Western University of Health Sciences

Western University of Health Sciences
Motto	The Discipline of Learning. The Art of Caring.
Established	1977
Type	Private, non-profit
President	Philip Pumerantz, PhD
Academic staff	250 full-time 1,200 adjunct professionals
Admin. staff	700
Students	3,200 (2010-2011)
Location	Pomona, CA, USA
Campus	Urban, 22 acres (8.9 ha)
Website	www.westernu.edu

Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU) is a non-profit, private, graduate school for the health professions. The university campus includes 11 major buildings on 22 acres (8.9 ha) in downtown Pomona, California.

Founded in 1977 with a student body of 36, it now has more than 3,200 students . The College of Veterinary Medicine (opened 2003) was the first veterinary school to open in the country in 20 years. WesternU is one of the largest graduate schools for the health professions in California, offering 22 academic programs in nine colleges.

All of the health care programs have professional accreditation, and the university is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The D.O. program (COMP) is also accredited by the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation.

Institutional mission

To produce, in a humanistic tradition, health care professionals and biomedical knowledge that will enhance and extend the quality of life in our communities.

Colleges and degrees offered

• College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) and College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Northwest (COMP Northwest):

• Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)

• College of Allied Health Professions:

• Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
• Master of Science in Health Sciences (MS)
• Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPA)

• College of Graduate Nursing:

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
• Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate (FNP)

• College of Pharmacy:

• Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)
• Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (MSPS)

• College of Veterinary Medicine:

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)

• College of Dentistry:

• Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD)

• College of Optometry:

• Doctor of Optometry (OD)

• College of Podiatric Medicine:

• Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM)

• Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences:

• Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MS)
• Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MS)

Impact in the community

WesternU has two state-of-the-art Patient Care Centers (PCC) that includes a Medical Center, Foot & Ankle Center, Eye Care Center, Dental Center and Pharmacy. The Medical Center offers primary care services to more than 10,000 clients a year. One Patient Care Center is located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and the other is in Pomona, on the main university campus. The Pomona Patient Care Center opened in May 2010, and serves more than 10,000 patients per year . Students from the different colleges at WesternU learn and develop clinical skills at the PCC.

The university is home to the nationally renowned Harris Family Center for Disability and Health Policy. The Health Education Center, a 180,000 square foot state of the art facility, opened in January 2010 as a part of a $100 million dollar expansion project at WesternU. The expansion accommodated its three newest colleges -- dentistry, podiatry and optometry -- as well creating a new home for the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific.

In 2008, the Banfield Pet Hospital on campus was opened to the community, providing primary care services. The hospital includes a surgical suite, an x-ray room, a half dozen exam rooms and isolation facilities.

Interprofessional Education

In 2007, WesternU initiated the planning stages of an Interprofessional Education (IPE) program, involving all 9 of its colleges; with goals to improve understanding of other health professions and to provide and promote a team approach to patient-centered care and health care management, leading to improved patient care . Medical errors associated with poor communication and a fragmented health care system contribute to as many as 98,000 patient deaths per year . In 2010, the World Health Organization submitted a “call for action to policy-makers, decision makers, educators, health workers, community leaders and global health advocates to take action and move towards embedding interprofessional education and collaborative practice in all of the services they deliver.”

In the initial phase of WesternU’s IPE program, students meet in small groups with a faculty facilitator and discuss the non-clinical aspects of complex cases, such as psychosocial issues, financial or ethical challenges, communication barriers, interprofessional knowledge and awareness, and quality of life issues. In the 2010-11 academic year, the IPE program involved 850 students and 150 faculty members from the 9 colleges at WesternU. The second phase focuses on patient and community safety, while the last phase emphasizes clinical skills. The development of clinical IPE rotations with grand rounds and journal clubs is currently being explored .

College of Veterinary Medicine

The Veterinary Medicine program has an entirely problem-based curriculum, rather than lecture-based. This style of curriculum, with its emphasis on small group work and research, is purported to improve skills that may be less-developed in a lecture format and provide students with more flexibility in determining their study schedule and style. The College of Veterinary Medicine has nearly 400 students; in the fall of 2011, the college received nearly 740 applications for 105 positions. WesternU has a 6,000 square-foot primary care pet hospital on campus where first and second year students get early exposure to clinical care .

See also

• Banfield

References

.

External links

• www.westernu.edu