebach"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column1362_7037dc-88 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column1362_7037dc-88 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column1362_7037dc-88 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column1362_7037dc-88 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column1362_7037dc-88 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column1362_7037dc-88 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column1362_7037dc-88 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column1362_7037dc-88{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column1362_7037dc-88 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column1362_7037dc-88 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column1362_7037dc-88 dynamic-main-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1362_ffde82-c6, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1362_ffde82-c6[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1362_ffde82-c6\"]{font-size:1.5rem;line-height:30px;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-family:proxima-nova;color:#808080;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1362_ffde82-c6 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1362_ffde82-c6[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1362_ffde82-c6\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1362_ffde82-c6 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading1362_ffde82-c6[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1362_ffde82-c6\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading1362_ffde82-c6 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading1362_ffde82-c6\">A supportive partner, a color-coded calendar, and a flexible schedule allow Dr. Aaron Sebach to put as much passion into his practice as his teaching. And WilmU\u2019s nursing practitioner students reap the rewards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"239\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.test.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20200117-MAG-Spr20-Erin_Sebach-4469-1-e1587750743341-300x239-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15279\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20200117-MAG-Spr20-Erin_Sebach-4469-1-e1587750743341-300x239-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20200117-MAG-Spr20-Erin_Sebach-4469-1-e1587750743341-300x239-1-250x199.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Aaron Sebach is chair of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program (DNP) for Wilmington University\u2019s College of Health Professions. And these are the credentials that follow his name: <em>PhD, DNP, MBA, FNP-BC, NP-C, AGACNP-BC, CRNP, RN, CEN, CPEN, CDME, FHM<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A layperson wouldn\u2019t understand the significance of these \u201cletters,\u201d but Dr. Denise Wells, dean of WilmU\u2019s College of Health Professions, does.&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAaron\u2019s impressive list of post-nominal credentials indicates his investment in professional and practice excellence,\u201d she says. \u201cEarning terminal degrees and national certifications formally recognizes his specialty knowledge, skills and experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Sebach is compassionate and steadfast in his pledge to protect human welfare. \u201cThese credentials represent my commitment to the profession and ensure that I am best prepared for my career,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prepared he is, both at WilmU and at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Maryland, where he maintains a practice as an acute care and family nurse practitioner working within the hospital\u2019s adult inpatient medicine service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His husband, Dr. Charles Dolan, is his best friend; his color-coded calendar is arguably his second. It helps him balance demanding professional responsibilities with a robust personal life. And while the couple has traveled the world, they have embraced their most inspiring journey yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Teacher<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Sebach\u2019s <em>first<\/em> doctorate, a DNP in Leadership and Administration from Salisbury University, was for his patients. His second, a Ph.D. in Nursing Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, was for his students. Both terminal degrees \u2014 not to mention his bachelors, master\u2019s, three post-master\u2019s certificates, and MBA in Healthcare Administration \u2014 have fortified his career in several areas, including hospital medicine, perioperative medicine, primary care, and many others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The College of Health Professions\u2019 accrediting body, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), requires academic nurse practitioners to practice outside the University actively. Doing so aligns with WilmU\u2019s mission to improve students\u2019 competitiveness in the flourishing job market. Nursing is a growing field, which means that nursing students need an edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur dean allows for practice time each week to maintain the relevancy of our practice and to translate that knowledge to our students,\u201d says Dr. Sebach, also a nationally board-certified family nurse practitioner and adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner \u201cIt speaks to our scholar-practitioner model here at the University as we\u2019re actively working in the fields for which we prepare our students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to chairing the DNP program, Dr. Sebach\u2019s teaching responsibilities also involve clinical site visits for nurse practitioner (NP) students. He evaluates NP students in clinical settings that the college arranges. Further boosting his classroom effectiveness, Dr. Sebach has published and presented nationally on a variety of preoperative medicine topics. His list of publications, international and national presentations, and fellowships is voluminous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI find that our students are well-prepared and are really leading health care,\u201d says Dr. Sebach. He primarily visits the Southern Delaware region, which fills a tremendous need for primary care providers. \u201cIt\u2019s a dire need,\u201d he adds. \u201cA lot of physicians are not going into primary care as a specialty \u2014 other specialties pay more. That\u2019s where NPs can fill that void and provide much-needed care to patients in rural communities such as Southern Delaware.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Calling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A native and current resident of Salisbury, Dr. Sebach was born in the same hospital where he practices. \u201cIt\u2019s been full-circle for my career,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He knew at James M. Bennett High School that he wanted to do something in health care and his parents encouraged him to become a pharmacist. It would\u2019ve been a great career, he says, but when he enrolled in a two-year heath occupations program at nearby Parkside High School\u2019s Career and Technology Center and did a dual enrollment in academics and health care, he realized that pharmacology was not his calling. He completed the required clinical experiences and earned his nursing assistant license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI appreciated the human touch and the ability to speak to patients and really get to know them,\u201d says Dr. Sebach. He changed course and headed to nursing school, earning both a BSN and MSN at Salisbury University. \u201cIt\u2019s been one of the best decisions I\u2019ve ever made.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not a lot of high school kids know definitively what field they want to pursue, but for Dr. Sebach, health care was in his blood. His aunt was a nurse leader \u2014 also at Peninsula \u2014 and he\u2019d often go to work with her. There, the nursing units, monitor beeps, conversations between doctors, nurses and patients \u2014 the cacophony of a healing environment fueled his interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Sebach\u2019s parents had a few reservations, mostly because there weren\u2019t many men in nursing, and pharmacists made more money. That was true then, but things have changed. Salary-wise, pharmacists and NPs are probably on par at this point, says Dr. Sebach. Sans the stereotyping, men realize that nursing is a rewarding profession with high growth potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, they\u2019re right. Twelve percent of registered nurses are now men, which is up from 2.7 percent in 1970. Regardless of gender, statistics project that nursing will add more than 735,000 jobs by 2024, becoming the third largest job growth of any industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Family<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Sebach met his husband, Dr. Charles Dolan, in 2012, when both worked at a commercial ambulance service in Maryland. Dr. Sebach was the director of nursing, while Dr. Dolan led operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-1375\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"633\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.test.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Unknown-1-1-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15282\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Unknown-1-1-1.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Unknown-1-1-1-250x247.jpeg 250w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Unknown-1-1-1-485x480.jpeg 485w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Dr. Aaron Sebach and husband, Dr. Charles Dolan, on one of their many travels.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>They planned to marry anyway but made it official in January to formally adopt a child. (The adoption process had been in the works for some time. The marriage certificate sealed the deal.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe did things backward: house, child, marriage,\u201d says Dr. Sebach. Both were in health care and shared a passion for providing care. They wanted to have a family and build a legacy. Surrogacy and private adoptions were options, but the couple chose the local Social Services department\u2019s foster-to-adopt program. The experience was eye-opening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere are so many children who\u2019ve had terrible things happen to them,\u201d says Dr. Sebach. \u201cSo many that need a loving family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The adoption process began in May of 2018 when the couple received an email requesting respite placement (temporary care)&nbsp;for Tony, an 11-year-old boy who was the oldest of five siblings. Their mother had physically and emotionally abused all of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTony had been parentified to take care of his siblings since his mother did not,\u201d says Dr. Sebach, \u201cSo we started to do weekend respites just to give him a break and help him feel like a kid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many adopters, the couple initially hoped for a baby or toddler under 5, but they felt a connection to Tony. By December of 2018, Tony had been making regular weekend visits to their home. Social Services determined that it was no longer possible for him to return to his natural family since Tony\u2019s mother had been convicted of child abuse, then incarcerated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A year later, in July, Tony was placed with Drs. Sebach and Dolan full-time and adopted officially on March 12, 2020. His siblings found homes as well: the two sisters in one adoptive home; the two brothers each have new families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey all live local to us,\u201d says Dr. Sebach, \u201cso the children see each other a few times a month. All the adoptive families have committed to the children staying connected. That was the goal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s been an exciting time, says Dr. Sebach. \u201cCertainly a lot of changes. I have been most appreciative of the flexibility the University offers to have the time to make sure all of Tony\u2019s needs are met.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Global View<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The travel bug bit when Dr. Sebach\u2019s friend, an emergency and part-time cruise ship nurse, told him about Holland America Line. \u201cCharles and I booked a cruise to the Caribbean one Easter and really enjoyed that.\u201d They\u2019ve voyaged to Hong Kong, Spain, Greece, Alaska, and this summer, from Rome to Copenhagen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter wp-image-1376 size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"633\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2020\/04\/Unknown-1-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Dr. Sebach rides a camel\" class=\"wp-image-1376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Unknown-1-1.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Unknown-1-1-250x247.jpeg 250w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Unknown-1-1-485x480.jpeg 485w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Sebach travels by plane, train, automobile \u2014 and camel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, the family of three will sail the high seas together, since Tony\u2019s official adoption allows him to travel internationally. He\u2019s already taken a few trips with his new parents, including a weeklong escape to San Diego for Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Travel has been an academic pursuit as well for Dr. Sebach. He studied abroad in Tanzania while earning his bachelor\u2019s and taught there about HIV and AIDS. For his master\u2019s, he visited China to learn about traditional Chinese medicine, which, he says, \u201cis an augment to Western medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Salisbury didn\u2019t require studying abroad; Dr. Sebach wanted to explore a universal view of health care. \u201cBoth trips inspired my practice in different ways,\u201d he says. \u201cThe trip to Tanzania taught me that you can provide a lot of care with limited resources, and how to best provide care to rural populations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In China, he learned to focus on the whole patient, not just to prescribe medications. \u201cI think that\u2019s one thing that distinguishes NPs from physicians. We are good at being our patients\u2019 advocates and really understanding their needs from a holistic perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In several states, including Delaware and Maryland, NPs have independent practice authority and are hanging their own shingles for primary care and specialty offices. Data that NPs have provided over time show that outcomes are identical to physicians in terms of managing and diagnosing chronic and acute conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The American Association of Nurse Practitioners reports that in the past two years, \u201cthe numbers of NPs have doubled, and today, more than 270,000 practice across the U.S.\u201d The increase can be attributed to the confidence patients and health care systems place in NP-provided care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2018, more than 87 percent of of NPs were prepared in primary care programs, while 8 percent of physicians entered a primary care residency. Patients elected to see an NP for their care in more than 1 billion visits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Competitive Advantage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>WilmU\u2019s DNP program, which was reaccredited last month by CCNE and is offered in two formats, online and in a weekend intensive format at Jack P. Varsalona Hall at Wilmington University Brandywine, provides advanced practice nurses and nurse leaders with integrated clinical and leadership skills.&nbsp;It also encourages them to go way beyond the data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s about taking a step back, examining the available evidence, and translating that knowledge to practice,\u201d says Dr. Sebach. \u201cDNP-prepared nurses decrease the knowledge-practice gap. They are experts in leading practice changes across the continuum of care for patients, families, health care providers and health systems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For advanced practice nurses and nurse leaders who have a passion for providing high-quality care and improving health outcomes, says Dr. Sebach, \u201cthey should pursue a DNP degree. They should proceed with that goal and not let their gender be a barrier for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It certainly hasn\u2019t for Dr. Sebach or many of his colleagues. \u201cIf you look at men in nursing,\u201d he says, \u201cthey seem to excel in their careers and often move into management positions or advanced practice roles like NPs or nurse anesthetists.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Future advanced practice nurses and nurse leaders need strong role models and mentors, Dr. Sebach says. The health care field is wide open. America is aging, and the older we get, the more nurses we\u2019ll need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn more about WilmU\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/wilmu.edu\/health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DNP program here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A supportive partner, a color-coded calendar, and a flexible schedule allow Dr. Aaron Sebach to put as much passion into his practice as his teaching&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":15279,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[135],"tags":[8,632],"class_list":["post-1362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-magazine","tag-college-of-nursing-and-health-sciences","tag-magazine-spring-2020"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":135,"label":"MAGAZINE"}],"post_tag":[{"value":8,"label":"College of Nursing and Health Sciences"},{"value":632,"label":"Magazine Spring 2020"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20200117-MAG-Spr20-Erin_Sebach-4469-1-e1587750743341-300x239-1.jpg",300,239,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Rebecca Slinger","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/author\/rebecca\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":135,"name":"MAGAZINE","slug":"magazine","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":692,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":431,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":135,"category_count":431,"category_description":"","cat_name":"MAGAZINE","category_nicename":"magazine","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":8,"name":"College of Nursing and Health Sciences","slug":"college-of-nursing-and-health-sciences","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":565,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":110,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":632,"name":"Magazine Spring 2020","slug":"magazine-spring-2020","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1189,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":17,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1362"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1362\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15283,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1362\/revisions\/15283"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}