Dear Midwestern University Alumni,
As we look back on a particularly busy and challenging year, we look forward to the start of 2021 with renewed energy and look forward to the continued growth of our academic community.
Midwestern University excelled over the years because of the unwavering commitment of its faculty and staff, but also thanks to its proud alumni, who have built our reputation throughout the state and the country. You are a dynamic group who serve in a wide variety of clinical and academic settings, in private practice, and in many other areas of the healthcare industry.
When you proudly joined the Midwestern University alumni ranks, you made a commitment to make a positive impact to your profession and your patients. I am delighted to know that your skills, compassion, and dedication to service have helped us carry on the name of Midwestern University. I am always impressed to learn of the many examples in which confident leaders and experienced healthcare professionals, such as you, are providing care, guidance, and serving their communities in many different ways. You should be very proud of all of your accomplishments.
As we continue to collectively experience the unprecedented challenges presented by COVID-19, I continue to be impressed by the strength and resilience of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni; together, we remain hopeful and focused on the future.
Sincerely,
Dr. G
Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer
CAMPUSES WELCOME STUDENTS BACK SAFELY FOR FALL
Both of our campuses in Downers Grove, IL, and Glendale, AZ have welcomed back students, faculty, and staff. The University’s COVID-19 Response Team has met continuously since March to develop health and safety protocols for a safe return to our campuses and clinics in order to minimize the spread of COVID-19 while staying up-to-date with the rapidly evolving information and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local health departments, and executive orders from the states of Arizona and Illinois.
Starting in the Fall 2020 academic quarter, the University began offering a hybrid learning model that combines virtual and in-person labs, lectures, and other educational experiences to prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Safety measure in place include:
- Required Face Masks
- Daily Health Screenings
- Occupancy Limits
- Enhanced Educational Technology
- Increased Cleaning and Sanitation Procedures
- Continued Student Support and Mentorship
Student events, including student government meetings, organizational clubs, and social events, are being held virtually. Any in-person non-social educational event, or practice lab must be approved by the academic dean and all attendees must wear a mask and remain a minimum of six feet from other participants.
Midwestern University will continue to monitor the latest developments and recommendations from federal, state, and local authorities regarding COVID-19, and will update its plans accordingly.
Our Five Step Plan for Diversity and Inclusion
On June 5, Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, announced and began implementation of the Midwestern University Call to Action Program and Five Step Plan for Diversity and Inclusion.
The Midwestern University Call to Action Program and Five Step Plan is designed to bring greater awareness and education on the impact of racial inequity within the society and in healthcare education.
This Plan’s implementation began all around the University’s Colleges, Programs and Departments via listening sessions to learn about our colleagues’ concerns and suggestions and establishing various task forces in charge of reviewing department standards; broadening multi-cultural understanding about current issues through reading, videos, and other media; strengthening focus on community service projects; increasing financial literacy; supporting education; and increasing diversity among our workforce.
All of our Colleges, Programs and Departments support and are committed to the Midwestern University’s Call to Action Plan through the following five steps:
Call to Action - Step One: Listening
Every Dean, Program Director, Manager, or Department Head has gathered groups of colleagues together to listen to their concerns, encourage them to make suggestions on departmental improvements that can identify and dispel racism, and recommend additional community outreach opportunities. In addition, these groups are helping to identify new and improved ways in which we can recruit more underrepresented minority employees.
Call to Action - Step Two: Colleges and Departmental Task Forces and Committees
Improved discussion and training on social injustice and cultural sensitivity as members of our communities is necessary and beneficial. Colleges and Departments have been encouraged to brainstorm different ideas/goals via shared documents. In addition to the small discussions groups amongst their faculty, staff, and students, each College and Department has a larger goal to host more formal department training and discussion opportunities for all. This leads to the University’s long term goal of continued education and improvement.
Call to Action - Step Three: Research Grants
The University established a new Research Grant program called “Improving Healthcare Delivery and Reducing Healthcare Disparities in Underserved Minority Communities”, which will provide up to $10,000 per award. Two awards per campus will be available (up to four total Midwestern University research grant awards), to support projects led by University faculty and student researchers. These funds are not reducing intramural funding for any college. The purpose of this program is to:
- Foster new and emerging creative research ideas centered around improving healthcare delivery for underserved minorities and/or eliminating health care disparities among racial and ethnic minority populations.
- Encourage proposals that impact healthcare disparities as a long-term goal by enhancing representation of minorities in the healthcare provider community, and/or changes to healthcare educational programs as a short-term target will be considered under this mechanism; and
- Lay the groundwork for intellectually innovative research into health of minority populations beyond current educational programs and screenings.
Call to Action - Step Four: Policy Review
Midwestern University has established a Diversity and Inclusion Policy Review Task Force to review and recommend updates for all our policies and procedures to assure continued equal treatment of all faculty, staff, and students regardless of their gender, national origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation. This Task Force is chaired by the Vice President of Human Resources and Administrations, and its members include the co-chairs of the University Committee on Diversity and Inclusion on both campuses, faculty, and staff. The University Policy Review Task Force has identified means to link their efforts with the University Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Committee; they will seek opportunities to improve cross collaboration between the Office of the President, the Office of Student Services, the Colleges, and the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. They are also exploring ways to increase programing of speakers and activities between all the colleges and departments on campus.
Call to Action - Step Five: Scholarship Fund
All thirty-seven members of the Midwestern University Response Team, as well as University faculty, staff and students have come together and contributed $80,000.00 thus far to create a new scholarship fund in clear demonstration of unwavering support to all underrepresented minority students. Strengthening and promoting diversity in the healthcare workforce is a critical component of Midwestern University's mission to educate the twenty-first century healthcare team to meet the needs of all members of our society.
This new Midwestern University Diversity Scholarship Fund will be used to provide need-based scholarships for qualified students on both the Downers Grove and Glendale Campuses. Two $5,000 awards will be given at each campus beginning with the 2020/2021 academic year. Anyone interested in making a personal contribution towards this new scholarship can visit https://online.midwestern.edu/public/giving.cgi.
The University also received two donations to support osteopathic medical program scholarships, from the estates of Mary E. Cranker and Edna Dunning. In accordance with the donors' wishes and the terms of the actual donation agreements, monies from these two estates can only be used by new incoming Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine students. We are now using these funds to establish an Underrepresented Minority Scholarship Fund for the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine. These funds will be provided to two qualifying incoming students from each of our Osteopathic Colleges, and will cover half of the cost of tuition, as long as students maintain high academic standards. This will be available all four years. These scholarships fulfill our mission of quality education enriched by the diversity of our students.
It is our hope that we can continue to raise funds from alumni and community partners to enhance our scholarship opportunities in all of our colleges. It is with sincere thanks to the generous donors that scholarships can be funded to help students of today become wonderful alumni in the future.
JOIN OUR NEW ALUMNI DIVERSITY INITIATIVES
The Office of Development & Alumni Relations is dedicated to cultivating and fostering the participation of alumni with a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives. We believe this diversity propels our alumni to the next level in their careers and helps current students realize their potential.
In keeping with this mission, we are constantly reviewing our programs to ensure we are meeting the needs of our alumni. We are pleased to announce that we are launching two new diversity initiatives:
Alumni and Student Leadership and Development
Based on feedback we received from our Midwestern University Alumni Senate, we are exploring opportunities to increase the level of diversity within our alumni councils and our alumni leadership groups. Additionally, we are developing an Alumni Diversity Mentoring Group to provide support to students who come from underrepresented populations.
Culture Education & Research
In keeping with our educational mission, the Office is applying for funding to expand and support alumni programming focused on the needs of our disparate communities.
From these responses, we will work with our colleges to develop programs related to providing culturally sensitive care and serving underrepresented populations. Proposed topics include: Understanding Our Own Biases, Cultural Competencies in Caring for Underrepresented Patients, Healthcare Disparities, and Closing Healthcare Gaps.
The Office of Development and Alumni Relations remains committed to providing Midwestern University alumni with career-enrichment and leadership opportunities. We believe these initiatives will continue the Midwestern University mission of educating tomorrow’s healthcare team. Should you be interested in joining your college’s alumni council or becoming a founding member of our Alumni Diversity Mentoring Group, please contact Staci Glass at alumni@midwestern.edu or 623-572-3286. We always appreciate hearing from you.
AZ Podiatric Medicine Program Now a College
The Arizona School of Podiatric Medicine, in the College of Health Sciences-Glendale, has been renamed the Midwestern University Arizona College of Podiatric Medicine, effective October 1, 2020. Please join us in congratulating Jeffrey L. Jensen, D.P.M, on his appointment to Interim Dean of the College and Melanie Violand, D.P.M., FACFAS, to her new role as Associate Dean.
Many thanks to the faculty and staff of our newest college for their dedication to quality education and outstanding reputation in podiatric medicine.
New Public Health Degree Program Begins on Both Campuses
Midwestern University has added a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) dual-degree program for osteopathic, dental, veterinary, and optometry students. The degree will provide students with additional public health knowledge and skills to expand their career opportunities in traditional clinical and public health practice, global health, and government service. A stand-alone Master of Public Health program will be available in 2022. For more information: https://www.midwestern.edu/academics/degrees-and-programs/master-of-public-health.xml
New Therapy Institute opens
The Midwestern University Therapy Institute on the Glendale Campus is now open for patient care, including Clinical Psychology, Low Vision Rehabilitation, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Sports Vision Performance Training, and Vision Therapy. The Therapy Institute is one of less than 20 facilities in the U.S. offering the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN), an immersive virtual reality environment for advanced clinical evaluation, analysis, and rehabilitation for a variety of neuro-physical conditions that may affect vision, balance, and physical abilities. Learn more at https://www.mwuclinics.com/arizona/services/therapy.
Patent Awarded to Midwestern University Pharmacometrics Center of Excellence
Midwestern University’s Pharmacometrics Center of Excellence on the Downers Grove Campus recently received notice of an approval of its patent application for antibiotic-coated nanoparticles (US20190099500A1) from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent covers the research done by Midwestern University faculty members, Marc H. Scheetz, Pharm.D., M.Sc., Director of the Pharmacometrics Center of Excellence, and Professor, Chicago College of Pharmacy, and N. Jim Rhodes, Pharm.D., M.S., BCPS, Associate Professor, Pharmacy Practice, to develop antibiotic coated nanoparticles and methods of treating bacterial infection.
“The emergence of bacteria that are highly resistant to conventional antibiotics is a crisis in healthcare and has left clinicians squeezed between two opposing forces. The number of new antibiotics in the pharmaceutical pipeline has greatly diminished. Meanwhile, antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens is increasing at an alarming rate,” said Dr. Scheetz. “Strategies are needed to treat these infections and address this crisis. The antibiotics that we have created hold the promise of better treatment efficacy as well as being safer for the recipient.“
The Pharmacometrics Center at Midwestern University designs innovative strategies to maximize the safety and effectiveness of medication therapies for patients. The Center focuses on personalized and precision medication approaches to optimize efficacy and safety of medications. The Center is in line with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) initiative to move away from the “one size fits all” approach to medication in favor of customized treatments that consider differences in patients’ genes, environments, and lifestyles. For more information about the Center go to: www.midwestern.edu/PCE.
MIDWESTERN CAMPUSES HOST VIRTUAL CAREER EVENTS FOR high school students
After classes and events went online this spring due to the pandemic, many programs at MWU pivoted quickly to create exciting new virtual options for what are usually on-campus summer career exploration programs for high school students.
Downers Grove Campus
In Downers Grove, high school sophomores and juniors enjoyed the Virtual PharmAcademy from June 22 to June 26, hosted by the Chicago College of Pharmacy. The program offered a fun and comprehensive learning experience about the diverse career paths in pharmacy and explored patient care in a variety of pharmacy practice environments.
Students spent five half-days learning and engaging with Midwestern University faculty, practicing pharmacists, alumni, and current pharmacy students. Activities in pharmacy practice included pediatric medication administration, blood pressure assessment, IV admixture, compounding, infectious diseases, veterinary medicine, pharmacy research, and many more. Students also had the opportunity to build communication skills, learn team building exercises, and hear about public health For more information, visit www.midwestern.edu/pharmacademy
Glendale Campus
In Glendale, the Health Careers Institute for High School Students, a hands-on summer camp for high school juniors and seniors, took place over five days from July 13-17 via interactive WebEx workshops. The event was supported by the BHHS Legacy Foundation and included a “care package” of anatomy books, skeleton kits, reflex hammer and stethoscope, and other items that the 34 participating students utilized to practice medical techniques along with the 50+ Midwestern faculty and student presenters.
Among many other activities, student participants had the opportunity to try their hand at suturing, take their own vital signs, test the efficacy of toothbrushes versus miswack sticks, explore interactive models of the human heart and skeleton, and analyze the mental and emotional elements in student-created paintings.
To create more of a sense of community and provide daily mentorship, Midwestern students guided the attendees in small groups throughout the week via Zoom calls as well. For more details on the program: https://www.midwestern.edu/about/mwu-now/news/health-careers-institute-goes-virtual-but-stays-hands-on.xml
Midwestern University
Office of Development & Alumni Relations
555 31st Street | Downers Grove, Illinois 60515 | 800-962-3053
19555 North 59th Avenue | Glendale, Arizona 85308 | 623-572-3748