Health Center to be Operated by NYITCOM at Arkansas State
JONESBORO – Arkansas State University has completed the framework of an agreement to shift administration of its on-campus Student Health Center to New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine located on the A-State campus, Chancellor Kelly Damphousse announced this week.
Discussions related to the future of on-campus student health services began during the summer and reached their conclusion this month.
NYITCOM at A-State will take over administration of the student health clinic, which is co-located with an urgent care clinic location of St. Bernards Healthcare on the east side of campus, just south of Centennial Bank Stadium. It will become known as the NYITCOM at Arkansas State Medical Clinic, and the medical school’s physicians will expand the services offered to A-State students.
NYITCOM and A-State have worked closely to ensure the transition is a smooth one for students and are coordinating with St. Bernards Medical Center to provide continuing service during the hand-over period between the two institutions.
“My guiding principle for all discussions related to this transition was that none of our current A-State students would be disadvantaged by the change,” Damphousse said. “This change only made sense if we improved access to an increased standard of health care. I thank Dr. Len Frey for working proactively with Dr. Shane Speights, dean of NYITCOM at Arkansas State, to enhance the strong partnership between our two institutions.”
The clinic physicians will be assigned from the NYITCOM at Arkansas State faculty, providing access to the osteopathic medical school’s teaching faculty.
“A-State students who seek health care on our campus will now have access to some of the nation’s leading researchers and teaching instructors,” Damphousse said. “Students will also see increased access to health care through the additional services offered as our partnership moves forward.”
The Medical Clinic also will serve as an academic health center and provide clinical training opportunities for NYITCOM at Arkansas State medical students to work alongside their faculty.
“We are extremely excited about what this move means for our faculty and students as well as A-State students,” Speights said. “Students will have access to physicians who can provide more services than those that are currently offered at the Student Health Center. The expanded clinical opportunities will benefit students who are pursuing medical careers. We believe this is a win-win for everyone.”
# # #
