ATSU celebrates 12th Community Health Center Campus Partnership
August 28th, 2015
A.T. Still University (ATSU) and Near North Health Service Corporation came together to celebrate the University’s newest community health center partnership and its inaugural class in Chicago today.
The inaugural class of 10 ATSU-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) students started their second year of medical school earlier this month, and will complete their third and fourth years of education at Near North-operated clinics in the Chicago area.
“Our students are very energetic and eager to learn, and importantly share a close bond,” said Munawar Sultana, MD, Near North physician and ATSU-SOMA regional director of medical education. “This bond will help them better serve the patients who they will work with during their time here.”
“This is truly an alliance that has similar goals and missions as ATSU,” said ATSU President Craig Phelps, DO, ’84.
Near North marks ATSU-SOMA’s 12th current community health center campus partnership. Campuses are dispersed throughout the United States and provide students hands-on clinical training from health center faculty and clinical teachers at associated institutions who have a distinct partnership with ATSU-SOMA. Students remain connected to the home campus in Mesa through video technology and visits by the School’s faculty and leadership.
By 2017, 30 ATSU-SOMA students will be training among Near North Health Service Corporation’s Chicago health centers and its affiliates.
Joining ATSU and Near North were elected officials, who came to recognize the newly-formed partnership, and share words of encouragement and gratitude to students. A common theme shared throughout the event was “mission,” underscoring the importance that the partnership brings to underserved Chicago communities.