Things are getting hot in Phoenix, and not just the weather.
During the April 16 Creighton University strategic planning forum on the Arizona Health Education Alliance, goal stewards Larry Niemann, MBA, senior project executive, and Catherine Todero, PhD, BSN’72, dean of the College of Nursing, led attendees through an update on the Phoenix campus project with collaboration as a major theme for not only the facility but the programs as well.
Niemann, who has taken over the role previously held by Dale Davenport, has been working closely with the Phoenix health partners and the teams constructing the 200,000-square-foot building housing Creighton’s health sciences programs and the Alliance in Phoenix’s Park Central neighborhood.
“We’ve done a lot of work in formulating what the design of the facility looks like, integrating the operational models we’re talking about into the design principles of the actual facility,” said Niemann.
He went on to describe the open space inside the building with multiple collaborative areas and said the glass exterior not only provides a nice view out, but a nice view in as well, with plenty of natural light.
Design considerations for the building include efficiencies to position space based on student and faculty flows for their curriculum. Classroom size and quantity has been designed to maximize room usage and reduce vacancy time.
At the same time, the design is meant to promote collaboration, with interior spaces provided for dedicated learning, teaching and individual study as well as areas for individual and group study environments located throughout the facility.
The large community space on the first floor could hold up to 300 people, and Todero says Creighton’s community partners are already eyeing the space.
“There are very few spaces this size in the Phoenix area, so our partners are very excited about the potential for this space,” she said.
A department chair for the Arizona-based physical therapy program has also been named. James Lynskey, PhD, PT, will begin the new post July 1. With the goal of enrolling about 40 students per year, the program is in the process of developing a collaborative curriculum between Phoenix and Omaha.
Lynskey will guide the Phoenix program through the specialized accreditation process while recruiting the necessary faculty for the program.
“Even though it will be a separate entity, we want that program to look very much like ours,” said Todero.
The Department of Occupational Therapy has submitted its substantive change request to its specialized accrediting body (ACOTE) for implementation of the Phoenix pathway. The request should be reviewed this month.
Pharmacy is working to identify and refine the pedagogy of the Phoenix pathway, which will essentially be formatted as a hybrid version of the current distance program.
Creighton’s College of Nursing continues to expand in Phoenix. The program moved to a larger, renovated space in January. The first Phoenix cohort graduated in December 2018 and Todero noted the class had a 100% pass rate on board examinations. A third cohort with 48 students was welcomed in January, bringing the total number of Creighton nursing students in Phoenix to 85.
The plans for the Phoenix facility are scheduled to be finalized in early June with actual construction of the 200,000-square-foot building beginning in July. Completion of the project is expected in early 2021. The building will accommodate almost 900 health science students.
