Move Expected to Strengthen Health Programs, Provide Greater Access to Georgians
ATLANTA – The Mercer University Health Sciences Center has officially launched the new College of Health Professions that consolidates degree programs in physical therapy, physician assistant studies and public health.
The new College is Mercer University's 12th academic college or school and its fourth focused on health sciences under the Mercer Health Sciences Center. The other units under the center include the School of Medicine, the College of Pharmacy and the College of Nursing.
“We are extremely pleased that the new College of Health Professions is now operational,” said Dr. H.W. “Ted” Matthews, senior vice president for health sciences at Mercer University and head of the Mercer Health Sciences Center.
“The programs under the new College are doing exceptionally well and provide more Georgians with an excellent avenue to pursue health care professions that are both in high demand and offer an invaluable service to patients and communities.”
The formation of the new College brings together existing programs that were previously housed in Mercer's School of Medicine (public health) and College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (physical therapy and physician assistant studies). By adding the fourth college, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has been officially renamed the College of Pharmacy.
The change is expected to significantly strengthen the programs under both colleges. For the College of Pharmacy, which offers doctoral degrees in pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical sciences, the change re-establishes Mercer's long-standing identity in pharmacy education dating back to 1903. For the College of Health Professions, the change strategically aligns programs of similar size and structure so each can grow and thrive as needed.
The College of Pharmacy and the College of Health Professions are located on Mercer's Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional School campus in Atlanta. The Master of Public Health program in the College of Health Professions is offered on both Mercer's Atlanta and Macon campuses.
“The College of Health Professions is committed to continuing the Mercer tradition of educating outstanding students to become skilled practitioners and leaders,” said Dr. Lisa Lundquist, interim dean of the College of Health Professions.
About the Mercer University Health Sciences Center
The Mercer Health Sciences Center became operational on July 1, 2012. The Center enrolls more than 1,700 students, employs more than 400 full-time faculty and staff, and graduates more than 500 physicians, nurses and nurse educators, physician assistants, pharmacists, physical therapists, family therapists, public health professionals, and biomedical scientists each year. The Center's commitment is to integrate professional education among its future health science professionals by eliminating the traditional silos that have divided them. The Center believes this team-based and patient-centered approach to training health care professionals best serves the needs of patients and ultimately saves money, time and lives. For more information about the Center, please visit http://hsc.mercer.edu.
About Mercer University
Founded in 1833, Mercer University is a dynamic and comprehensive center of undergraduate, graduate and professional education. The University enrolls more than 8,300 students in 12 schools and colleges – liberal arts, law, pharmacy, medicine, business, engineering, education, theology, music, nursing, health professions, and continuing and professional studies – on campuses in Macon, Atlanta and Savannah – and four regional academic centers across the state. The Mercer Health Sciences Center, launched July 1, 2012, includes the University's medical, nursing, health sciences and pharmacy schools. Mercer is affiliated with four teaching hospitals – Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah, the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, and The Medical Center and St. Francis Hospital in Columbus. The University also has educational partnerships with Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Warner Robins and Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta. It operates an academic press and a performing arts center in Macon and an engineering research center in Warner Robins. Mercer is the only private university in Georgia to field an NCAA Division I athletic program.
www.mercer.edu
