From the Desk of the President
April 2018
Greetings KCU Family:
This is an exciting time for KCU, our students and our community. Early this month, we celebrated the groundbreaking for our new Center for Medical Education Innovation, followed by our announcement that we are completing our due diligence for establishing a new KCU College of Dental Medicine on our Joplin campus.
Both initiatives advance the goals reflected in our strategic plan and demonstrate our continued commitment to become a more comprehensive health sciences university. Details of these key projects follow.
There will be no newsletter in July, as we ready for new classes on both campuses. For now, I wish everyone a safe and happy summer. I also look forward to sharing updates on these initiatives as we continue to build upon our osteopathic foundation to advance our mission of “improving the wellbeing of the communities we serve.”
Center for Medical Education Innovation Breaks Ground
On June 4, dignitaries from across the metropolitan Kansas City area, members of the community, and KCU students, faculty and staff comprised a standing-room-only crowd of more than 200 that witnessed the ceremonial beginning of construction on our Center for Medical Education Innovation (CMEI).
As the newest addition to our Kansas City campus, the four-story, 56,000-square-foot CMEI will integrate cutting-edge technology with the latest in innovation to educate future osteopathic physicians and other health professionals, while reducing medical errors and improving patient safety.
The project is expected to be complete in 2020 and will not only serve the KCU student population, but also provide a community training resource for other health care entities. Learn more. Read the story in the Northeast News and watch the Fox4KC TV coverage. View our photo album.
Feasibility Study to Continue for College of Dental Medicine
KCU announced the continuation of a comprehensive feasibility study for locating a College of Dental Medicine to serve the four-corners region of Southwest Missouri. Studies conducted by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center substantiate the serious lack of access to oral health care and dentists to provide services in the area surrounding Joplin.
KCU is committed to addressing health care needs in rural and underserved populations; the addition of a College of Dental Medicine aligns well with our medical school’s community-based model and osteopathic philosophy of holistic care. The feasibility study ensures a thorough review and approach prior to a final decision being made. The study is expected to be complete within the upcoming academic year. Learn more. Read the story and opinion editorial in the Joplin Globe.
Honor Society Inducts Members From Class of 2019
Congratulations to this year’s Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) inductees. The Class of 2019 marks the third cohort of GHHS members on the KCU campus. This year, the Class of 2019 nominated Dr. Jozi McGowan, phase II director, Specialty Medicine, for membership in GHHS. Dr. Sarah Parrot, associate professor of Primary Care, was the first faculty inductee for our chapter and serves as the group’s advisor. Established in 2015, the KCU chapter has steadily grown in reputation for its commitment to clinical care, leadership, compassion and dedication to service. Learn more about GHHS.
Program Honors a Very Special Gift
Last month, KCU's Gift Body program brought together family members of individuals who donated their bodies to further medical education, along with students and faculty, for an event honoring those special contributions. It was KCU's 27th annual ceremony and is considered one of the oldest of its kind in the country. View portions of the ceremony. Learn more about the Gift Body Program.
KCU Demonstrates Our Best During HLC Visit
A special thanks to those who participated in the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation process, as well as to our entire KCU family for extending a warm welcome to our HLC guests April 30 – May 1. As part of the 10-year accreditation cycle, KCU faculty and staff prepared documentation over the course of a year to submit to HLC. To maintain accreditation, standards of quality must be met in five areas: 1) Mission; 2) Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct; 3) Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources and Support; 4) Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement; and 5) Resources, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness. The clear commitment KCU has to its students, faculty and staff was readily apparent, and the follow-up visit by HLC was very well received. An outcome report is expected toward the end of summer. Learn more about HLC.
OMM Fellows Support U.S. Veterans
KCU Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) Fellows recently spent time at the Kansas City Veterans Administration Hospital during clinical rotations and recognized first-hand the need for additional support for our veterans. In keeping with KCU’s mission to “improve the well-being of the communities we serve,” the Fellows took it upon themselves to raise money and contribute to those in need who had served our country. Hats off to our OMM Fellows for going the extra mile and paying it forward to a group of very deserving individuals. View our photo album.
KCU Welcomes Back Rosco Foster From Afghanistan
Rosco Foster, a groundskeeper for KCU in Kansas City, does much more than keep our campus landscaping in tip-top shape. Recently, Foster, a staff sergeant E-5, who has been in the Air Force Reserve since 2014, returned from a 4 1/2-month deployment to Afghanistan. While there, he maintained A-10 C aircraft tasked with providing close air support for the Army and Marines, as well as NATO allies on patrol in the field. We’re glad to have Foster back in Kansas City and thank him for his continued service to our campus and, most importantly, our country.
