HonorHealth lauded by ASU leaders as on the ‘leading edge’ of emerging medicine
Staff Reports | Community Updates
Arizona State University and HonorHealth have inked terms finalizing an agreement for HonorHealth to serve as the primary clinical affiliate for ASU’s School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering, a central component of ASU Health.
Driven by a mutual desire to advance health care through technology and humanity, the agreement — HonorHealth and ASU officials tell the Digital Free Press — will help train future leaders in medicine and medical engineering.
The move marks a significant step forward in the development of ASU Health and represents a collaborative effort to create the clinical education programs needed for ASU’s new School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering, according to ASU President Michael Crow.
The agreement will help develop a unique, nationally recognized medical education program to attract and retain outstanding students, residents and faculty.
“We are pleased to join with HonorHealth in this important and fundamental step,” Mr. Crow said in a prepared statement. “HonorHealth is equipped to be an important component and contributor to ASU Health in creating a unique medical school that is transformative in delivering better health outcomes for the people of Arizona, and beyond.”
HonorHealth lauded by ASU leaders as on the ‘leading edge’ of emerging medicine
The clinical affiliation between ASU and HonorHealth will further develop graduate medical education programs and will bring to the medical school the educational benefits of GME programs for undergraduate medical education.
Also, it ensures the availability of HonorHealth facilities for clinical and research experiences for ASU students.
“HonorHealth is thrilled to collaborate with ASU, America’s most innovative university, in a partnership that is breaking new ground in professional education and clinical experience for tomorrow’s medical professionals,” HonorHealth Chief Executive Officer Todd LaPorte said. “As a market-leading, community-focused health system with nearly 100 years of expertise in Arizona, we believe we are the right partner for this new kind of medical school.”
Medical education involves hands-on experience and hospital-based learning, frequently in a university hospital.
Medical students spend several years rotating through various units within a hospital to gain real-life clinical experience, always under the guidance of a physician or other faculty. In the ASU Health model, the School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering’s affiliation with HonorHealth ensures that students have access to high-quality local hospital facilities to advance their education and careers.
HonorHealth is the health system that houses the majority of the training experiences for the medical school’s undergraduate students with rotations in hospitals throughout Phoenix, Scottsdale and surrounding communities. A process will be developed for ASU faculty appointments for HonorHealth clinicians and other health professionals who participate in the leadership or educational activities of the new medical school.
The agreement between ASU and HonorHealth also will cover other academic, research and innovation programs within ASU Health.
“HonorHealth is on the leading edge of translating clinical research into life-changing, patient-centered treatments, and our partnership with ASU will assist us in recruiting the best and brightest clinicians who are dedicated to this shared vision,” Mr. LaPorte said.
HonorHealth will make its inpatient hospitals and outpatient and ambulatory facilities available to provide robust clinical experiences for medical students. The partnership also provides that all HonorHealth hospitals where medical student rotations occur will be designated as the school’s official teaching hospitals.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us, and with HonorHealth’s help, we can develop new ways of teaching and learning, and serving Arizona,” Mr. Crow said. “The measurement of our success in the future will be, is our community healthier? It’s our responsibility to make it happen.”
Mr. LaPorte echoed a similar sentiment of collaboration.
“We are excited to work with ASU, to learn from each other, to provide the expertise that we bring from years of experience, and to create a unique academic medical enterprise that will benefit the local communities we serve and the entire state of Arizona for many years to come,” he said.
