ATSU Board meets in Mesa

New medical school accreditation, completed Connell Center funding announced

MESA, Ariz. (Feb. 9, 2006 )– The Board of Trustees of A.T. Still University of Health Sciences met in Mesa, Ariz., on February 3 and 4, 2006.

The trustees received copies of the financial reports, the proposed 2006-07 operating budget, and the ATSU Long-Range Plan 2005-2010. The President’s Report included dashboard indicators, updates of university activities, the “Needs Assessment for Professionalism” at KCOM, the ATSU Geriatric Healthcare course, and new degree programs under consideration.

Dr. Jon Persavich, dean of the School of Health Management, working with Deans Phil Slocum and Doug Wood, proposed online master and doctoral degrees in health education (M.H.Ed. and D.H.Ed.). The board approved both degrees. Dr. Randy Danielsen, dean of the Arizona School of Health Sciences, proposed and received approval for an online Doctor of Health Sciences (D.H.Sc.) degree program and a M.S. in Human Movement.

The board approved the following tuitions for fiscal year 2006-07: KCOM’s D.O. tuition for first-year students will be $35,320; second-year student tuition will be $34,920; third-year student tuition will be $34,550; and, fourth-year student tuition will be $34,225. KCOM’s M.S. in Biomedical Sciences tuition will not change, and the tuition for the SHM programs (M.P.H., M.G.H., and M.H.A.) will be $465 per credit hour. The dental school (ASDOH) tuition for first- and second-year students will be $39,860; third-year student tuition will be $36,065; and, tuition will be $35,220 for fourth-year students. ASDOH equipment lab fees for all four years were reduced to reflect actual costs. Each of the ASHS programs (residential and distance) tuition will increase 6 percent for all first-year students, and all other non-first-year ASHS classes will increase 5 percent.

The Board of Trustees also heard reports from the Mesa campus faculty, student, and alumni representatives. Pam Bosch, Ph.D., PT, presented the Faculty Assembly report to the board on behalf of Jackie Kingma, MS, ATC, PA-C, PT, Mesa Campus faculty representative. ASHS Faculty Bylaws were modeled after those of the Faculty Assembly at KCOM. The activities of the assembly are facilitated by three committees: Faculty Affairs, Jim Roush, Ph.D., PT, ATC, chair; Academic Affairs, Cecelia Sartor-Glittenberg, MSPT, NCS, chair; and the Advancement and Planning committees, Mike Kronenfeld, chair.

Gretchen E. Buhlig, associate vice president for Institutional Advancement, Mesa Campus, was introduced by Bob Basham, vice president of Institutional Advancement. Gretchen has a proven track record of success in development and institutional advancement including the past several years as associate vice president withArizona State University Foundation.

Edward Phillips, MBA, assistant vice president for development for ASHS and ASDOH, spoke on behalf of the ASHS Alumni Association Board of Governors. Fundraising on the Arizona campus exceeded $2 million in 2005. He updated the board on his visit to Kirksville where he learned more about the “Kirksville Experience.”

Rob Flores, chair, Mesa Campus Student Government Association, provided a report on the activities of the Mesa Campus Student Government Association. The new student lounge and learning resource center expansion will greatly assist students. Flores indicated that he was “proud to represent a very diverse student body from several programs who work together as a single cohesive unit to better the lives of the students and the community in which we reside.”

Additional reports were provided by Randy Danielsen, Ph.D., PA-C, dean of ASHS, Jack Dillenberg, D.D.S., M.P.H., dean of ASDOH, Douglas Wood, D.O., Ph.D., Dean of the proposed medical school, O.T. Wendel, Ph.D., associate provost, and Craig Phelps, D.O. FAOASM, provost. Dr. Phelps discussed plans for the Mesa Campus, including the construction of new facilities, and the development of the Arizona Health & Technology Park. He also announced that the National Academy of Sports Medicine is renting space on the Mesa campus. Drs. Wendel and Danielsen are working with the academy to develop an M.S. in Human Movement. Dr. Danielsen reported that the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences (IHS) Department was formed in July 2005 and is teaching the principles of evidence-based practice, healthcare outcomes, health informatics, technology, patient-centered care, and inter-professional teamwork. In addition, the board adopted a resolution to change the Sports Health Care program to an Athletic Training (AT) program. The board also approved the discontinuance of the Medical Informatics MS degree after the current medical informatics students graduate.

Dr. Dillenberg reported that we now have three years of dental students on campus. Currently, dental students are enrolled in epidemiology at SHM. More than 91 percent of ASDOH first year students passed their second year board exams, even though they took these exams during their first year. Dr. Dillenberg has received more than $500,000 in equipment grants (including the Piper Foundation, Legacy Foundation, etc.) toward the Special Needs Clinic. The dental students are deeply involved in community service opportunities. A tour of the dental clinic took place for board members.

Dean Wood reported four aspects of the proposed medical school on the Mesa Campus: accreditation, organizational structure, curriculum, and quality evaluation. He reported that after a meeting with the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA), pre-accreditation status was obtained in December 2005. Tom McWilliams, D.O., associate dean for clinical and biomedical science, started February 1. A resolution ratifying and confirming the new medical school was adopted by the board.

A brief update on the Connell Center in Kirksville was provided by President McGovern. Fundraising for the center has reached $10.25 million, with $4.5 million raised during the past year. Dr. McGovern noted that the Connell Center will serve future needs of all the degree programs at Kirksville, as well as be a service to alumni of the University.

The board approved an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters (D.Hu.L.), for John W. Molina, M.D., which will be presented at the March 11, 2006, ASHS graduation ceremonies at the Mesa Performing Arts Center.

The board participated in an educational session with invited guest speaker, Richard “Buz” Cooper, M.D., professor of medicine, division of general internal medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System. Dr. Cooper shared his insights concerning solutions to the problem of physician shortages. Dr. Cooper predicted a shortage of up to 200,000 physicians across the United States by 2020.

The next ATSU Board of Trustees meeting is in Mesa, Arizona, on March 31 and April 1, 2006.