Creating an environment for healthy living through a unique wellness partnership

MESA, Ariz. - Valley of the Sun YMCA will celebrate the grand opening of the East Valley Family YMCA (EVFY) on the campus of A.T. Still University (ATSU) on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A variety of activities are scheduled, including a drawing for a 32” flat screen TV, and attendees will be able to tour the new state-of-the-art facility and receive information about the YMCA’s programs and the benefits of membership. The event is free and open to the public.

The new facility, which is the seventh YMCA in the East Valley, will encompass 32,000 square feet and will feature amenities including a fitness center, teen center, gymnasium, 25-yard competitive lap/fitness pool, a family adventure aquatic area, and a Lifestyle Concierge who will assist members in determining their successful path to a healthier life. The EVFY, in partnership with ATSU, will offer unique life-enhancing programs and fitness facilities to East Valley community members as well as to University students, faculty, and staff. Through a partnership that began in 2002, ATSU and EVFY have focused on creating innovative, wellness-oriented programs that will eventually be utilized in YMCA’s across the Valley of the Sun.

“We are excited to have the YMCA on ATSU’s campus,” said ATSU Provost Craig Phelps, D.O. “We are collaborating with the YMCA on a number of unique programs that will improve the health status of its members and the greater East Valley communities. This partnership with the YMCA also allows ATSU to continue working within the community to improve health professions education opportunities for East Valley residents, our students, and programs.”

“We feel the EVFY benefits tremendously by having access to ATSU’s top-notch educators and students who are dedicated to serving the community’s health and wellness needs,” said Damon Olsen, East Valley Family YMCA Executive Director. “The ability to leverage the resources of the Arizona Health & Technology Park as well as Mesa’s ‘Power Road Knowledge Corridor’ will provide unprecedented growth possibilities to the EVFY and opportunities to our members.”

The EVFY, which began construction in August 2008, is the latest addition to the Arizona Health & Technology Park in Mesa, a 132-acre business park that currently includes ATSU’s Arizona School of Health Sciences, Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, and School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, as well as HealthSouth’s 40-bed rehabilitation hospital which opened in August 2009. Future plans for expansion of the Arizona Health & Technology Park will include medical offices and health technology/biomedical research and development facilities.

“The University is very fortunate to have been able to partner with organizations within the Arizona Health & Technology Park that share our vision for keeping the community, students, faculty and staff focused on improving wellness,” said ATSU Assistant Provost Gary Cloud, Ph.D. “Healthy lifestyles matter to ATSU.”

MESA, Ariz. (Aug. 5, 2008 ) –A.T. Still University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (SOMA) celebrated the enrollment of its second class at its White Coat Ceremony held in the Mesa Arts Center on Friday, August 1. The ceremony symbolizes an incoming student’s commitment to the obligations of their new profession and their responsibility to future patients. The event also represents new beginnings for SOMA as its inaugural class prepares to continue their education at partnering community campuses.

Students and faculty members campus-wide gathered at the event to celebrate the present and future of SOMA’s program. Keynote speaker Jack Dillenberg, D.D.S, M.P.H., dean of Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ASDOH), spoke on the significance of the ceremony and how physicians can better serve the community.

“I believe that the White Coat Ceremony is extremely important, especially when conducted at the beginning of the student’s journey in medical school. Students need to know that their values of integrity, honesty, and compassion are essential in their education as physicians. Their patients will come to trust and respect them as they demonstrate these important qualities. This trust will enable the ‘new’ physicians to better serve their patients, the patient’s family, and ultimately the community at large,” said Dr. Dillenberg.

SOMA, known for its cutting edge technology and self-directed learning, prepares its students to become more efficient as physicians by offering them hands-on learning in small group settings, a firsthand look at local healthcare systems, and an opportunity to be part of community health practices.

“This could be one of the most innovative medical schools in the country for two main reasons: our curricular model and sending students out [to other campuses]”, said Douglas Wood, D.O., Ph.D., dean of SOMA. “Medical students learn best when they are in the context they are learning. They learn what they can use right away.”

For three of their four educational years students will work closely with community health care centers where they will continue to spend time learning in classroom settings. SOMA offers students the opportunity to attend one of the 11 partnering community campuses or consortiums with locations ranging from Sunset Family Health Center in New York to Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health, based in Hawaii. Each location has its own character and varying techniques but all reach out to underserved communities. The campuses were selected based on their quality, size, and reputation for leadership. Other important factors in the decision were location and demographics of the area.

“Students need to understand how local healthcare systems operate and become advocates for learning inside of them. If they’re not culturally adept, they won’t be as effective as physicians,” said Gary Cloud, Ph.D., director of advancement with SOMA.

The program’s inaugural class consisted of 107 students from 23 different states along with countries including Mexico and Africa. Of them, their average age was 27; 62 were male and 45 were female. Current registration indicates the incoming class’s average age is 26 and is comprised of 103 students, 52 males and 51 females.

After competing their first year at ATSU, students receive a four- to five-week break followed by the continuation of their education across the nation in September.

“Our goal is to see at least 25 percent of them work more than a year at their campus [after completion of program] – that would be very, very good,” said Dr. Wood of the students. “This is something that other folks haven’t done before. The opportunity is here and not at other schools.”

A total of 59 need-based scholarships were granted to select incoming students. Of them, four students received $10,000; 14 received $2,000; and 41 received $1,000.