Concordia’s School of Health Professions will dedicate its new Interprofessional Clinic during an open house on Wednesday, March 29. All are invited to attend.
Concordia University Wisconsin has completed a remodel on its School of Health Professions wing to create a state-of-the-art clinic devoted to students in diagnostic medical sonography, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant, rehabilitation science, speech-language pathology, and social work. The 9,150-square-foot Interprofessional Clinic is a dedicated space that allows students to learn while also offering health and social care services to community members for free or at significantly reduced prices.
In celebration of the new facility, the School of Health Professions will host a dedication and open house. All are invited to attend this free event and experience the clinic in person.
Interprofessional Clinic Dedication and Open House
Wednesday, March 29 | 3:30-5:30 p.m.
The Interprofessional Clinic is located between Patrick T. Ferry Hall and the Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic. A ribbon cutting will take place outside, weather permitting. After, tours and refreshments will be available inside.
In the media
CBS 58 stopped by campus on Tuesday, March 28 to see the clinic in action. Concordia was featured on the morning show and on afternoon news segments. Click on the image below to see the spot.
Features of the Interprofessional Clinic
Construction on the Interprofessional Clinic wrapped up in January and students are already putting the space to good use. The project was supported by a generous grant from the Russell & Josephine Kott Memorial Charitable Trust, with equipment funded by a separate grant from the Patrick J. and Janet L. Thompson Family Foundation.
The new clinic space consists of:
- A reception area
- A splinting area
- An open gym area for rehab and wellness activities
- A mock apartment
- A simulation space comprised of four rooms with hospital beds
- An observation room for students
- Private and group treatment rooms
- Meeting rooms
- A large storage room
- An office space for clinic staff
History and growth opportunities
Concordia has a long tradition of offering health and wellness services to uninsured or underinsured community members, including most recently PA students and pharmacy students working together on campus to administer COVID-19 vaccines. Its physical therapy/occupational therapy community clinics kicked off the tradition more than 20 years ago. In recent years, the School of Health Professions has expanded its repertoire of service beyond PT/OT. Today, the list includes:
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Speech, Language, and Hearing
- Wellness screenings
- Connections to community resources
Related: A lot of talk and action—CUW offers speech-language clinics to St. Martini students
The new clinic presents opportunity for even more growth. For example, the PT/OT community clinics had run just two days a week in the past because of space/scheduling constraints in its previous off-campus “homes”. By contrast, the new clinic allows for services up to five days a week, and healthy student enrollment in participating programs ensures there’s enough manpower to meet the demand. The new clinic also opens up opportunities to incorporate students in physicians assistant studies, pharmacy, and social work in the near future.
An interprofessional approach
The clinic’s namesake pays homage to an area of excellence at Concordia. Interprofessional Education (IPE) provides opportunities for students enrolled in health and human services programs to learn and train together. The goal is for collaborative learning, where students build their IPE communication skills, as well as knowledge base and understanding of other specialties.
Concordia is well positioned to provide ample and excellent IPE opportunities because of the breadth of health care and social service programs offered at the university. Not only has IPE been shown to benefit students, it helps patients as well.
“We’re so thrilled to be able to expand our reach and offer students and guests access to a brand-new facility,” said Linda Samuel, PhD, dean of the School of Health Professions. “Concordia’s health professions students make up a significant portion of our student population. As we seek to continue to position ourselves as leaders in the field, preparing future health professionals for excellence and to extend Christian care past graduation, it’s important that our facilities match the caliber of our curriculum.”
Want in?
The School of Health Professions offers a range of professional programs and degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Whether you pursue your education through online instruction or through classroom learning, you can expect a distinctive learning environment that will prepare you for a career marked by excellence, compassion, and service.